Brawlin' 'Angel': A Behind the Scenes Look at the TV Show 'Dark Angel'

Well, it might not be that simple. The Dark Angel pilot, of which early reviews have been mixed, steers toward gloomy, futuristic dystopia — the sort of thing Fox has repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to program in the wake of The X-Files (RIP Harsh Realm and Millennium). And its time-slot competition — two top 15 series, Frasier and Dharma & Greg, not to mention Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off Angel — is nothing to shake a laser at. (Plus, counting Touched by, just how many Angels can one viewer take?) Still, Cameron & Co. are confident that they're tapping into universal themes that will attract more than a niche audience obsessed with science fiction. ''Every kid coming of age, from Ancient Greece to the Middle Ages to the '60s to now, feels that the world that they're inheriting from their parents is just this f---ed-up, crazy place,'' Cameron explains of Angel's conceit. ''And so by creating this chaotic future world, we're keying on the angst of sudden awareness or greater consciousness of the world.'' Making note of Buffy, Fox exec VP of programming David Nevins adds: ''This is all about trying to find a female action hero that is smart and empowered and fun.''

Cameron and Eglee know that quest well. The pair looked at 1,000 women (even dancers and gymnasts) in search of the perfect protagonist. ''We saw every actress in Los Angeles,'' says Eglee. ''We saw every actress in New York. We went around to college campuses. We saw people up here in Vancouver and in Toronto. And then Jessica came in and lit up the room.'' Confirms costar Michael Weatherly (Logan): ''There's total confidence in her, from her, around her ... Once in a while, I look for that microchip in her head, because I think James Cameron might have created her. She might be the Billion Dollar Woman. It's like, 'What did you do with all that Titanic money, Jim?' [imitating deep voice from the heavens] 'I created the perfect female ... and her name is Jessica Alba!'''

Meanwhile, in the face of such harrowing hyperbole and hubba-hubba hubbub, the Dark Angel star is trying to keep her wings unruffled. ''It's like, you can make hype out of a piece of cheese if you want to, you know?'' she says. ''I don't get caught up in it, really. It doesn't make sense for my little brain.'' Besides, she's too busy saving the world to worry about frivolous things like It Girl labels and ratings. ''I get to jump around in a harness, I get to kick 6'2'' guys' asses, I even get to beat up a hooker,'' she says with a devilish grin. ''It's pretty cool.''