Lexx: The Complete Series (DVD TV review)
Everyone seems to forget ‘Lexx’. The first season is of 4 * 90 minute episodes which might not be convenient for TV but goes back to 50 minutes from season two onwards. Oddly, I can’t remember the last two seasons being shown in the UK but I do remember the opera episode and that was towards the end of season 2.
In the light universe, the Lexx (voiced by Tom Gallant) is his Divine Shadow’s personal destroyer spacecraft, designed to destroy and eat planets.
Stanley H. Twiddle (actor Brian Downey) was once a level 2 security guard but downgraded to level 4 after a mishap and then facing the death penalty for not obeying orders. Did I say he was a klutz? Perhaps not all the time but enough of one. He is also mostly the captain of the starship Lexx, the most power weapon in the two universes when he escapes with it.
Zev/Xev Bellringer (actresses Lisa Hynes/Eva Habermann/Xenia Seeberg) had her body reformed badly into a sex slave mixed with cluster-lizard for not doing her married vows. Considering she had a considerable weight drop and made pretty doesn’t appear too bad, except to Stan who she doesn’t like if he was the last man on wherever, which actually he is…some of the time. He doesn’t see her cluster-lizard aspect eat one of her lovers after sex.
790 (voiced by Jeffrey Hirschfield) is a robot head, imbued with some of Zev’s essence and besotted with her. At least for the first two seasons and then a repair and he’s besotted with someone who cares for him less than Zev. After some repair surgery, 790 changes its affections to Kai and a tad psychopathic.
Kai (actor Michael McManus) was once a Brunnen-G waerrior but killed by his Divine Shadow, mindwashed and turned into his assassin for 2000 years until his memories was restored. He’s also dead, relying on proto-blood to keep him ‘alive’ and, as there’s so little in his body, has to stay in cold storage until needed or, until he gets more supplies.
There’s also Lyekka (actress Luise Wischermann), a plant lifeform in the hold, who can take a human appearance but becomes ravenous from time to time in season 2 until her pod burst. Then she’s mostly absent. Mostly.
It’s revealed in the opening of the second season that the Divine Shadow (praise him, I beg penance for not saying that every time I use his name) is an insect essence, capable of transferring from body to body. You’re lucky to survive him if, he decides you’re worthless, alive. Apparently now dead.
With the third season, four thousand years after the destruction of the light universe, the Lexx is powerless and in orbit around binary planets, Fire and Water, with a dilemma of whether or not to destroy one or the other or both so the Lexx can feed as its very hungry. On each planet, there are a variety of cultures, mostly deadly if they are not careful and some people continually being resurrected. They also discover that they have people out there in their own likenesses. Two rather villainous people find they can get resurrected with some of their memories intact from time to time. Most dangerous of these is Prince (actor Nigel Bennett), who adds other names to the various aliases he takes over.
With the fourth season, the Lexx comes across a blue planet commonly called Earth. They have many problems there and you do have to wonder what they will leave in its wake. You can forget about Pluto becoming a minor planet because Twiddle orders the Lexx to destroy it at a considerable distance for the hell of it. On Earth, having failed to get Twiddle killed in Newfoundland, Prince has it nuked. For those who liked spotting British actors, you have a lot of character actors including Lionel Jefferies and Frank Kelly. Later, American President Reginald Priest (actor Rolf Kanies) nukes Korea because he can.
Oh, the Earth is regarded as a Type 13 planet, doomed not to last. Hardly surprising that it had an invasion by sentient carrots with some mechanical aid that burrows up the bums of any it invades, including the American President.
Probably the most outstanding duo is actor Rolf Kanies as the President and his wife, Bunny, played by Patricia Zentilli. They almost out-Trump Trump for stupidity. Prince himself, played by Nigel Bennett, is practically god-like because he remembers his past resurrections.
This is really a fun series. They aren’t out to do big things, just to survive, get laid if they can and have some fun once his Divine Shadow was pushed out of the way. They also don’t have much in the way of currency except the Lexx collateral that can destroy any planet or moon. Part satire and underlying menace, ‘Lexx’ the TV series still holds up today. Not only by reinventing itself every season but also from being filmed in Canada, then Germany and any nearby countries, including Japan, making for a truly different series than any released at the time. The last two seasons cut back on effects and the final season was half-financed from the UK. It also has a satisfying end.
The assorted extras shows how much blue screen was used and it was also one of the earlier CGI series next to ‘Babylon 5’, released at the same time. The last season’s blooper reel has to some of the best I’ve seen.
Considering its over 24 years old now but still holds up is its own testament. An international cast avoids a lot of the usual problems of the time, like all with American accents. You might have the odd nightmare about the Lexx’s toilet facilities but at least they have one. It ticks every box and the final episode has some of the funniest news commentaries and the preserved budget went into making it a good finale. Did I say I liked ‘Lexx’? There aren’t many complete sets out there but, if you’ve never seen it before, is worth getting. If you have seen it, then its worth a memory stir.
GF Willmetts
December 2025
(pub: Medium Rare, 2011. 19 DVD discs 2992 minutes 4 seasons. Season 1: 4*90 minute episodes. Seasons 2-4: 57*50 minute episodes. Extras included. Price: varies. There are earlier boxsets/seasons out there. ASIN: 030697019776)
