'SeaQuest DSV' the underwater competitor to TNG

[jefferiestubes8]

SeaQuest DSV was meant to be the underwater answer to Star Trek The Next Generation.

from
How Five Science Fiction TV Series Were Destroyed

SeaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996.

NBC also decided they wanted more traditionally science-fiction oriented episodes this season, a direction that was explored toward the end of the first season when seaQuest discovered a million-year-old alien ship entombed in the ocean floor.

the first season dealt with issues like ecology, exploration of the sea, environmental radicals, advances in technology, and political intrigue,

the second season featured episodes involving genetic engineering, aliens, parapsychology, time-travel, and various "monsters of the week" (including killer plants, a dragon worm, and a prehistoric crocodile).

Scheider also described the second season as being "21 Jump Street meets Star Trek."

via wikipedia

As far as the 3 seasons of SeaQuest DSV itself as AviTrek mentioned:

In terms of what happened, I think the show was too scientific at first. It turned off viewers. The network forced the show to become more scifi. That turned off the science fans and didn't attract anyone new.

Instead of the whole lamenting of the Seaquest DSV series devolving into whatever it became [renamed seaQuest 2032] let's discuss the similarities with TNG vs SeaQuest DSV as shows that could both deal with scifi stories from a naval ship crew type of perspective.

 

[doubleohfive]

Well obviously during season one, Bridger and Westphalen definitely had a sexual tension between them, not unlike Picard and Crusher.

 

[Jochk]

I've never seen this show, or heard of it, is it any good?

 

[THE Imzadi Fan]

Well obviously during season one, Bridger and Westphalen definitely had a sexual tension between them, not unlike Picard and Crusher.

There was that...and the female Lt. Commander and the guy morale officer...damn I forget their names now...remind me of Riker and Troi. Plus you have Lucas, boy genius, who is comparable to Wesley, boy genius.

This is funny...I was actually about to do a blog post about the similarities between Seaquest and Star Trek

 

[Doug Otte]

I only vaguely remember Seaquest, but wasn't there a precocious teenage boy similar to Wes Crusher?

Doug

 

[iguana_tonante]

I love O'Bannon for Farscape and Alien Nation (the movie), but Seaquest is not his best work.

 

[RandyS]

I love O'Bannon for Farscape and Alien Nation (the movie), but Seaquest is not his best work.

It could have been if NBC hadn't destroyed it.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

In Season 1, Bridger, Ford, Westphalen and Lucas are 21st century submariner versions of Picard, Riker, Crusher and Wesley. The rest don't really fit any of TNG's cast.

In Season 2, Smith was suppose to be a composite of Crusher and Troi, but she was awful, just awful. Brody was a better Security Chief--younger, fitter and ambitious.

Not sure about Season 3, been ages since I saw it. Does anyone have a clue when it'll be released on DVD in the UK?

-Bry

 

[Vanyel]

Lucas wasn't annoying, unlike his TNG counterpart.

Then there was Ortiz who needed no counterpart.

 

[doubleohfive]

Not sure about Season 3, been ages since I saw it. Does anyone have a clue when it'll be released on DVD in the UK?

-Bry

Probably the same time or after it's released in the US.

 

[T'Girl]

There seemed to be a un-natural relationship between Trek's Countess Regina Bartholomew and SeaQuest's Doctor Kristin Westphalen.

 

[swaaye]

Seaquest's first season is good stuff. I do think it's pretty obvious that they were inspired by some TNG aspects, but it's no copycat. I think the entire first season cast is fantastic and some of the stories are great. And the music!

Season 2 is horrible for the most part. Season 3 is again a makeover and it's definitely better than season 2, but it's not as good as season 1 IMO. Michael Ironside as a replacement for Roy Scheider is one very intense change. Scheider was disgusted by season 2 so he wanted out.

The whole series can be streamed on Netflix. Season 3 isn't available in DVD form apparently so you can only watch the streams.

There seemed to be a un-natural relationship between Trek's Countess Regina Bartholomew and SeaQuest's Doctor Kristin Westphalen.

Surely there's an "in-universe" explanation for that!

 

[Anji]

The only difference between Seaquest and TNG is Bridger was very much working against the organization he served. He believed it had become corrupt. Picard was so heavily for the Federation he couldn't see past its rules and regulations.

Damn good first season on Seaquest, but they needed better technical advisors and to seek out stories from people who actually work in the ocean.
(The writers of M*A*S*H ran out of story ideas somewhere around season two and went to Korean War vets for ideas.)

If Seaquest could've done something like that, the would've been one of the best sci-fi shows ever.

For now all we have for good oceanic adventure is SeaHunt.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

I like these comparisons to TNG during the DVD reviews for season 1 of SeaQuest DSV:

Think ecologically-minded Star Trek and you've got the idea of what this show's about. It blatantly follows the same formula that made Trek work

There is a captain of the vessel who is always placed in the position of the choice of doing what is right for his crew and what is right for mankind.

http://www.needcoffee.com/2006/02/23/seaquest-dsv-season-one-1993-dvd-review/

Early episodes like "The Devil's Window" and "Treasure of the Mind" were fluffy and didn't do much to distinguish seaQuest from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Indeed, seaQuest made a strong push to mimic its highly successful rival in hopes of drawing cross-viewership.

http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/seaquestdsvseason1.php
So in other words if you want a show that is the closest thing to TNG check out these two episodes: "The Devil's Window" and "Treasure of the Mind". Episodes 2 & 3
I started this thread having not seen the show and will now watch the first season disc 1 from Netflix of SeaQuest DSV after your replies guys along with these comments.

 

[Cyke101]

A battle between the seaQuest and an automated submarine in Season 2 played out like your usual TNG battle. Some fancy maneuvering, a beautiful but slow shot of a vessel cruising, firing one sustained energy attack, and much of the additional action happening via dialogue rather than on-screen special FX.

If Season 1 was meant to be Star Trek (I think more like TOS than TNG, frankly), I think S3 felt more like Deep Space Nine in terms of darker and brooding storytelling. And I feel that Shatner's guest-starring spot in Season 1 was the producers driving home the point that seaQuest was TOS Underwater.

The psychic doctor was Troi done ALL WRONG.

Spot-on comparisons in this thread so far of Bridger/Picard, Ford/Riker, Westphalen/Crusher, and Lucas/Wesley. I'd like to add Ted Raimi's character if Data was programmed to feel embarrassment.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Lucas wasn't annoying, unlike his TNG counterpart.

I don't know about that one. Any series where a child shows up the trained officers on almost a weekly basis always grates on me a little.

He wasn't quite as annoying as Wesley, but there were moments when it was neck and neck.

-Bry

 

[Saquist]

I like the first season and the concept of the entire show and the ship propelled by magnetic fields. The series was a huge miss from the story standpoint but the concept was an incredible idea. It was really the wrong time to do it. The special effects couldn't keep up to what was needed.

I had a hard time associating the inside of the ship with the out side.

 

[Cyke101]

Oh, I forgot a rather blatant one: in the third season, seaQuest was upgraded with a turbo engine capable of speeds extremely higher than its normal cruising speed. It operated not unlike warp drive (the fins even moved to facilitate the change, kind of like Voyager's nacelles). I suppose the show was sick and tired of the fact that submarines are slow vessels.

 

[bullethead]

Oh, I forgot a rather blatant one: in the third season, seaQuest was upgraded with a turbo engine capable of speeds extremely higher than its normal cruising speed. It operated not unlike warp drive (the fins even moved to facilitate the change, kind of like Voyager's nacelles). I suppose the show was sick and tired of the fact that submarines are slow vessels.

Actually, I recall seaQuest cruising around at speeds that make real subs look slow. The turbo thing would be the equivalent to flank speed on modern boats.

 

[FalTorPan]

I remember thinking of seaQuestDSV as TNG of the oceans, but I also remember enjoying the first season and not enjoying the very few second-season episodes that I bothered to watch.