Any SEAQUEST fans?

[bionicbob]

Not sure if this has been covered before in a previous thread or not....

Considering some of it's similarities to STAR TREK, I was wondering how many SEAQUEST fans there still are out there? And which version of SEAQUEST is your favorite?

To me, SEAQUEST is actually three different series, since it was so heavily retooled between each season.

Season One I call the Science-Fact season. Each episode was book ended with some tie in ocean fact presented by Dr. Ballard. The stories themselves had lots of potential (fantastic guest stars, good f/x, interesting new future world) but I found their conclusions were often highly unoriginal or underdeveloped. The cast was good but kind of bland. I don't think the series really got interesting until the last couple of episodes but by then the ratings had greatly declined.

While most shows with such ratings would have be cancelled, because this was a STEVEN SPIELBERG production and he had a unique contract with NBC, the series automatically got a full second season pick-up.

Season Two, I call the IRWIN ALLEN season. The series went in an extreme opposite direction with the second season. Most of the cast was replaced with "younger, sexier" actors and the scripts embraced a more full on sci-fi adventure approach.... including a giant alligator! Some of the new concepts were interesting (the Daggers), and the future world was fleshed out a bit more, but mostly it was silly and unrealized. Apparently, the series star Roy Scheider, was quite vocal with his displeasure with the new direction of the show.

The series was retooled again for the third and final season. Personally, season three was by far my favorite. The series had a clear direction and storyline as the series became a military action show. Many of the characters were more fully fleshed out and given real purpose, the stories were slighly edgier, the world of 2032 was darker/more complex and the replacement of Schieder with MICHAEL IRONSIDE as the new Captain was absolutely inspired.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done. SEAQUEST had lost most of its audience by the time Season Three started, and no matter how many improvements had been made in the show, it could not win back its audience and the show was cancelled by episode 13.

So what do you think? What did you like or dislike about the show? Which is your favorite version? If given a chance, do you think the season 3 changes could have saved the show?

 

[DRMidnite]

I'm a SeaQuest fan. Although I had to agree with Scheider. The directions they took the show in were its death knell.

 

[DWF]

I really liked the first and pretty much the third seasons of the show, the second season was something of a let down. The were placed in a bad timeslot on Sunday night but managed to find an audience, however the move to Weds. killed the series. They had too many cooks in the kitchen, there were IMO too many producers with their own ideas of what the series should've been and of course NBC also had their say, but the first was rather well done despite all of that.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Season 3 should have been Season 1 and the show might have been a chance. Season 1 was often too boring and Season 2 was simply retarded. While Season 3 was still not the greatest show scif-fi show ever, they took a middle road by adopting the better elements of Seasons 1 and 2.

Actually, I think that Season 3 with its much darker tone could have been more successful post-9/11.

 

[Rhody the Ram]

I remember liking the show a lot when it first aired, so I picked up the DVDs as they were released. I really enjoyed season one, but I've totally stalled while watching season 2. Some of the episodes are so cheesy that I can barely swallow them. (That one where Lucas was romancing the future computer that cares for the two teens? Give me a break!) But I hope they release season 3, as I remember that fondly.

 

[bigdaddy]

A great one season wonder.

They should have had season 2 more like season three with a lead up to a war. The first season was fine, but they needed to have a DS9 type feel that a war is coming and they need to try and stop it.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Seaquest 2032 was my favorite season. I liked Roy Scheider as Capt. Bridger but Michael Ironside was a great replacement. I wish that we had gotten a full 3rd season. The show was getting interesting when they pulled the plug.

 

[RandyS]

I'm a SeaQuest fan. Although I had to agree with Scheider. The directions they took the show in were its death knell.

Yep. The show wasn't broke, but they "fixed" it anyway, and it never recovered.

 

[zakkrusz]

I watched it and liked it a lot when it was on. RIP

 

[DanCPA]

I liked S3 the most...

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

The whole "Australia as an evil superpower" premise was pretty ridiculuos, but Season 3 was still fun. I wonder why the writers never put together a "East Asian/Pacific Rim alliance" (maybe China, Japan, Indonesia etc.). Could have been a more plausible enemy, at least in terms of political, economic and military power. Or there were concerns that a) it could be considered "racist" or b) there are not enough Asian actors in Hollywood?

 

[bullethead]

I really wish someone at NBC Universal would greenlight a reimaging of seaQuest. It would be a nice change of pace from space-based and modern day scifi stuff and if done well, could keep SciFi from turning into a generic channel.

 

[bionicbob]

I wonder why the writers never put together a "East Asian/Pacific Rim alliance" (maybe China, Japan, Indonesia etc.). Could have been a more plausible enemy, at least in terms of political, economic and military power.

Actually they did.

It was introduced in the last episode "Weapons of War". Unfortunately the series was cancelled and thus the idea was not further developed.

If you liked Seaquest 2032, I highly recommend the fan fic series ATLANTIS DSV. It continues the storylines begun in the third season but with a new ship and crew. It is a very impressive site with some extremely amazing photomanip graphics.

http://atlantisdsv.newcapequest.com/

 

[AviTrek]

I really wish someone at NBC Universal would greenlight a reimaging of seaQuest. It would be a nice change of pace from space-based and modern day scifi stuff and if done well, could keep SciFi from turning into a generic channel.

I've been thinking about that for years. A cross between BSG, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the original Seaquest.

 

[Amaris]

I'm a huge Season One fan. To me, that was the best season, with two being mediocre, and three being just outright unwatchable, at least for me. I loved the idea that a science fiction show could have so much science fact in it, but when they realized people weren't sticking around to learn something, they introduced a more appealing change (in late 2/early 3 at least). I even have the SeaQuest SNES game.

J.

 

[Caleuche]

I liked all three seasons, the problem for me was keeping up with all the changes. The minute you got used to something or someone, they/it was replaced the following week. There are characters in SeaQuest who I don't know the name of because they didn't hang around long enough for me to learn them!

 

[nx1701g]

I enjoyed seasons one and three. Number two was just sort of there.

 

[bionicbob]

I really wish someone at NBC Universal would greenlight a reimaging of seaQuest. It would be a nice change of pace from space-based and modern day scifi stuff and if done well, could keep SciFi from turning into a generic channel.

I've been thinking about that for years. A cross between BSG, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the original Seaquest.

Yeah, take all the best elements of all 3 seasons and blend it into something new, more epic in nature.

Maybe set it slightly further in the future. Have it take place after a World War or global cataclysm (polar shift, anyone?), where most of the surface is uninhabitable, thus forcing Humankind to colonize the oceans in order to survive. But in doing so, they awaken or discover some dark force that has lane dormant under the seas for untold ages.

You could have feuding human fractions (Macronesia, Dion Corporation, the different confederations) over the direction of humanity's future. You could have the Daggers as left over genetic soldiers from WW3, fighting for their slice of ocean pie. You could introduce mutants and psychics, explained in part by humanity's forced evolution by the dramatic changes in the environment.

And in the middle of it all, The Seaquest, trying to maintain the peace and discover the mystery of the oceans.

Or something like that.... or something completely different..... Babylon 5 meets Voyage Under the Sea.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I'm a definite seaQuest fan and I preferred season 1, since I like the factual approach. A new version of the series would have to have that scifact approach if it was going to work as well decent writers and a good cast. I did once consider writing a novel along the same lines as SQ but it never took off. Might be an idea to dust it off and see if it is salvageable.

Watch this space.

 

[Gotham Central]

I think that people are WAY to generous with season one. I really liked the season one cast, but to be honest, the writing was mediorcre at best. There were too many episodes centered on Darwin and Lucas. Additionally, how many times could they reuse the reclusive scientist in hiding theme. Then there was this hamfisted environmental preaching, that just got boring. There were a few really good episodes, but they were more political in nature.

2032 was by far the best season. It was obvious that the writers had a plan.