funsterdad
... that deserved much better. I was shocked when "Space: Above and Beyond" was announced as not getting renewed for another season. I really enjoyed its pacing, action, effects, and setting. Perhaps it was a little too good for its price(?) A real shame that a network won't be a little more patient.
majestik46
I thought this series was excellent when i first saw it in the 90,s and having watched the box set,my opinion has'nt changed.And i have been watching and reading sci fi for coming up to 50 years. The schedule to watch the show was always late at night in the U.K and i never really understood the logic behind that. You'd think that someone did'nt want the show to succeed. I believe Fox were also making X-files at the same time and i,m not sure if there was competition for money between the two? X-files was OK for a few seasons but went down hill rapidly. S.A.A.B had the right mix of drama and humour and if the Americans will forgive me,reminded me of a battle of Britain squadron(when in space).Any remake would be interesting but you,d be hard pressed in my opinion to replace the original cast.I,m still depressed having watched the last episode to know it was cancelled! Someone,somewhere,remake it please!!
alan-51-111974
I've rated this a ten for what it could have been if played out over 5 seasons. I'm also rating it a 10 for its time.Strong performances, not afraid to be dark and as others have said a prototype for the re-invented BSG.The series contained some genuinely surprising plot twists and when it was good, it was very very good.However, when it was bad, it was horrid and was let down by two key things:1. Plots that are unbelievable right from the very start (involving the deaths of major characters or fantastic scientific breakthroughs a la Voyager that you know will come to nothing). 2. Arrogance: they thought they had 5 seasons in the bag with Fox, therefore from episodes 10-19 all we get is hokey explorations of character and failed experiments. This is why the audience dwindled. It's like all the worst Star Trek (TNG/DS9/Voyager) mid-season bullshit rolled into into one long long long exploration of characters that you would rather see addressing the main agenda of defeating their alien enemy.That being said, still a great show, very much ahead of its time, a prototype for BSG (who borrowed the plot from episode 8 and possibly the character of a female lead).Ironically, many of the horrors that the American marines were subjected to were shortly unleashed by the US against its enemies in real life.It probably fell short because people felt too good at the time but is worth a re-examination. The last two episodes are stellar.
larrymadill
I used to love Space: Above and Beyond when it premiered in 1995. I tracked it across the FOX schedule and followed it into obscurity after only one season. Not that long ago I managed to grab a copy of the DVD on sale at Amazon. And, while its still pretty decent as far as Space Marine Sci-Fi goes, it doesn't hold up well after thirteen years.The writing and direction still holds up for the most part. Most episodes ring with cheesy notes plucked from T.V.'s COMBAT! and John Wayne Era World War II movies that still work today as long as you don't go in expecting Battlestar Galatica's ripped from reality examination of humanity. Where Space: Above Beyond fails is twofold. The Special effects don't hold up at all. Your average Nintendo Wii game can produce better space combat action, and for a T.V. show that hangs so heavily on effects the "Wing Commander 3" graphics are distracting. The acting also completely fails the show. Outside of James Morrison, and to lesser extents Rodney Rowland and Kristen Cloke, the acting from the rest of the cast is just plain BAD. Particularly Morgan Weisser as Lt. Nathan West ... who plays a battle hardened Marine pilot ... who ... pines constantly for his girlfriend and simply whines far too much to be believed as anything more than the guy who would get shoved in a locker by the real Marines. Not the shoulders to really place a major Network T.V. on. The Writers seemed to realize this about halfway through the first season as "Space Above and Beyond" shifting the lead role onto James Morrison's T.C. McQueen. "Space Above and Beyond" is still pretty good Sci-Fi, but not great, and the years and the emergence of the new "Battlestar Galactica" hasn't helped it much.
