Space: Above & Beyond

Television, Movies Games and Books Other Science Fiction
#1

I just have to know if anyone else here has seen this series. It came out back in like 1995, ran one season, and just recently was released on DVD, but it has to be by far one of my favorite Sci-Fi shows ever.

Just want to see what you think. And if the GWC team needs something to watch after Galactica is over this would be my nomination.

Here’s the opening slogan/narration:
“We thought we were alone. We believed the universe was ours. Until one night in 2063, on a Earth colony 16 light-years away, they struck. Now we’re at war. We fight when called, in space, on land, and at sea. To lose this war means more than defeat; to surrender is to never go home. All of us must rise to the call… above and beyond.”

Brilliant show. does anyone else here agree, or disagree? just want to know if I’m crazy.

#2

I only caught an episode or two, but I remember liking what I did see. I didn’t know it was on DVD. I’ll have to throw that into my (impossibly large) Amazon cart.

#3

Yes I remember it. What I saw was pretty cool but unfortunately the show was relegated to the graveyard schedule on free to air tv and then vanished from sight before the series concluded (in Australia at least).
The Hammerheads were very good looking ships, swivelling turrets and all.

gaf

#4

yeah unfortunately it fell victim to horrible scheduling by Fox, a tv network here in the states that has a terrible tendency to drop good shows after only one season.

but yes the hammerheads were definitely cool. Although the special effects and cgi are totally dated now… but if you get past that it’s still top notch stuff, in my opinion.

#5

#6

You make a powerful argument there, TighGetsPunchedALot. :slight_smile:

Actually, I caught a few episodes in reruns/syndication and it looks like a pretty decent series. Of course, the tough thing is that so many sci-fi series never get the chance to stretch their legs enough to work out the kinks and establish solid relationships between the characters – the part the always suckers me in.

#7

I have to take an opposing view on this one. This was one of the worst efforts ever. Scores incredibly high on the unintentional comedy scale however…

#8

It’s been a long time, so I don’t remember a lot of the details, but I did catch this show when it first aired, and my sister and I dug it. Like a lot of badly handled shows, I think it got moved around a lot, so I didn’t catch every episode. I remember one in particular in which one of the characters was stranded alone on a planet surviving and waiting rescue while evading an enemy; I think the bulk of the episode went by without a single line of dialogue. Bold stuff, there. No wonder Fox canceled it.

#9

I watched the whole season when it was originally aired. Of course Fox canceled it. You have to remember back then that Wong (X-Files, Millennium) and Morgan (X-files, Millennium, Bionic Woman) were running the show and Chris Crater who created X-files needed his best writers and producers back working on his shows The X-Files and Millennium (my conspiracy theory :slight_smile: )

#10

There were some great episodes of SAAB. I really like the episodes they did with the alien ace, Chiggy von Richthofen. Col. McQueen has one of the best scenes in scifi in that one. The chaplin approaches him as he’s going off on a suicide mission to take out CvR and says, “Colonel . . . Colonel . . . Col. McQueen . . .Perhaps you should make peace with your maker.”

“My maker was some geek in a lab coat with an eye dropper and a petri dish! What do I need to make peace with him for?”

“At these times we should all make peace with our maker.”

“With all due respect, Chaplain, I don’t think our maker wants to hear from me right now because he knows I’m going to go out in that sky, in this plane and remove one of his creations from his universe and when I return I’m going to drink a bottle of scotch as if it were Chiggy Von Richtofen’s blood and celebrate his death.”

#11

This was a great show also if you want too see them go here. FlickPeek.com
and go too tv shows under “s”

#12

Cool link Anubis! Thanks for posting it. I was going to add SAAB to my Netflix list but I’ll try it here first. :slight_smile:

#13

well let me retort:

#14

Perhaps it was just a childhood love, but this show is quality in my eyes. I loved that Chiggy Von Richte—(I’m not gonna even attempt)… “The Angriest Angel” episode. definately one of my favorites. I love McQueen, actually I really liked all the characters…

In response to Chuck, I really did think that in the short amount of time that they had they were able to establish characters. I also think that the fact that it was only one season made it a stronger more memorable show for me. It was very sort of dark overall. But because the creators were aware of their impending cancellation they wrote the ending knowing they weren’t continuing, and the last episode was really fitting.

I always liked the really bleak ones. For any comic book fans I’d have to say sort of like Age of Apocalypse, because that was kind of what the ending reminded me of. (not the new age of apocalypse mini… that sucked) Again maybe it was just me, catching it at a young and impressionable age or something…

#15

For all of those who are already fans and for those who will soon be newly converted “Wildcards” (and yes, I mean you TFG!), here’s a thread to delight in the glory of this untimely-canceled show that I and probably a lot of other people had so much fun with in the '90s.

For starters, the intro:

//youtu.be/GmXPBwYmkG0

And who could ever forget about the one time when the Colonel went out himself to get rid of Chiggy von Richthofen (you think Scar from “Scar” was a bad-ass? [sorry, bkitty] You ain’t seen nothing yet! Specifically, Chiggy von Richthofen)

//youtu.be/2p5KOq6Ekwg

And wasn’t Shane Vansen just the hottest proto-female-Starbuck ever?

Oh, those were fine days back in 1995. The Chiggs, the InVitros, that mysterious Company, those silly Silicates, the Sugar&Dirt episode …

Come on guys, let’s hear it for the 58th!

#16

Thanks for starting up this thread!

So who were your favourite characters?

Hard choice for me as I like so many of them. But I think in order; Vansen, Cooper, Paul, McQueen. Even Vanessa and Nathan were okay, although a little dull compared to the rest (even the idea of livening up Vanessa by giving her pyschic powers didnt last long!)

A shame that more of the actors haven’t gone on to bigger things as there was so much talent there. I did see Joel De La Fuente in the trailer for The Happening though, so now I want to see that film!

#17

It really was a great show.

As for favorite character, I can’t decide between Vansen and McQueen, they were both very strong characters in their own way. It’s about time I did a rewatch of at least a couple of episodes.

#18

McQueen was my favorite character in the series. It’s too bad they canceled the series, it was great.

#19

Finally! Fellow fans of this show! I thought I was the only one out here! :slight_smile:

(One more reason why I looove GWC!)

I was able to download episodes 1-2. Can’t find more ‘copies’ on Tiborrent :frowning:

My favorites would have to be Vansen, Nathan and McQueen. But I love the ensemble performance so much more. Thanks for the Youtube link. Am gonna watch now…

#20

Henceforth and forever more: Tigh Borrent. :smiley: