Earth 2 at 30: A look back at NBC’s big swing at sci-fi in the early ’90s

Thirty years agone this month, NBC did thing that it seldom does: It tried to motorboat a caller sci-fi TV series. The web that ran nan original Star Trek and Quantum Leap (both versions) hasn’t ever had nan champion of luck pinch subject fiction. Look up NBC’s 2005 sci-fi bid Surface for an illustration of what happens erstwhile nan Peacock web tries to imitate different network’s deed genre show. That’s why it was truthful singular that NBC tried to do thing different successful November 1994 pinch a show called Earth 2.

During its azygous play connected television, Earth 2 wasn’t simply different Star Trek clone. If anything, it seemed much reminiscent of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s first explanation of his show arsenic a “Wagon Train to nan stars.” Earth 2‘s creators Billy Ray, Michael Duggan, Carol Flint, and Mark Levin came up pinch a communicative that resembled a frontier communicative arsenic a group of colonists struggled to past connected a world very overmuch for illustration our ain … but pinch alien creatures that were autochthonal inhabitants of that planet.

Earth 2 was a bet from nan commencement astatine a clip erstwhile sci-fi bid were rare, particularly connected web television. But that bet didn’t activity retired and nan show was canceled. Three decades later, it’s difficult to find anyone who ever watched Earth 2, particularly since truthful galore shows person travel aft it. We’re not going to reason that Earth 2 is immoderate mislaid classical of nan genre. In fact, it’s beautiful unsmooth by modern standards. However, this is simply a show that deserves to beryllium remembered for immoderate of nan ways it pushed sci-fi TV forward.

Partners pinch Darwin

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We can’t talk astir Earth 2 without bringing up SeaQuest DSV, a sci-fi bid that premiered connected NBC successful 1993. Future Farscape creator Rockne S. O’Bannon besides created this family-friendly subject fabrication series, which featured Jaws prima Roy Scheider successful nan starring domiciled arsenic Captain Nathan Bridger, nan commanding serviceman of a titular submarine successful nan past far-off twelvemonth of 2018.

Steven Spielberg produced nan first 2 seasons of this show done his Amblin Television banner, and nan bid initially had a overmuch lighter touch than its later stories. The precocious Jonathan Brandis was concisely a teen idol sensation for his domiciled arsenic a young genius, Lucas Wolenczak, and nan show moreover had a dolphin named Darwin who could pass pinch nan crew.

Because SeaQuest DSV was initially a deed for NBC, nan web wanted a show that could aerial connected nan aforesaid nighttime arsenic a companion series. That’s yet really Earth 2, which was was besides produced by Amblin TV, landed astatine nan network. Although Spielberg wasn’t straight progressive successful this series, immoderate of nan themes from Earth 2 resurfaced in Terra Nova, different Spielberg-produced sci-fi play that premiered connected Fox astir 2 decades later.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Earth 2 was not nan deed that SeaQuest DSV was, and it was canceled aft only a azygous season. But pinch 21 episodes, it lasted a batch longer than nan mean streaming series. As for SeaQuest DSV, that show only ran for 3 seasons owed to declining ratings. But that’s a communicative for different time.

Life connected different planet

Like SeaQuest DSV, Earth 2 besides took spot successful nan future, but almost 2 hundreds of years aft its companion series. More adventurous creators mightiness person been tempted to narratively nexus nan 2 shows, particularly since nan barren Earth of Earth 2 represents nan nonaccomplishment of nan SeaQuest’s unit to unafraid and protect our world’s environment. But that mightiness person been excessively downbeat for SeaQuest. The logic nan colonists near Earth for abstraction is because their world could nary longer support quality life connected a monolithic scale. Their only dream was to find a caller world that could.

That world turned retired to beryllium a satellite called G889, a close, but not an nonstop lucifer for nan world they near behind. The colony’s leader, Devon Adair (Debrah Farentino), was a billionaire who had nan resources to finance an expedition called The Eden Project to colonize this caller world. However, nan ngo became a disaster almost instantly aft their vessel arrived and collapsed connected nan planet. That near nan colonists without galore of their supplies, and only a constricted clip to scope their planned landing tract earlier nan remainder of nan colony families arrive. They besides learned that nan Council — nan authorities assemblage that controlled humanity aft its exodus from Earth — wanted to exert its power complete G889 arsenic well.

Earth 2 was up of its time

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Casting Farentino arsenic Devon made Earth 2 1 of nan first sci-fi bid to characteristic an character arsenic a show’s starring performer. Kate Mulgrew famously played Captain Kathryn Janeway connected Star Trek: Voyager, but that bid didn’t debut until January 1995, 2 months aft Earth 2‘s premiere.

While that represented a awesome measurement forward, Earth 2‘s existent publication to nan genre was its serialized storytelling. Because of nan quality of nan colonists’ mission, each section took spot successful chronological order, arsenic opposed to episodes that could beryllium aired successful a haphazard way. That was what often happened pinch nan Star Trek bid from this era. Babylon 5 embraced serialization earlier successful 1994, but moreover that show’s stories didn’t ever travel straight into each different until nan 2nd and 3rd seasons.

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Earth 2 actually has a batch much successful communal pinch Lost than immoderate of its contemporaries. The land connected Lost whitethorn not person had alien creatures, but some shows were astir characters who were trying to past while trapped successful a mysterious landscape. Lost often shifted perspectives among nan main characters, which Earth 2 besides did. It mightiness beryllium a agelong to opportunity that Earth 2 influenced 1 of nan astir defining genre shows of a generation. But immoderate of those similarities are uncanny.

The impermanent formed was peculiarly impressive

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Speaking of Lost, 1 of nan stars of that show, Terry O’Quinn, had a recurring domiciled connected Earth 2 arsenic Reilly, nan interaction for Dr. Julia Heller (Jessica Steen), nan traitor wrong Devon’s group. Among nan regular cast, Steen was 1 of nan most-intriguing to watch because of Julia’s divided loyalties.

And erstwhile Devon and nan others learned nan truth astir Julia’s ties to nan Council, they dealt pinch her successful a measurement that was shocking for nan time. Basically, they abandoned Julia and near her to die. That banishment didn’t past long, but that was a awesome ending for nan section successful question.

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Tim Curry really showed up successful nan early episodes arsenic Earth 2‘s first existent villain: Gaal. He claimed to beryllium an astronaut who had collapsed connected nan planet, but Gaal was really a criminal who had been sent to G889 erstwhile it was utilized by nan Council arsenic a penal colony.

That portion of accusation allowed Earth 2 to rotate successful immoderate much impermanent stars. Among nan celebrated actors who appeared were Candyman prima Virginia Madsen and Rockmond Dunbar, who had awesome roles connected 9-1-1 and Prison Break.

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Aside from Farentino and Steen, nan different superior formed personnel of Earth 2 who stood retired was Clancy Brown. In astir of his different projects, Brown has been typecast arsenic a villain. But successful this show, Brown’s John Danziger was a azygous begetter who was nan protector of his chap colonists. Brown is awesome successful almost everything he does, and he elevated his portion successful nan bid each clip he was connected nan screen.

Dream-timing pinch aliens

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The point to support successful mind astir Earth 2 is that nan humans are nan aliens connected satellite G889. The 2 superior type encountered connected nan satellite are nan gremlin-like Grendlers and nan Terrians, who tin seemingly move done nan ungraded astatine will.

Some of nan colonists were capable to found trades pinch nan Grendlers, but nan Terrians ne'er straight spoke. Instead, they relied connected telepathic dream connections they made pinch Devon’s son, Ulysses Adair (Joey Zimmerman), and a pilot, Alonzo Solace (Antonio Sabàto, Jr.). Those 2 characters had nan dreamlike encounters pinch nan Terrians that allowed them to span nan spread betwixt nan 2 species.

It was besides shown that Ulysses had an unbreakable nexus pinch nan Terrians, and his well-being depended connected theirs. Those were intriguing touches that were only partially explored successful nan show’s azygous season.

The unresolved cliffhanger

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Although Earth 2 was serialized, 2 of nan episodes didn’t aerial successful their intended order. Episodes 6 and 20 wouldn’t make their broadcast debut until aft nan play finale. Because nan show was canceled, that turned retired to beryllium nan bid finale arsenic well. Episode 21, All About Eve, really resolved immoderate of nan show’s long-running subplots astir Reilly’s personality and nan Council’s schedule for nan colonists. More importantly, it group up a communicative that would person apt been a awesome attraction for play 2.

Near nan extremity of nan episode, Devon is warned that nan satellite itself will cull its quality colonists. Like a canary successful a ember mine, Devon’s quickly deteriorating information proves that this mentation was accurate. Devon’s colony has nary measurement to prevention her different than by placing her successful stasis. That’s wherever nan show leaves her, and nan bid arsenic well. If Earth 2 had been renewed, it’s very apt that Devon would person been revived very early successful play 2. But without a renewal, nan show ends connected a very ominous statement and a cliffhanger that will ne'er beryllium resolved.

The early of Earth 2

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Needless to say, location hasn’t been a batch of activity pinch Earth 2 since nan show was canceled successful 1995.Ten years later, Earth 2 was released connected DVD, which revived immoderate liking successful nan series. Those DVDs are still disposable connected Amazon and eBay, if you’re consenting to salary above-market prices for discs that are astir 2 decades old.

Earth 2 was concisely streamed connected Netflix, but it’s nary longer disposable done immoderate integer outlet. There are complete episodes connected YouTube, but nan value of nan video is horrible. It’s conscionable not an perfect measurement to watch nan series. Universal and Amblin still ain nan series, and they could theoretically nonstop it backmost to streaming someday.

But nan reality is that location conscionable isn’t overmuch request to revisit these characters and this story. Not each franchise gets a 2nd chance. And unless thing drastic changes, nan only group who are going to retrieve Earth 2 are nan viewers who saw it erstwhile it was caller 30 years ago.