Space: Above and Beyond

[stoutfellow]

I'm currently reading Jan Johnson-Smith's American Science Fiction TV. It's a critical examination of the subject in general, plus detailed examinations of various series. I just finished the chapter on the short-lived "Space: Above and Beyond", and I found the description intriguing. Is anyone who's seen the show willing to offer comments on it, in particular on whether it would be worth seeking out the DVDs? (Is it available on DVD, even?)

Comments

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is available on DVD. I remember watching it and enjoying it when it was broadcast; I did snag the DVDs.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

I'd give it a solid C+ for effort. It was an intriguing idea for a television friendly take on the MilSci field, but I thought some of the worldbuilding was sloppy and the setup of making the main characters Marine fighter pilots and then constantly using them as ground pounders got a little silly.

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

I was filled with glee when one of the Marines played the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" in an early episode. I will note that they had two interesting women characters well before this iteration of Starbuck on BSG.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

The latter point drove me away from it quickly, along with the worse problem of taking a basic training class and sending them into the field with no experienced leaders. Gah.

I suppose it could be enjoyable for someone with no military experience whatsoever.

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

I'd enjoyed it and thought that it had promise.

[pompe.livejournal.com]

I liked it, or at least the intentions, although the SFX were frequently strange. It is available on Region 1 (US) DVD, I've seen it in the store.

[windtear.livejournal.com]

I liked it, although there were holes in the science and plotting like you wouldn't believe. It felt like somebody was trying to merge genres; the military SF with the teenage last-hope-for-the-world team with the mystery genre thrown in for flavouring. The head writer/producers were writers for the first few seasons of The X-Files, so if you liked early X-Files, this has a bit of the same feel.

One of the most interesting aspects of S:AaB, IMHO, was the interaction between cast, crew and audience. It was in production and screening just when the Internet took off, so cast and crew would log on, read and post on Internet bulletin boards, reply to fans, engage in discussion - it was highly interactive and there's no doubt that some at least of the later scripts were influenced by fans' comments. It went the other way, too - I read a comment on an LJ post recently by a fanfiction writer, now involved in bandom and who had been writing and participating in S:AaB fandom at that time, how she had received and honoured a personal request from one of the cast members not to write his character in a homosexual relationship in her works, because he perceived and played the character as straight.

That sort of interaction between creator and audience is so rare and beautiful. We on LMB ML have a similar thing with Her Ladyship, and it's really so wonderful. We're spoiled!

[filkferengi]

I liked the show a lot & was bitterly disappointed when it was cancelled. Can you get it through your [or the university's] library, to try out before committing to cash? Check your local video rental store; sometimes they have tv series, even older ones.