Earth 2 Questions

[TheArsenal]

Netflix recently added this series to its "Watch It Now" catalogue. And to be frank, I never heard of this show outside of the occasional reference on these boards. I dove in and watched the 90 minute pilot last night and while there were some somewhat interesting ideas, I saw many elements and characters that looked like they could seriously grate as the series rolled on.

I would just research it, but I am trying to avoid spoilers in case I actually watch it all the way through. So, in your opinion ...

...Decent? Rubbish? Cheese? Or somewhere in between them all? Is the pilot the highlight or the lowlight?

It looks like it was canceled early. Is there any sort of resolution or at the very least, does it end in a semi-coherent manner? Or was it just unceremoniously yanked off the air without warning, or worse, on a cliffhanger?

 

[Dr. Chandra]

I loved it back in the day, but I'm not sure how it would hold up against shows these days.

I remember being greatly disappointed when it was cancelled, because the characters had grown very interesting to me.

 

[Vendikarr]

It looks like it was canceled early. Is there any sort of resolution or at the very least, does it end in a semi-coherent manner? Or was it just unceremoniously yanked off the air without warning, or worse, on a cliffhanger?

It ended on a big ole cliffhanger. It's a fun show if you don't mind any resolution to the storyline when it's over.

 

[Mistral]

I bought it on DVD because I had seen some of the eps and found some of the ideas very entertaining. That's all I can say without spoiling-but it is fun.

 

[Sakrysta]

I love the show. I discovered it in re-runs on Sci-Fi a few years after it aired. I love the concept and the characters. I bought the DVD as soon as it was available, and even tracked down the soundtrack online years ago.

That being said, the show is not without its flaws. The pilot is very good. The next 2 or 3 episodes - basically the Gaal/Tim Curry arc - is below average (more's the pity, as I love Tim Curry). After that, the show picks up. And even the bad episodes have good elements & universe-establishing events.

Some people found the children annoying. I admit, Maddie/True's scream was very over-used in the early episodes. But overall, I like the kids. Because they're kids - even being thrust into new and bizarre circumstances, they're still just kids. I was really sad to learn of Maddie's death a couple years ago from a heart condition. She had just gotten married not long before.

Really, it's the actors/characters that sell this show. Devon & John always make my list of favorite sci-fi couples. Julia & Alonzo too, and even Bess & Morgan. ALL the characters struck me as unique and interesting. The producers paid attention to the premise and used the same extras throughout the show - no strangers showing up in the group who weren't there before. I would really like to have seen where the conspiracy story went with Riley and the Council.

I think the experience is worth it, despite the heart-wrenching cliffhanger. I wish like anything I could remember or had saved the notes I read years ago about the plans the suits had for Season 2. Even with the cliffhanger, they were so bad that I was glad the show died when it did.

Great, now I've got an Earth 2 craving.

 

[auntiehill]

^I'll second that. The character development and the cast for this show were pretty darn good. It was really starting to go somewhere when it got canceled.

Yes, it had a few real stinkers and moments of terrible cheesiness. But overall, I think it had great potential.

 

[TheArsenal]

It's good to hear there is some decent character development upcoming. Because the pilot contained precocious children, and even more worrisome, a selfish beyond reason Dr. Smith-like government suit, I was concerned that characterization would be paint by numbers or thin. Although I was pleasantly surprised when a child typically .... SPOILERS FOLLOW ... befriended a cutesy little creature which turned out to be - so far - less cutesy than ultimately lethal.

 

[auntiehill]

Well, let me just add-- some characters are better developed than others.

 

[TerriO]

I was one of the few who watched it in first-run on NBC.

Great concept. And, IMO, any show with Tim Curry and Clancy Brown can't possibly be all bad. It's worth it just for Clancy Brown playing something resembling a romantic lead, which at the time was damned unusual.

And I was one of the ones yelling at the screen at the cliffhanger. Yeah, although I agree with the artist usually known as Sakrysta that the followup was dreadful, from what I remember.

 

[bigdaddy]

Some of it is really smart TV, other parts are really REALLY lame, almost like Lost in Space.

However it was nicely filmed, one episode is full of yellow leaves and looks very cool. I guess they filmed in CO.

And the last few episodes are out of order on the DVD, so look up the correct disc order.

 

[Sakrysta]

^ Oh YES! I'm not sure why they did that - there's really no logic to it. Did it have something to do with original airdates? I seem to remember that "Natural Born Grendlers" got aired after everything else for some reason???

This show put Clancy Brown on my very short list of male leads. I love strawberry blond hair on men, particularly strong, built men, and the curls just send me over the edge. Of course, it helps that he plays Danziger with that good-hearted, endearing, decent guy vibe.

As for Morgan, his character is one that does get significant development. As a matter of fact, I think every series regular gets an episode or two to really stretch - with the possible exception of - no, even Bess got "The Church of Morgan" and "Natural Born Grendlers." Julia's arc in particular is my favorite, perhaps unsurprisingly.

My favorite episodes, though, are "Survival of the Fittest" and "Brave New Pacifica." The former employs an interesting storytelling device and deals with a terrible subject very honestly. The latter is just sweet - the science makes no sense, but I don't care. I love it to bits.

This show is one of those that caused me to look for and watch the actors wherever I find them. I get the biggest kick out of Disney's Smart House because you've got William Boone (EFC) and Julia Heller (E2) as romantic leads.

Earth 2 Episode Guide - Here's a link to a list of the episodes in the correct order.

 

[A beaker full of death]

Ah FUCK!! I thought this would be about the JSA.

 

[Angel4576]

TBH, even now, if someone said I could bring back one show that was killed before its time, I'd probably pick this, even over Firefly. Ok, maybe not, but I'd have to think about it for a few seconds first!

It had its flaws, but these were fairly innocuous. It was a show with a few central themes/arcs that worked pretty well. For me, my favourite part of the show was the Julia/Council story, of which I won't go into detail for the benefit of the OP. Suffice to say though, I found it fairly captivating.

From memory, the show did end on a cliffhanger, and was initially renewed, only to be cancelled during the summer hiatus. IIRC, certain changes were demanded by NBC which would have made the show practically unrecognisable from the first season. So, whilst sad to see it go, it sounded as though it were for the best.

Definitely recommended.

 

[Pilot Ace]

Just thought I'd mention, this thread made me finally bite the bullet and try the show.

I watched the first feature length episode yesterday and I thought it was very decent. Definitely plan on continuing, although it may take a while.

The space sequences looked amazing for '95 and even look great for today's standards. Does anyone know how they were created? I suspect using models, aside from the launching of the satellite.

 

[The Sneeze Police]

It was a good show cancelled before its time.

The kids were a bit much...I got a little weary of Uly's storyline. I picked it up on DVD and watch it every year or so. I just wish it hadn't eneded on a cliff hanger.

 

[Tulin]

TBH, even now, if someone said I could bring back one show that was killed before its time, I'd probably pick this

I would straight away!

For me, my favourite part of the show was the Julia/Council story, of which I won't go into detail for the benefit of the OP. Suffice to say though, I found it fairly captivating.

I LOVED at the time that it came out of nowhere about five episodes in. One of my great loves with tv is when you suddenly see that there is some kind of plan. That surprised and captivated me.

From memory, the show did end on a cliffhanger, and was initially renewed, only to be cancelled during the summer hiatus.

Interesting. I did not know that. All I knew was it was cancelled and that was it. I did buy the books and read them several times. They were okay and kind of filled a void at the time but they were nothing spectacular.

 

[Gertch]

I also remember watching Earth 2 first run. Loved the show but I guess I'm going to have to get the DVDs after reading all your reviews.

I even went to IMDB and one of their forum threads mention the similarity between Earth 2 and LOST. (There maybe spoilers but the first post is mainly plot points with some character references.)

 

[bigdaddy]

There was even a trailer (that no one has, stupid pre-cell phone camera days) for a second season. After the show was canceled they held a convention and they showed the season two trailer to the actors and they thought it was better canceled then continue in the bastard form that it had became. it does say something if the actors themselves didn't know, or were in, a second season trailer.

 

[Angel4576]

I did buy the books and read them several times. They were okay and kind of filled a void at the time but they were nothing spectacular.

I've got the novels, three I think weren't there? Fairly sure I've still not read two of them, so some rainy day further down the line I'll have to tuck into those.

Of course one of the other positives of Earth2, a rare chance to see Clancy Brown in something other than a evil/misguided role!

I loved the premise of the show, it gave rise to a certain charm, and a tone that I have to admit I don't think I've seen on any other show since. The cast were largely very good, even the kids contributed fairly well in the end, although Uly bugged the shit out of me early on! Julia and Morgan were probably the pick of the characters, but I don't think any of them were bad.

I must admit, I wasn't blown away by Tim Curry's atypical 'madcap' stint as Gaal, but once they'd dispensed with that storyline and moved onto the Julia/Council stuff, I was won over.

Sitting on my DVD shelf, I'm inclined to put this set through its paces again, very soon.

 

[nevermore]

There was even a trailer (that no one has, stupid pre-cell phone camera days) for a second season. After the show was canceled they held a convention and they showed the season two trailer to the actors and they thought it was better canceled then continue in the bastard form that it had became. it does say something if the actors themselves didn't know, or were in, a second season trailer.

I've seen the trailer. One of the old fans sites had it up, and it was on YouTube for a while. There's a torrent of it out there, but I don't know about the seeding status. Suffice it to say that it was awful, involving dropping or killing off many of the main characters and Alonzo becoming the leader of some sort of tribe of genetically/terran enhanced wunderkinds with superpowers.