Zixx

"Zixx" (full title is "Zixx: Level One" for season one, "Zixx: Level Two" for season two, and "Zixx: Level Three" for season three) is a Canadian television series that airs on YTV. This series was developed by Savi Media and The Nightingale Company with YTV Original Productions. The series was created by Jeff Hirshfield.

The show consists of a mixture of live action "real world" sequences interspersed with computer-generated scenes set inside a virtual realm. In Zixx Level One, Elliott Digital used a game engine to create the animation, the first time this was done for a television show [ [http://www.zixx.ca/level1/inside_animation.htm Welcome to Zixx Level One ] ] . The result is a unique style of animation that looks exactly like a video game, but has somewhat of a resemblance to Machinima.

For Zixx: Level Two the production had to move to British Columbia when Thunderbird Films Inc. joined the team. Mainframe Entertainment came on board to do the animation and IDT Entertainment, the company that owns Mainframe, took over distribution of the show. It is the first ever Mainframe series to combine live action with computer animation. The crew would stay for season three.

Plot

Zixx is an Intergalactic Network (simplified as the Network) agent who has crash landed onto Earth with her partner Flanngo. As luck would have it, Earth also happens to be a hotbed of activity for the evil Onccalon and the Hargokk Empire. Zixx has no intention of letting him win, so she and Flanngo need to find a way to access the Network and make sure they can get to the next level of the Keep before Onccalon's henchmen do.

Level 1

Zixx and Flanngo need to find a way into the Keep, a cyber dimension resembling a video game, the last legacy of the ancient Gand race (reminiscent of "Tron"). The difference is that it is game over for real if you die in the Keep. Reluctantly accepting the help of earthlings, Adam and Griff, the four need to move fast and finish level one of the Keep, find two neuropods buried deep within the level, and obtain the Sword of Gaanth before Onccalon's henchman Deeth does.

Level 2

Having made it to the shifting labyrinth of level 2, Zixx and Flanngo have gotten a nice inventory upgrade, but seem to have lost pals Adam and Griff. Finding their new Earth location outside of the keep to be a quiet rural town called Glen River, they find themselves forming a new team composed of their new friends Riley, Meghan, and Dwayne. Zixx needs to keep one step ahead of Onccalon and ever vigilant of who may be friend or foe.

Level 3

Zixx is thrilled when her team enters Level Three intact. The challenges of Level Three turn out to be fargreater than the previous levels and somewhere on this level in the Keep, Onncalon is growing ever stronger and is about to be resurrected. Only the most powerful weapon of all time can defeat Onncalon and so the race in on to find the Sword of Gaanth.

Characters

*Zixx Phunkee Zee: A smart tough Intergalactic Network agent from Halik-7 of the Aphex Galaxy. She's the last person you want to mess with; relentlessly determined, generous, resourceful and has an extremely dry sense of humour. She's a true hero and will do anything in her considerable power to defeat the Hargokk Empire. She is a stereotypical "loner", reluctant to accept help from anyone. She carries the multi-purpose APUT Network tool, which was upgraded to a Gaanthean Proton Scanner in Level 2.

*Flanngo: Zixx's investigative partner and mentor for several eons, he is a cynical, wise-cracking thick-skinned detective from the same planet as Zixx. While Zixx is the brains of the pair, Flanngo is the brawn; he's fast, tenacious and like Zixx, someone you don't want to mess with. He is surly and also a Lizard. He tends not to use inventory or weapons other than shields, preferring his natural bodily abilities. In level 1, Flanngo can go outside the Keep inside Zixx's backpack because breathing Earth's air is toxic to him. However, in Level 2, Flanngo couldn't leave the Keep until he was accidentally ejected from the Keep in the form of a teenage boy.

*Onccalon: The leader of the Hargokk Empire. Years ago he was destroyed in a battle with the Network, but he survived. He is somewhere inside the Keep and has been regaining his power. His followers are devoted to resurrecting him and have engaged Zixx and her team in the Keep.:In Level 2 it was revealed that Onccalon is regenerating and is more than just a pile of space goo. He is getting stronger each day as the pieces of his remains find their way to him. He has yet to show himself in a physical form but he has spoken in Level 2. If Onccalon is resurrected then the universe is doomed.

Level 1

*Adam Frake: Bright and intuitive, 12 year old Adam is an only child who has never known his father and lives with his uncle. His mother is an archaeologist who "disappeared" under mysterious circumstances, which Adam believes resulted from evil aliens kidnapping her. Despite being impulsive, stubborn, and volatile, he is a natural sleuth and more than capable of taking care of himself in the Keep. He and Griff were absent during season 2, however Adam made a brief appearance as a glowing ball of energy when he saved Zixx from Jayda and explained he and Griff hit a vortex when they reached Level 2. He supposedly made it home in the same episode. It is unknown if he will appear again to help Zixx or if Adam will ever find out the truth about his mother.

*Griffin "Griff" Chalanchuk : A stereotypical "geek" who enjoys sci-fi and computer gaming as much as Adam, 12 year old Griff is Adam's polar opposite in terms of personality, which also makes him the stereotypical "sidekick" character. He's level headed and cautious, patient and analytical, though he is known to be as stubborn as Adam. While he seems far too timid compared to Zixx and Adam, he has been known to show real courage and resourcefulness when it counts.

*Deeth: One of the evil aliens, the leader of the Hargokk contingent on Earth. He’s the one who chases down Lew, steals the crystal from Adam, and generally makes things extremely difficult for Zixx and the gang. A dedicated servant of the dark overlord Onccalon, Deeth is rabidly determined to see his master rise again and the universe enslaved. He disguised himself as a school janitor when on Earth. He was killed by the final monster when he walked into the boss room on Level 1.

*Lew: A homeless man with serious mental instabilities. He seems to know more than he should, things that both Zixx and Deeth want to know. He is constantly on the run from his past, but becomes a frequent source of help and advice for Zixx and the others.

*Uncle Murray: Adam's uncle, a well meaning man who doesn't have a clue how to raise children who has been looking after Adam since Adam's mother disappeared. He tends to be bumbling and self-absorbed, but he genuinely cares about Adam and worries that he is in denial about his mother's "disappearance".

*Anna Frake: Adam's mother, a lively and dynamic archaeologist who disappeared without explanation. Adam believes that she was abducted by aliens, especially now that Zixx and Deeth have appeared. However, it is unknown what really happened to her (i.e., if she "was" "abducted by aliens", or if something more... "serious" happened to her). She has communicated twice to Adam, and only once has she been successful.

Level 2

*Riley: A newcomer to the neighbourhood, 16 year old Riley is quick, charismatic and daring. He tends to overlook crucial details and tends to be suspicious about things concerning Zixx. A natural in the Keep, his hand-eye coordination and his ability to make intuitive connections make him invaluable as the ultimate non-linear problem solver. Raised by a single mom, Riley is embarrassed by his father, a devotee of a flaky group who believes they're in contact with aliens.

*Meghan: Riley's 12 year old cousin, a sensible and incredibly bright girl who is witty and perceptive. She is calm and takes a more calculated approach to problem solving and a brilliant tactician. Although her jokes sometimes confuse Zixx, she and Zixx have a warm appreciation for each other. She has a different understanding of Flanngo than the boys, and even glimpses the soft side that exists in his curmudgeonly lizard carapace.

*Dwayne: Thirteen year old Dwayne is Meghan's geeky pal and a science-technology wiz. He ignores all criticism and is rather thick headed, diving head first into any situation without realizing the real danger. While he only seems to inspire annoyance (especially in Riley and Flanngo), he has proven to be as valuable as Riley and Meghan. Near the end of Level 2, Dwayne became to Key to exiting Level 2, making his Keep form golden.

*Jayda: Disguised as a cool, sardonic 18 year-old juice bar girl, she's the toughest opponent Zixx has ever faced. Brilliant, manipulative and resourceful, Jayda is also utterly ruthless. Matching wits and weapons against Zixx and her team, Jayda proves to be the most formidable foe Zixx has ever faced. She was trapped in the center of Level 2 after she destroyed Sirenelle during the final test and became the guardian of level two.

*Earl: A heavy metal listening mullethead with very bad taste in cars, Earl works for the enemy (while attempting to relive his teen years). He's a complete idiot with a bad temper, but he's still someone Zixx and company need to keep an eye on. He also has a pet monster called Dickenson, which can turn into a dog. Markko froze both in the Keep to try and gain Riley's trust. He made his last appearance on Boegarian Chess set with Dickenson but was knocked off and Dickenson was frozen and smashed.

*Markko: A shapeshifter who works for the Hargokk Empire. He was a friend of Riley, but when they met in the Keep Markko showed his ability to shapeshift and tried to undermine the team. Markko was eventually flattened by Jayda's psychic powers due to his failures. He suddenly appeared at the Boegarian chess set as Zixx but was cast out into oblivion.

*Mr. Brown: The local librarian, he's really old, really wise and he keeps giving Zixx and the gang clues. Mr. Brown turns out to be greatest adventurers the world has ever known: The Archaeologist. He promised Zixx he would locate the Gand's book,

*Narnapharn: An alien that found Zixx using a communicator device by locating the high Keep activity on Earth. He arrived in a "one-man Bubble Ship" and seemingly lived in a dumpster beside a portal until Zixx came through. He is a stereotypical fanboy, changing his Keep-venturing alien as his idol. Unfortunately, he likes to trap his heroes inside the Keep by sealing the portal with his device so that he can watch them forever in action. Jayda wants to destroy him after he trapped her for eons, doing various cruel acts to him in vengeance. He was first imprisoned in a card but was later released. Zixx recently sent him to an alien rehabilitation clinic to cure his fanaticism and protect him from Jayda.

*Sirenelle: An entity who appears as a shimmery spirit or an apparition who possesses Meghan and other people's bodies. Her allegiances are unknown. She is the guardian - or "boss" - of Level Two. During battles she acts exactly like a supercomputer because she is the physical manifestation of Deep Crimson, a supposedly undefeatable program designed to play Boegarian Chess against living opponents (inspired by the real world chess supercomputer Deep Blue). However, she couldn't compete with chaos and was knocked off the set by Jayda who unwillingly took her place as the guardian of the Golden Gate. As she fell into emptiness, Sirenelle shouted she was free.

Cast

* Barbara Mamabolo - Zixx
* Jeffrey Hirschfield - Voice of Flanngo, Flanngo as a human
* Ephraim Ellis - Riley
* Brenna O'Brien - Meghan
* Reece Thompson - Dwayne
* Alex Hood - Griff
* Jamie Johnston - Adam
* Earl Pastko - Deeth

External links

* [http://www.zixx.ca/ Official website]
* [http://www.ytv.com/programming/shows/zixx_level_two/ YTV "Zixx: Level Two" page]

References