Did you like "Space Above and the Beyond" back in the 90's?

[Steve Roby]

Saw a bit of it way back when. Didn't do a thing for me.
Cheap looking, highly derivative style. No real memorable characters. Oh and I'm sorry for the people that dig this kind of thing, but the idea of ground-pounder marine types who are also top gun fighter pilots just seemed ludicrous, even in the context of a pulpy military space adventure setting.
It was like the whole show was bad fan fiction of some other much better military sci-fi show.

That about says it all. I watched most, maybe all, of it, but I never thought it reached its potential. Their answer to the top gun one week, gropo the next problem is, frankly, silly.

Maybe it's really difficult to make a combat TV show that will run for a long time without recycling a lot of the same basic story ideas. I liked Baa Baa Black Sheep/Black Sheep Squadron, but as I recall they spent a lot of time on the ground living their lives instead of being in combat all the time, and the show didn't last very long. If you want to focus on the top gun stuff, which was probably more expensive because of the special effects, drop the gropo stuff and spend more time developing the living on base/character development and relationships/soap opera stuff. Thinking about it, though, I'm not sure how well that would have worked, because some of the leads didn't seem to be particularly great at the whole acting thing.

 

[Star Wolf]

That about says it all. I watched most, maybe all, of it, but I never thought it reached its potential. Their answer to the top gun one week, gropo the next problem is, frankly, silly.

Maybe it's really difficult to make a combat TV show that will run for a long time without recycling a lot of the same basic story ideas. I liked Baa Baa Black Sheep/Black Sheep Squadron, but as I recall they spent a lot of time on the ground living their lives instead of being in combat all the time, and the show didn't last very long. If you want to focus on the top gun stuff, which was probably more expensive because of the special effects, drop the gropo stuff and spend more time developing the living on base/character development and relationships/soap opera stuff. Thinking about it, though, I'm not sure how well that would have worked, because some of the leads didn't seem to be particularly great at the whole acting thing.

When you consider that Major Boyington was in combat 79 days when he was shot down that trick of having a combat unit was probably done best on the Vietnam War show Tour Of Duty. And that platoon had three jobs in year. First just patrolling infantry, then the reaction force at a main base then a Lurp company

 

[RandyS]

I watched some of it when it was first on. I couldn't stick with it. Very forgettable.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Sadly, the show was just beginning to emerge from its awkward '1st season phase' when it got the chop.

I really wouldn't mind seeing this show redone HBO style, with 10-13 episode seasons and much more serialized. Since it was meant to be 'The Pacific War in space,' you could have entire seasons revolving around various campaigns. Give it a five year shelf life with a beginning, middle, and end, and you could have a winner. Just to be clear, it would be military-sci-fi, not a 'Trek' style endeavor.

 

[DarKush]

I'm another big fan of Space Above and Beyond. I really enjoyed the first season. I liked a good number of the characters and the universe building. The season finale was pretty good and it sucks that we never got another season. Or a follow up in some fashion.

 

[DS9Continuing]

I absolutely frakking loathed it. I had heard it was good from several people so I bought the DVD set. I watched the first episode, thought "ehh that wasn't great, I guess every show takes a while to find its feet" so I gave it a chance. I kept hoping it would get better, and it just got worse. It got to the point where I played the opening teaser of one episode and just thought, "Why the f am I putting myself through this? this is dreadful", so I turned it off, went to sleep, and in the morning I took the DVD box set to the second hand shop because I didn't want it in the house anymore.

.

 

[Shawnster]

Sugar Dirt was one of the best episodes

 

[Jayson1]

Something I think is intresting is that the creators of this show I think were once considered by Paramount to create the first Trek spin-off before "TNG." Their idea was about a Starfleet Academy show that I think also had a war involved in the idea.
It's possible that when we watch this show we might be watching what Trek might have become in the late 80's when Trek on tv first returned.

Jason

 

[Mysterion]

"Bummer getting your butt kicked by a dead guy." Best line in a sci-fi show ever.

 

[Marc]

Something I think is intresting is that the creators of this show I think were once considered by Paramount to create the first Trek spin-off before "TNG." Their idea was about a Starfleet Academy show that I think also had a war involved in the idea.
It's possible that when we watch this show we might be watching what Trek might have become in the late 80's when Trek on tv first returned.

Jason

iirc correctly and shatner wasn't telling too many porkies - the notion of a starfleet academy was raised for both a tv series (before Phase II) and also as option for movies - so back to the 70s.

Wasn't so much a decision driven by creative thought as doing it cheap given that a group of young unknown actors would cost less than Shatner/Nimoy/Kelley.

 

[Jayson1]

Never heard about the idea being thought about before Phase II. Just the Harve Bennett idea and the pre TNG idea.

Jason

 

[Marc]

Never heard about the idea being thought about before Phase II. Just the Harve Bennett idea and the pre TNG idea.

Jason

as I said - going by memory on shanter's star trek memories which I haven't read for quite some time so it's possible that it was a Harve Bennet idea for a movie.

 

[Jayson1]

as I said - going by memory on shanter's star trek memories which I haven't read for quite some time so it's possible that it was a Harve Bennet idea for a movie.

I didn't know that Shatner had talked about in his book but I know I read about it being Harve Bennet's idea. I think the idea was to have Shatner,Nimoy and Kelly in cameo's were they would then flashback to their academy days. The supporting actors got hold of the idea and started bad mouthing the idea at conventions because they wouldn't have any more movies to do. Eventually they went ahead and did "Undiscovered Country" instead.

As for the pre TNG academy show is that it would be more military oriented and I think they even talked about fighter jets of a sort which is why I felt the creators used some of those idea's for "Space Above and Beyond."

Jason

 

[Pure Antiproton]

I think I'll go look this up again. Haven't seen it for 20 years. Liked the episode that featured a lot of Johnny Cash.

 

[Star Wolf]

I think I'll go look this up again. Haven't seen it for 20 years. Liked the episode that featured a lot of Johnny Cash.

Ray Butts where the special ops colonel takes the mission command of the Wildcards

 

[dswynne1]

There was another group of antagonists besides the Chigs: Silicates and In-Vitros (to a lesser extent). I wanted to see these two group's back-story more, but, alas, there was not a second season.

Still, there was "VR.5" to look forward to, for a while, at least...

 

[Saul]

It started off weak but the second half of the season is far far stronger and I thought it's a shame it had to end as it was getting interesting. It's a different show towards the end, more like NBSG.

 

[Forbin]

In fact it was one of the inspirations for NBSG!

 

[Forbin]

Another great line:
"Shuffle up the Wildcards and deal 'em!" for an order to launch the squadron.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Another great line:
"Shuffle up the Wildcards and deal 'em!" for an order to launch the squadron.

Commodore Ross had some of the best lines on the show!