.gif)
John Doe (TV series)
Encyclopedia
John Doe is an American science fiction
drama
television series that aired on Fox
during the 2002–2003 TV season.
In the opening scene of the series' pilot episode, a mysterious man wakes up on an island off the coast of Seattle, Washington
, naked, with absolutely no memory of who he is or how he got there. However, apart from the details of his own past, "John Doe", as he comes to call himself, seems to have access to the sum total of all human knowledge: he knows how many dimples are on a golf ball, the population of Morocco, and other such obscure (and not-so-obscure) facts. He also has expert knowledge on everything from the stock market to computers. Over the course of the series John attempts to find clues about his past by using his unusual ability while also helping people in need. In the process it becomes clear that an international conspiracy known as the Phoenix Organization is watching John's every move.
: the Phoenix Organization, he said, was a group conducting research into near-death experiences. They believed that the sum total of knowledge in the universe would be conferred upon them at the moment of death, so they killed John and brought him back to life in order to gain access to that knowledge.
The show's final episode revealed that a close friend of John's was in fact the true leader of the Phoenix Organization.
An explanation of Doe's identity was eventually put forward by the show's producers in the pages of Entertainment Weekly
. The article read, in part:
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series that aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
during the 2002–2003 TV season.
Synopsis
"I woke up in an island off the coast of Seattle. I didn't know how I got there ... or who I was. But I did seem to know everything else. There were things about me I didn't understand ... the brand, being colorblind, extreme claustrophobia. And while my gifts provided answers for others, I still search for my own. My name is John Doe."In the opening scene of the series' pilot episode, a mysterious man wakes up on an island off the coast of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, naked, with absolutely no memory of who he is or how he got there. However, apart from the details of his own past, "John Doe", as he comes to call himself, seems to have access to the sum total of all human knowledge: he knows how many dimples are on a golf ball, the population of Morocco, and other such obscure (and not-so-obscure) facts. He also has expert knowledge on everything from the stock market to computers. Over the course of the series John attempts to find clues about his past by using his unusual ability while also helping people in need. In the process it becomes clear that an international conspiracy known as the Phoenix Organization is watching John's every move.
Who is John Doe?
After the show was canceled, one of its producers revealed the secret of the main character's true identity in an interview with TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
: the Phoenix Organization, he said, was a group conducting research into near-death experiences. They believed that the sum total of knowledge in the universe would be conferred upon them at the moment of death, so they killed John and brought him back to life in order to gain access to that knowledge.
The show's final episode revealed that a close friend of John's was in fact the true leader of the Phoenix Organization.
An explanation of Doe's identity was eventually put forward by the show's producers in the pages of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
. The article read, in part:
- Where We Left Off: Doe was helping the police solve crimes and being tracked by a seemingly nefarious group called the Phoenix Organization. He finally unmasked the big bad, a villain nicknamed Stocking Cap -- his friend, Digger (played by William ForsytheWilliam Forsythe (actor)William Forsythe is an American actor, known for playing "tough guy" roles. He is also a writer, and has several short stories that are set to be published.-Early life:...
)!
- What Would Have Happened: Make that someone who looked like John's friend. The villain unmasked in the finale was actually just a Phoenix member with some fancy facial reconstruction. Turns out, the Phoenix believed Doe was the Messiah and its members were actually protecting Doe from a second group, which wanted him dead. The truth: Doe was injured in a boating accident. That mark on his chest? A scar left by a piece of shrapnel from the explosion. His Überbrain? A by-product of transcending his body during a near-death experience, traveling to a spiritual plane where all the universe's questions are answered.
- So Who is John Doe?! "You'd think we actually would have come up with his name," the show's producer revealed. "We have no idea," he finally admitted, before adding "Fred."
Main cast
- Dominic Purcell as John Doe
- John Marshall JonesJohn Marshall JonesJohn Marshall Jones is an American actor and director. He is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He is perhaps best known as Floyd Henderson from the TV series Smart Guy...
as Frank Hayes - Jayne BrookJayne BrookJayne Brook is an American actress, known for her role as Dr. Diane Grad on the medical drama Chicago Hope. She appeared on the series from 1995 to 1999.-Early life:...
as Jamie Avery - Sprague GraydenSprague GraydenSprague Grayden is an American television, film and theater actress. She appeared in the television drama Jericho, playing schoolteacher Heather Lisinski.-Early life:Grayden was born in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts...
as Karen Kawalski - William ForsytheWilliam Forsythe (actor)William Forsythe is an American actor, known for playing "tough guy" roles. He is also a writer, and has several short stories that are set to be published.-Early life:...
as Digger
Recurring cast
- Rekha SharmaRekha SharmaRekha Shanti Sharma is a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Tory Foster on Battlestar Galactica.Her ancestors are from the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, which they left during the British period. Her family resettled in the Fiji Islands and her parents moved to Canada...
as Stella - David Lewis as Stu
- Michelle Hart as Nance Fenton
- Grace ZabriskieGrace ZabriskieGrace Zabriskie is an American actress. She has appeared in many popular American films but, she is best known for her work in television. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks, Seinfeld, and Big Love.-Early life:Zabriskie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana...
as Yellow Teeth - Gary Werntz as Trenchcoat
- David ParkerDavid ParkerDavid Parker may refer to:* David Parker , current manager of Birmingham City Ladies* David C. Parker, theology professor and textual critic* David Parker , North Carolina politician and attorney...
as Detective Roosevelt - Gabrielle AnwarGabrielle AnwarGabrielle Anwar is an English actress. She is known for her role as Margaret Tudor on The Tudors, for dancing the tango with Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman and for her current role as Fiona Glenanne on USA's Burn Notice.- Early life :...
as Rachel - Matt WinstonMatt WinstonMatthew "Matt" Winston is an American actor, the son of late special effects artist Stan Winston. He attended Yale, is married to Amy Smallman and has two small children....
as Samuel Donald Clarkson
Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|