Getting B+T Out to the World

Do you remember the 1999-2002 TV series Roswell that starred Shiri Appleby and Jason Behr as Liz Parker and Max Evans, high schoolers who lived in Roswell, New Mexico? One was human and one…wasn’t. Max was one of the alien/human hybrid survivors of the downed UFO that crash landed in that now-famous city way back in 1947.

The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB (now known as The CW) and became an instant hit with viewers. However, the show struggled in the ratings for both of its two seasons on The WB (it was picked up for its 3rd season by UPN before it was permanently cancelled).

As many people may know/remember – well before online campaigns became the “norm” – Roswell fans banded together to save the show TWICE, sending in those now infamous Tabasco bottles to Warner Bros. and FOX.

All these years later, those fans have not given up on their desire to see more of Roswell; nor have some of the cast members. In fact, actress Majandra Delfino, who played Maria DeLuca, and actor Brendan Fehr, who played Michael Guerin, have been working on a special project called B+T (which stands for Baron and Toluca), which while an entirely different show, it does have lots of similar elements that made Roswell a cult hit.

SIDENOTE: The series was rebooted by The CW in 2019 being called Roswell, New Mexico with Shiri Appleby directing two episodes and Jason Behr guest-starring in five episodes with a whole new cast portraying all the characters made famous in the original series.

B+T follows ex co-stars and exes in real life, Jake Baron (Fehr) and Toluca Mendez (Delfino) as they find themselves reunited in a familiar town in New Mexico. But when they experience a blackout and find themselves branded (and naked!) they must set aside their bickering and team up to unravel the eerie abductions that threaten to take them for good. With the local sheriff, Miles Sorrenti on their side, these three will join forces to put the pieces in place. But can they trust Miles? Can they trust each other? With time running out and clues that their crisis is steeped in deeper, global machinations, these three will do whatever it takes to save themselves, if they can just keep their damn clothes on…

Three years ago, a photo of Brendan and Majandra, as their characters Baron and Toluca, leaked on the internet. Then the logline was leaked. And of course, fans got excited and got to work. They created a campaign aimed at Netflix to find the show a home. They tweeted #NETFLIXforBandT every Saturday for a year.

It trended in the top 5. Globally…every…single…time!!! (And that was before the first teaser was even released).

You can watch that teaser below:

[Warning: There are a few expletives in the trailer so please be forewarned if that sort of things bothers you.]

After the teaser went online, fans ramped up their support by sending boxes of honey and tea (tea for the “T” and Honey for the “B”) to Netflix’s headquarters. That’s quite a huge fan campaign for a show that doesn’t exist (at least not yet). Those efforts have since morphed into a full-on campaign via Indiegogo to get the series made. As of today (October 20), there are 35 days left in the online campaign to raise $100,000 to make B+T a reality. The campaign is over 85% of the way to their ultimate goal.

Check out the B+T intro and trailer, featuring a message at the beginning from Majandra and Brendan below:

According to Brendan and Majandra, “Roswell was an amazing experience (for both of us).” We were also giant fans of Michael and Maria, their chemistry and the world of Max, Liz, Isabel, Kyle, Alex…even Topolsky!” [They have also shared that there is a really good chance a lot of those people show up in B+T!] They continued by saying, “After Roswell got cancelled, we felt that nothing on TV captured the distinct magic of the show. That sparked an idea. An obsession really. We went to work with the idea of paying homage to that particular sci-fi genre and the distinct chemistry of Michael and Maria. From there B+T was born. Not a reboot. Not a prequel. But a spiritual successor to a show we all loved so much. A new, original sci-fi drama that will warm the hearts of our fans of yesteryear and capture the hearts of brand new ones.”

It should be noted that given the current global pandemic, of course, Brendan and Majandra (and their team) foresee starting production in 2021 if they meet their financial goal.

To learn more about the perks, the payoff (if the goal is reached) and much more, make sure to check out the B+T Indiegogo site here.

PS: Thursday, October 22 is National Make a Dog’s Day, a national effort to champion dogs everywhere, especially those in shelters. Subaru of America, Inc. is supporting the well-being of pets nationwide with the return of its Subaru Loves Pets initiative all of October. Learn more about Make a Dog’s Day here.