Space: Above and Beyond

Space: Above and Beyond Reviews

This show, which got off to a slow start in the fall of 1995, never quite managed to build a strong enough audience to keep it on the air. Frequent time slot moves, pre-emptions, and some weak scripts further hampered the show, and Fox declined to renew the show in the spring of 1996. It’s too bad, because while it was on, Space was an ambitious show, the first one to really capitalize on the popularity of movies like “Star Wars”. The characters were first rate, particularly Lt. Col. T. C. McQueen, played by James Morrison; Lt. Nathan West, played by Morgan Weisser, and Capt. Shane Vansen, played by Kristen Cloke.

The series centered on the adventures of a Marine squad in the 21st Century, fighting a war against aliens. Despite the really serious military flaws, the show took the idea of interspecies conflict much more seriously than, say “Battlestar Galactica”. Excellent computer graphics special effects, some outstanding writing by Executive Producers/Writers Glen Morgan and James Wong, and top notch acting were the strongest elements of this series. If it had had another year, I am sure it would have built a very strong audience. As it is, here are some of the reviews I wrote for it while it was on the air:

The Farthest Man from Home

Dark Side of the Sun

Mutiny

Ray Butts

Eyes

Hostile Visit

Choice or Chance

River of Stars

Who Monitors the Birds?