VR.5

Did You Know?

• The episodes 'Sisters,' 'Send Me An Angel,' and 'Parallel Lives' were not broadcast on Fox but aired in Canada, Norway, France and the United Kingdom.
• The series was eventually shown in its entirety on the Sci Fi Channel.
• The episode 'Sisters' was not aired in the UK to make room for an X-Files documentary.

Plot

Sydney Bloom, a telephone lineworker and computer hobbyist in 1995, accidentally discovers she can enter an advanced virtual reality where she interacts with others. Her actions in that virtual world affect the real world. She agrees to help a secret organization called the Committee, receiving assignments from Frank Morgan and later Oliver Sampson. Her friend Duncan advises and assists her. The show uses continuity inconsistencies and a distinctive color scheme as clues about what is actually happening.

Production

VR.5 debuted as a mid-season replacement after The X-Files gained popularity; executive producer Thania St. John said the show would try to capture a similar creepy feeling. Visual effects for virtual-reality scenes were made by shooting on black-and-white film and manually adding color, a process taking four weeks per episode. The high production cost, about $1.5 million per episode, and a difficult time slot contributed to the show's commercial failure. The opening theme music came to composer John Frizzell in a dream.