This summer both ABC and FOX rolled out two hour tv movies set in space as pilots. One succeeded and is very unlikely to be picked up. The other was terrible and has been picked up for a limited run.
The space nerd in me got a little excited about these shows, but I had to keep my expectations in check to prevent severe disappointment. One of my projects in university was to point out all the technical inaccuracies in the movie Space Cowboys related to aerospace engineering. I would have loathed being assigned any television series which works on a smaller budget and more pressure than a movie starring Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones.
The Fox entry was Virtuality. A crew of 12 are on a ten year journey to the Epsilon Eridani star system. The "virtual" in the title comes from the virtual reality program each crew member can customize for when they are sleeping. The unseen threat to the crew is introduced within virtual reality.
On ABC, Defying Gravity premiered last week. The eight person crew is going to Venus. Again, there is an unseen threat which we are told very little about in the pilot. It's referred to as Beta and determines who is going on the mission by infecting the original commander and engineer with a heart condition.
Unfortunately, the drama introduced in Defying Gravity is not from the unseen threat or a space tragedy, but from the relationships between the characters. The characters are whiny and there is even a crack when the commander and engineer are replaced with the two female leads exes. Virtuality also struggles with the character drama, but it's more realistic. There's VR infidelity between the commander and the botanist. A gay couple who candidly discuss the tension imparted on their relationship on such a long mission. And we get to see the beginnings of friendships and conflicts which would have developed throughout the series.
Both shows employ the tired tactic of a show within a show to let us get to know the characters as well as convey technical details. Virtuality's reality show within the show uses confessionals a la Real World along with the technical walk-and-talks which also appear in Defying Gravity.
In Defying Gravity, the perceived gravity on the ship is explained by nanos included in objects and the clothing the astronauts are wearing. This an intriguing way to explain away the gravity. Virtuality doesn't explain how the astronauts are keeping their feet on the floors of the ship.
The moment I geeked out was when Defying Gravity introduces a reconfigured MMU (manned maneuvering unit) which NASA introduced during the shuttle program though it was quickly retired in 1984. The idea of the MMU is a space nerd's dream. Basically, its a jet pack which allows an individual in a space suit to tool around in space untethered to any larger vehicle.
Despite Defying Gravity making the space nerd seem cool again, I enjoyed Virtuality far more. Defying Gravity airs Sundays on ABC at least for a few more weeks though I don't see it lasting into the fall. Virtuality is likely done for good.
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