WTF Happened to Space: Above & Beyond? (1995-1996)
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- One thing you'll notice about the shows we cover here at Gone But Not Forgotten - many of them are from Fox. In fact, not only are they from Fox, but in most cases, they were critically acclaimed, with huge cult followings, but also were prematurely canceled. Some were lucky enough to find another network (Sliders), some even got a second season (Dark Angel, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), but many like Firefly and this week's show, Space Above and Beyond were one and done.
The brainchild of X-Files writers Glen Morgan and James Wong, Space Above and Beyond was a military/action show depicting a future war against an alien race known as the Chigs. It focuses on a group of Marines called "The Wildcards", led by Kristen Cloke's Capt. Shane Vansen, with other leads including cult fave Rodney Rowland as Cooper Hawkes, Morgan Weisser as Nathan West, and more. Join us as we dig into this nineties favorite and try to figure out why Fox was so quick to cancel so many cool shows!
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Hey guys!
This episode was made from suggestions from fans who emailed us demanding this show be covered. If you want to make suggestions for future episodes of GBNF then e-mail GBNFSeries@gmail.com and maybe we’ll cover your show!
Loved this show the pilot was a little twitchy but once it got going it was amazing with so many great characters and storylines
I email and comment. Make a damn Eureka episode. Its in the friggin bumper!!!
i watched this show when it came out... still pisses me off it was cancelled.. totally worth a reboot today..
I might be the in a minority, but maybe Drive with Nathan Filion. Or Wonderfalls.
This show needs a serious reboot.
This was such a good show, leaving it on that cliffhanger should be grounds for a court martial.
Fox should hear that comment CFB.
I actually liked the "ending." I realized it was meant as a cliffhanger, but it made the whole series a sad tale. A story about the horrors of war.
I thought it ended well.
Would have been great to see if more, but too many shows have been destroyed by running to long.
I for one, will take what we got and be happy.
it wasnt a cliffhanger it was the end of wild cards...
Suits cancelling good shows should lead to years or decades in prison!
I watched this show during its original airing. It was incredible. The storylines, the realism that they injected despite the subject matter. The weight of the decisions made in the show sent chills. Of note: if the pilot didn't blow you away, it's because they originally aired the pilot and the "second" episode back to back as a sort of two-hour movie. When you see it that way, it was a pretty kickass start.
Edit: I forgot that they had R. Lee Ermey on it too! That only added to the prestige of the show.
I enjoyed the first episodes but when they started using the pilots as infantry and security guards I lost interest.
@@Lee-vk1xy interestingly enough, USMC pilots still do a two year rotations with the infantry as FACs. And from Vietnam through the end of the GWOT, USAF aviators have been aligned with US Army infantry units as TACPs without a background as infantrymen.
This show did its research, and it sort of predicted the value of having aviators on the ground.
Same I was in middle school at the time and absolutely loved it. My friends all got into it. Then it just disappeared without a trace.
@@whendoweeat There's a difference between attaching a pilot as a FAC and using a bunch of pilots as infantry or worse security. Especially experienced combat pilots.
@@Lee-vk1xy and yet, those pilots were still attached down to the company level. There wasn’t some sort of barrier preventing them from performing traditional infantry duties just because they were a FAC. The point remains that the marines in particular have pilots with a foundational knowledge in being a rifleman in the event they need to serve in the capacity in a traditional line infantry unit. To me, a war with a new species suffering massive casualties leading towards a need for the pilots to perform infantry roles isn’t that far of a stretch for me.
The Angriest Angel has to be one of the best episodes ever, I could watch it over and over. But Who Watches the Birds is another episode that is good and very though provoking. Also they are Marines not Soldiers they joined the Marines huge difference as the Army is shown in the show as well.
Agreed.
At the beginning of "The Angriest Angel" I was thinking they should promote Tasia Vanencia to a series regular... then the episode went on and I was sad and delighted to see a show with the balls to to what they did.
It's okay to be scared.
spot-on! when I talk about the show to misguided people who don't realize how badly (the worst ever) franchise of SWs is-I mention they need to watch those two episodes!
I would also nominate "Ring of Fire".
I also watched this show when it originally aired. It felt so unique and ahead of its time with its storytelling and more serious themes. Was so bummed out when it ended on a cliffhanger.
I remember the episode “Who monitors the birds!” Which was a special ops mission that had almost no dialogue except for a couple of lines in a flashback. It was amazing.
This shows was HUGELY underrated! I watched it when it was on, and even purchased the DVD set!
And as an actual U.S. Marine, I can tell you they got several aspects of Military life SPOT ON!
I was a teenager when this show came out. I loved it. My favorite episode was the one with the alien version of the Red Baron, Chiggy Von Richthofen. If you only see one episode of Space Above and Beyond I would strongly recommend the episode called "The Angriest Angel".
Man that duel was epic, I love that show so several of my brother and sisters.
I agree with you. This show was unique. It was pretty raw space opera. I liked the use of contemporary military uniforms and concepts. It was somewhere between "Starship Troopers" and "Battlestar Galactica."
I think this could have been bigger than Babylon 5 with a bigger budget and a second season.
@@DavidKnowles0 Apparently their was going to be a 3rd race who facilitated the war between the humans and chigs.
@@twocansams6335 A friend many years ago said the same thing, never found anything on line. But I had a theory that this third race would be the human androids that we saw working with the chigs. That their haphazard and un repaired appearance was nothing but a ruse. I t could also be the invetro. Human treated both a like shit. An manipulating the chigs into war with humans as revenge plot why not original, it certainly a storyline that was a possibility.
I miss this show
I did happen to watch this show when it originally aired. I was 13 years old. I remember watching all the episodes each week and thought the show was amazing. I loved the "Chig" species and their armor/helmet design. It made them look mysterious, enigmatic and pretty intimidating. The armor would later play a key role in hugely mid-identifying them prior to us launching a massive offensive. (which we later learned was a derogatory term that the aliens were highly offended by, lol. We called them "chigs" due to the shape of their helmet looking like a chigger bug's head). I remember the following year after the last episode, there wasn't a new season. Back in those days, you didn't have the internet to look-up if the show had been cancelled or re-up'd for a new season. My first indication it had been cancelled was when I saw one of the actors on another new TV show. I was deeply saddened it had ended right at a cliff hanger as we humans were about to go on our first big offensive (Operation Roundhammer). Perhaps they can do a remake via Netflix or Amazon.
I was 3 years older than you and i conquer on everything you said
I was 15 at the time and also agree, this show was amazing and played right into my interests at the time which was sci-fi.
One thing that I noticed when I watched the show when it aired is that unlike most sci-fi, it was realistic enough that you had reaction control thrusters when they re-oriented the ships
I remember watching this as a kid and being absolutely mesmerized by it. None of my friends seemed to get it but man I was hooked. Watching it again as an adult makes me appreciate it even more now that I am able to pick up on all the things I missed upon first viewing. This was such a great show and far ahead of it's time. Unfortunately shows like this often seem to fail before hitting their stride :(
I was in the same boat as you. Came out when I was in the 6th grade. I had one classmate that kinda watched it but stopped. And I love rewatching once every 5 years or so. This show and Babylon 5 are my 2 most consistent "rewatch" SciFi shows from back then.
Stargate is a distant 3rd and thats saying something because I love SG.
Same here in Chile!!
One of my favorite space TV series. I watched it when I first moved to Australia and have never forgotten how good it was. This and B5.
I'm Australian and I still remember watching this show, from Feb to June '96. I always thought that the movies 'Starship Troopers' and 'Wing Commander' were a rip off of this show.
@@germanicelt For all these years, I thought the reason I'd never seen it was because it wasn't aired in Australia (or was on FoxTel).
TIL it was because I'd moved out of home in February and didn't get a TV until July 1996.
@@germanicelt wingcommander the game and books actually preceeded SAB.
i heard they are rebooting Babylon 5 ..........the original is great still even with its ps2 cgi
@@sokar_rostau I remember that was the exact time I was watching SAaB on tv.
This show was brilliant. My DVD copy is a treasure. The Angriest Angel gets me every damn time. Thanks so much for giving this the love it deserves!
Wouldn't trade my boxed set for anything!!
Okay...maybe 48 hours with Charlize Theron...but that's it!
does the DVD menu have the Babylon 5 station picture?
'Sugar Dirt' is another amazing episode.
@@Albtraum_TDDC Yeah, even the DVD release didn’t get the respect it deserved!
"I would take a chance..." I see what you did there.
Honestly, this was a great show of my youth. I was a teenager when it came out, and my dad and I watched every episode when it aired. The season/series finale cliffhanger is a hell of a way for a show to end.
The comment I was looking for.
I watched this on the SciFi channel in 1996, I was in the army reserves at the time. I loved how it reflected actual combat, and gritty it was. I was really disappointed when they ended it so abruptly, as it could easily have gone on for another series.
I watched it in my country the same year. I was thinking of joining the army reserves five years later, but in hindsight I should've signed up in '96 after watching this.
Agree, it was a great show that ended to soon.
I loved this show when it aired. I watched it every time it was on and was devastated when it was canceled. This show deserved multiple seasons. I could only imagine how great follow-up seasons would’ve been. Truly a great science fiction series.
I remember watching this show when it first aired. The reason it had such a grounded, “used sci-fi” look and excellent uniforms is because the USMC consulted on the series.
Actually so did the Navy. Sadly their guidance interfered with Glen and Jim's creativity....like a Naval commander would NEVER play blues for his missing-in-action Marines. :) Yet throughout the run, I would travel around the country. In those days, airports often had glass-enclosed Military Recruitment facilities. More than once, I walked thru an airport and had the people inside run out to stop me. "I watch that show every week! I make sure my son watches that show!" That's a tribute to Morgan and Wang's penchant for authenticity, their desire to get it right!
@@tuck914 So did the Australian military. Much of it was filmed in Australia, with many of the minor roles being filled by experienced Aussie actors. Base scenes were shot on real Australian bases. It's a line-up of Australian FA-18s you see our main characters walking past for instance. Because much of it was filmed in areas with recently built resort areas, it gave it a modern feel. Loved that show, will happily watch it over and over.
@@bigbrowntau what's your point? The PILOT was filmed on the Gold Coast. The pilot succeeded in getting a green light for the series. The episodes were filmed in S. California.
@@tuck914 My point is that the Australian military helped to add to the realistic look.
@@tuck914 ... the USMC is part of the Navy (the same way that the Army Corps of Engineers is part of the Army). It's often treated as a separate branch, but it's not.
I LOVED this show! Watched every single episode back then. Was so sad that it didn’t continue. I was really bummed that it didn’t have another season.
The episode where the story focuses on the tall angry guy doing a secret mission alone, that was a really good one. The show aired in my country around 1997-1998. I bonded with my best friend over the show, and we're still best friends today.
"Who monitors the birds?" I think is the episode you're talking about. One of my favourites too.
The great part about that episode was there is almost no dialog in it. It's all cinematography used to tell the story.
In my country the show ran entirely over the first half of 1996.
One of the best sci-fi series of the late 90s if not of all time. We were lucky when it was shown in the UK as we had a consistent schedule for the programme albeit relatively late at night. Superb writing, excellent storylines, sympathetic characters, complete with believable backstories, very well portrayed by a likeable cast. Unlike most of the poorly written and executed tripe we're fed today.
Yeah it waw bbc2 late on a friday night
*there are moments and sequences of this series that are still vivid memories for me...such as Johnny Cash's song Ring of Fire playing as one of the ships enters and is destroyed by a black hole and the episode that played Patsy Cline's Never no More...simply brilliant*
This show introduced me to Johnny Cash!
Yup Ray butts went out like a champ. Never no more was a perfect song for that episode.
Never no more was played in the angriest angel when McQueen goes hunting for chiggy von rictoffen
@@chasemcbyron7031 Actually that song ‘Never No More’ featured in the same titled episode ‘Never No More’, which immediately preceded ‘The Angriest Angel’, (when McQueen hunted down Chiggy von Richthofen as you mentioned)
My first ever youtube comment is now this. "Never no More" is my personal favorite episode of any media ever. The stakes, the emotion, the acting, the pacing... it's all a masterclass of story telling. Thank you for reminding me of this show so I can enjoy it again.
I remember watching this series growing up. Loved it and was so sad it didn't get a second season
I remember watching it whenever I could -- I think it came on at an odd time, but occasionally I would see it on Fox at either 7:00pm or 9:00pm. He's right that the times weren't consistent, so it was really hard to catch it, and it was one of the only few shows on Fox I cared about, along with the really awesome Super Force, Lightning Force, and Eerie Indiana.
I loved this show. As an army vet I liked the interaction during ground missions which rang relatively true particularly the humor expressed when you find yourself in unusual situations. My only complaint was that having them shifting between acting as pilots one episode and then as infantry the next made no sense. As an odd note, I found out I was actually working with the brother of one of the main actors. I could honestly tell him that his brother was my favorite character on the show.
That's what turned me off to the show...they'd be fighter pilots one episode and ground pounders the next.
@@badge315you got to remember that they were marine units. They were trained for both to be as flexible as they could be. They also trained as transport crew to help supply other trips that were under fire. You could almost think of them as seabee's from WWII. Construction crews that were trained with demolition, weapons, and hand to hand. Look at the seals as a basic concept for them. That's why earth started out losing the way as they didn't have the time to train people up the way they normally would've, they only did ground because of the fact that the ground element didn't have enough people to invade by itself. After a few episodes they were more of scouts that flew in and reconned and then got out of there.
This show was so good. Still bummed, all these years later, that we never got more of it.
It is gratifying to hear someone who loved SPACE ABOVE AND BEYOND. As a fan I was disappointed that, no plastic models we're produced. But my main point is, the characts... where amazing.
I loved tis show back in 95! I rewatched it last year and it still holds up. "Who's Monitoring The Birds" is one of the greatest episodes of TV i've ever seen!
yeah that episode was fantastic!
I loved that it got a cameo in what might be THE best X-Files episode of all time, too--Jose Chung's from Outer Space (which was actually written by Glen Morgan's brother, Darin Morgan) where the nerd kid, Blaine, is wearing a Space: Above and Beyond t-shirt while telling his part of the story.
@@NekoMouser Nice!!
that's my favourite episode
@@budycelyn Just brilliant! 90% of the episode has no dialog.
I ADORED this show!! I still have a framed quote from the finale that I keep on my wall about everything in the universe coming from the same speck of matter when the universe was created! It was criminally underrated and would have been a big hit if it had come out decades later! I even modeled my own tv pilot after pieces of the shows grounded reality meets the final frontier! The season ends on such a crazy cliffhanger/development, finally showing us what the Chigoes looked like underneath!
Watched this on TV in the UK when it aired. Loved the show, preferred it over Starship Troopers, and it was a totally different show entirely. They could easily redo and bring it back, updated of course. With everything with Mars going to be colonised, AI being a feature subject so far for 2023, and many other Space stuff going on. I would love for this show to get a reboot.
This was an amazing show, totally underrated, I was gutted when there was no more series.
I watched this show when it first aired and I was love. Didn't miss an episode and eagerly awaited the next. I remember how bummed I was when it ended in that cliff hanger. I wanted so much more.
Do you remember the episode, SUGAR DIRT. That is a real grounder in reality.
I fell in love with this show the very first episode. I told everyone about it and how good it was...and then they cancelled it. There was some talk about a possible new season, but that died quick and it was just a memory. Sort of like Earth 2, or Firefly.
I agree in every single term. Space 2063 was an iconic series, far away from Star Trek, darker and in a less optimistic way. Earth 2 and Firefly are the best of examples for different ways to make sci-fi in a better and interesting way. The audience today is too much oriented by special effects and crash-boom-bang films. Complex storylines like in Babylon 5 or complete new universes like in Earth 2 are too expensive and not profiterable enough. So, lets go to cinema, switch off your brain and lets view special effects with no(n)-sense-plots, like the new timeline in Startrek. This isn't Star Trek anymore. The time of high quality Sci-fi ended long ago.
@@holzschmiedeimpott5334 I think the problem is that complex storylines like B5's take TIME to set up and get going, you can't deny that S1 of B5 did drag on a fair bit at times and that the entire first season almost felt like a pilot. But then things got interesting in S2 building off what S1 had set up and it continued on through S3 and 4.
This "it needs to be an immediate success" mentality causes so much harm for long term success of series and even when the studio's decide to take a risk it's on series like SG:U where they've painted the writers into a corner.
Argh man! Don't get me started on Firefly!
It still hurts....
Woah! When I started to read your comment in parallel I had a picture in my head of the Earth 2 being similarly cancelled while being something I really liked when it was aired. And here you are mentioning the same thing at the end of your comment ;-) What's even more qurius about it is that I am from Poland and when those were aired here in late 90s it was very different environment as we had less than a decade after communism fall, yet we had a similar way we felt about those shows it seems.
@@dritzzdarkwood4727 Ahoy fellow Browncoat! Stay Shiny ... ^v^
"easy as eating pancakes"is still my favorite quote from this show that I still use to this day:)
that episode got me into Johnny Cash
I loved this show, I was crushed when it just ended after that first glorious season🥺
Ahead of it's time.
@@UFO_PILOT Way🎯👍🏾
I so agree, still love these episodes!
@@JRvandenBroek Same here, my son and I do a rewatch every so often and they still hold up fantastic🤗👍🏾
It ended at its best.
Thank you for reminding the world how good this show was. I loved it as a teen when it came out in the UK
Thanks for reviewing this old forgotten series. I have literally not seen this since I saw it as a teenager when it aired on TV. It would be nice to watch it again with my "adult eyes". As a teen, I was mortified when they cancelled this show.
The "Angriest Angel" episode was pure gold.
"My maker was some geek in a lab coat with a petri dish and an eye dropper why would i want to make peace with him?... with all due respect father i don't think YOUR maker wants to hear from me right now because he know I'm going to go out there in that plane and blow one of his creations out of this galaxy then drink a bottle of burbon like it was chiggy von riftoffen's blood"
Chaplin: amen
Best speech in the series
The 58th "Wildcards" you grow an effecting for its cast. It had a sci fi real life feel to the episodes. You get that feeling of what life would be like as a space marine. It's not gimmicky like starship Troopers
I remembered a time where they say this show's ratings was beating Star Trek's ratings.
MAN! FOX really destroyed a lot of good shows, genre fans, audiences and jobs of people behind TV shows.
FOX doesn't know how to save and promote even if their lives depended on it.
Space Above and Beyond deserves a reboot comeback and so does many other good shows murdered by FOX & deserves to respawn on another network or streaming service other than FOX TV.
At the time, the rumour was Chris Carter & Fox needed M&W back to save Millennium. So they killed the show. That is why the last words on the last episode are AMF and the last season of Millennium ends the world. It was Morgan and Wong's revenge.
(Edited for typos)
To be FAIR... ALL the TV company's do it, the only real difference is that Fox tends to have a few more "unique" shows, so it seems like they are worse.
TV Company's really tick me off... They should come up with some RULES related to Show production.
1. They should not produce a show unless they are willing to invest in it at least 5 Seasons and 15 at least episodes per season.
2. If they eventually "need" to cancel the show after that period of time, they should ALWAYS "wrap it up" (aka have a Conclusion) in whatever way fits the story.
3. The ONLY time they should cancel a show under 5 seasons is if it's so massively BAD, and that literally, nobody wants to watch it. I'm talking Batwoman for example. It should be canceled, but due to the Leftist Political Agenda, they are keeping it going. So many good shows like this one in the video they cancel well before their time, and it's such a massive shame, even if they don't get the #'s they want, they are GOOD shows, so they should continue.
I always look to the "Star Trek" example... It didn't get the #'s they wanted, and it was canceled too early, yet look what it turned into. Of course, most shows aren't a newly created Universe like Star Trek, but the point is, good shows should NOT be canceled. Even though it had a little better run than many.
@@leeuniverse I agree that if a studio decides to take a chance and create an original show that’s different, they should at least give it a few season to gain viewers, otherwise your simply wasting your time,since unique shows take awhile to gain a following and you should accept that when you start out.
@@johnpatz8395 ... Yep exactly, especially today... There is SO much competition, that a person simply can't get to everything they would want to watch, even with a multi-recorder.
So, as long as it's a decent show, they should NOT be focusing on #'s anymore.
I mean, I pirate everything, and I'm not working for awhile, and yet I STILL can't get to all the shows I want to watch, and that's even spending a LOT of the day watching shows.
Often, it's a few years after before I can even get to a good show.
@@leeuniverse yeah, I’m right there with you. I’ve been disabled following a series of back surgeries, and facing one more massive one early next year, so I’ve got nothing but time, and I still miss a ton of stuff I want to watch, although I admit, non of it is network crap anymore as I cut the cord a few years ago, and have been much happier for having done so.
I mean seriously, cable and/direcTV bills always end up between $100-150 a month, for just basic channels, so I got hid if DirecTV and now just watch Netflix & Amazon Prime, then I rotate between Hulu, HBO and a few others, each of which I’ll get us for a month or two, depending on what deal they offer, watch what we really want to see on them then cancel and when another has a great deal I’ll grab them for a bit. Honestly, my favorite service is Amazon Prime, mainly for two reasons firstly they offer tons of other services as add one to their service, so even without subscribing to HBO and the other services, you can search all of their libraries at the same time. The second is a more minor plus, but it’s the cast/crew info Prime provides with shows it airs, I love that when I recognize someone on a show I can press a button and the cast of the show, or even that specific scene (it’s a minor thing, but I really enjoy it.
Other than that Primes has some great shows, but it’s layout, menus and such REALLY suck, but I guess you can’t have it all. 😂
My parents allowed me to watch this at 9pm or something when I was … I don‘t remember …. Normally I had to go to bed earlier. This was so amazing and I was so devastated when it ended so abruptly.
If there’s any sci-Fi show that deserves a remake it’s this one and to actually give it a fair crack of the whip. One of my all time faves ❤
God damn Fox, between this and Terminator SCC they have a lot to answer for!
How about a video on Odyssey 5 starring the awesome Peter Weller, or am I the only one who remembers that show?
OMG YES!!! Another brilliant show that never got its due! It was such a great premise!👍🏾❤️
Fox also prematurely terminated (Pun intended) both Firefly and Alien Nation as well....
Yes! Odyssey 5 was awesome! Great concept. The vfx I don't think holds up, but the acting and storytelling was pretty solid. They should bring that back. "Next" that was on Fox recently and already cancelled surprise, surprise, was created by Manny Coto too. Poor bastard.
Also The Lone Gunmen.
There's also the most excellent cartoon Exo-Squad......which like SAaB also ended on a cliffhanger (CURSE YOU FOX!!!).
Man, I loved this show. I actually managed to watch it during its original airing, although I wasn't able to catch every episode. I had a mad crush on Vansen at the time. And it was because of my love of this show and the tragedy of its cancellation that I eventually discovered the glory that was Babylon 5.
The episode where the colonel went up against the enemy ace pilot (I think it was “The Angriest Angel”) was some damned good television. How he conquered not only his physical shortcomings but his self doubt and the doubt of others to find his inner warrior and faced what was essentially death and despair personified by the enemy pilot, who seemed unbeatable.
IMHO, the best episode of the show!
"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 get in this plane and go out into His sky 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 Chiggi Von Richtoffen's blood and celebrate his death!"
One of the best dialogs ever!
@@terminus8444 Absolutely classic lines for sure!
@@terminus8444 “Amen”
I watched this when it originally aired. And, it became my favorite show. I could not believe it didn't get another season, and I was devastated at the time.
I was in 8th grade when this show aired. I remember not being able to figure out when it was on next, but whenever I saw it in the TV guide (you remember those?) I would be sure to make time to be there to watch it. It was just so good...I guarantee it influenced my love of science fiction. I was the perfect age for that.
I re-watched the entire series recently for the second time and its stil a great show that has no comparison on TV. The depth of the stories and intensity of the action are awesome. You don't see this type of show anymore.
Do you feel that the movies ''Wing Commander'' and ''Starship Troopers'' were inspired by this tv show?
@@germanicelt You know the movie Wing Commander is entirely based on computer games with the same name? The Wing Commander games indeed have a very similar atmosphere, but I don't think they took anything from each other.
@@miskatonic6210 Oh yeah, i forgot about that. Well, i suppose the movie just made me think of this tv show.
This show was my first tv heartbreak. I waited all summer for the show to come back, only for months in the fall to go by before I realized it was cancelled. I've been hurt since, but this was my original wound.
This is still one of my favourite sci-fi shows of all time! I couldn't believe they cancelled it. Such great characters. And Starship troopers was just a comedy version of this.
Watched the show as a child and missed episodes due to that inconsistent airing schedule. FOX and other networks that air episodes out of order or inconsistency can rot. Need to get the box set now. Great review. Glad I subbed.
Watched this show when it aired. Absolutely one of my favorite shows of all time.
I remember hearing a story about how some guy from China was caught trying to "sneak" photographs of the prop Hammerhead fighters during preproduction.... because he actually thought they were done crazy next gen aircraft that the U.S. developed.
As a former active duty US Marine, I watched every episode of this show that I could -- and when I got the DVD set, I realized that I had never seen five of the episodes at all, aside from the other 8 that were preempted by the NFL. Among the casualties of FOX in 90's sci-fi was _Harsh Realm,_ which was killed after I think 3 episodes. FOX is simply toxic to sci-fi.
Like Farscape it was filmed in Australia. As a native of that particular country it was fun to see what counted as actors pop up through the series. Most of them from soap operas Neighbors and Home & Away. So I guess it's quite fitting they guest starred in a "Space Opera".
Holy crap, really!? I'm just finding this out now, when I used to watch this show when it came to Australia in.....if i remember right, Feb '96.
The 90's were the golden age of Sci-Fi TV!!!
And Sci-Fi games.
A crazy story about this show:
The last time I saw this show was in the 90s, but for some reason I always remembered the T.C. McQueen and a particular episode involving a Red Baron.
25 years later I wrote a script called "interview with the Grim Reaper. Towards the end of the interview Grim brought to mind McQueen's speech before flying off the end the Red Baron.
After the Grim repeated the line, he asked "what was the name of that episode?" The interviewer replied "Red Baron?". Grim shakes his head and leaves.
When I went to look up the name, I got chills by the stunning coincidence: The Angerist Angel."
Loved that show when it was on the air and have the DVD set also. One of the many reasons it was great to grow up in the '90's as a sci-fi fan.
Amen, brother. I could never understand why this show was cancelled. Afterwards, I didn't feel that same level of excitement about a science fiction show until the BSG reboot. Finally, a show with human grit and palpable tension (and way, way less cheese) like SA&B. Like you said, it's too late to continue. It would be a difficult to recast, million-to-one attempt, but I wouldn't mind a reboot done right just so we can see what happened next.
Thank you for doing this review. That was a show that sat on enormous potential. The only one close to it was the 2003 version of Battlestar Galactica. Perhaps a Space Above and Beyond like show could one day be on the horizon. Only time will tell.
This is a show that deserves a well made NBSG style reboot.
You've obviously never seen Babylon 5
As a former Marine, I screamed when you said they, "Joined the Army", but then you later got it right, when you said he joined the Marines.
Loved the show, but, I strangely found one of the most unrealistic parts was that they engaged in both fighter combat and ground combat! That just - won't happen.
I would love to see a reboot!
I loved this show. I still have the DVD set. Thanks for reviewing this series
I was wondering when you're gonna cover this amazing show.
I was in the military when this show came out but I don't remember it all that well. But I'm going to have to do some binge-watching.
It’s awesome! Ahead of its time!
It's okay to be scared.
Three great quotes, "Abandon All Hope", "Who monitors the birds", and "Take a chance"! It's a wonder the X Files lasted as long as it did.
Hello
I'm from Poland. I remember when this series was broadcast on Polish television. This one and a few others were great fun back then, and I really don't understand why it ended for one season. The thread of peace talks between humans and aliens could have been brilliantly continued. Just like Sliders or Nowhere Man.
although a lot of these themes must have gone over my head as a 13-year old, I fondly remember this series for the seriousness with which it took itself, and especially the opening theme!
This show has been a huge part of my life. I grew up absolutely obsessed with it. Still am.
I haven't seen it since '96. I was gonna rewatch it in 2016 (for it's 20th anniversary) but never got around to it. I'll have to find it again and watch it soon, like a few other old scifi tv shows.
did you ever come across any fan fiction, or even official novels for it?
Absolutely fantastic show. There really hasn't been anything like it since.
Battlestar Gallactica and The Expanse? Two incredible tv shows full with space battles.
@@PolderPiraat Both good, but not the same. I really like The Expanse, it's very well done.
This show was the “water cooler” show my friend and I would talk about the next day at school. When you’re a teenager, it seems like the world revolves around the thing you’re into at the time and that’s how it felt watching this show haha. Funny, it’s been 25 years, I literally haven’t watched any of it since it was cancelled and I don’t remember ANY major details from the series smh
I was in my early 20s when this show was on. I don't remember any details of it, other than the ''Chigs'', but it felt like a modern day Battlestar Galactica tv show, and I thought ''it's about time''.
I'd force myself to stay awake to catch this show. It was on right after x-files very late on Danish TV in the 90s. It also reminded me a bit of "Enemy Mine" from '85.
Omg I watched this as a teen on original run. It was so next level, and I was DEVASTATED that it only got one season. The silicates story line was an astounding new concept in Sci-fi, not clones, not androids, what a mind bending concept.
Yeah remember watching this series when it aired in the uk, loved it but series episodes were often repeated or inconsistent and out of sequence. The pilot had R. Lee Ermey in!
I absolutely loved this show- watching it when it was first broadcast. I don’t recall the pilot being bad, I guess I fell into the world building immediately and just absorbed everything as it came. I was so devastated at the ending and can’t understand why it was dropped to this day. I feel the only show to match and obviously over take it was battlestar which had a very similar vibe and setup to it. Thanks for doing this piece on it it was brilliant!
This was a great series that was going in some really interesting directions toward the last half of it's run. It touched on some really evocative moral and philosophical concepts as well.
One of my favorite episodes (and one of the best overall imho) is "Who Monitors the Birds".
Thanks for covering this series, which sadly doesn't often get the love it deserves! 👍
I feel the same about the pilot episode, but this is still one of the best sci-fi shows ever produced.
I loved the ship designs, specially the hammer heads and the equivalent on the enemy side, and how they fly, just awesome. I think I want to watch it again, I'm sure it can be found somewhere in the net.
I know this has been out a while, but it just came up. So, a few things to know.... I worked on the show as a supplier of computer animation equipment, specifically I am a Commadore Amiga Technician. I built the equipment for the show. I was there when the show aired and loved it. The reason seen by many people as to why it was canceled was it was hard core Sci-Fi - not the more mainstream offerings. I also worked on Babylon 5 which was mainstream. Like Firefly I wished it had lasted longer.
I'd like to see a look back at Poltergeist: The Legacy and Farscape.
Add Earth 2 to that list.
I remember watching SAAB when it came out and it was very impressive. I also did a refresh on the series 13y ago AND the show still held up. Stories presented in each episode are simply great and sets were done in great detail. I remember reading that chinese spy was spotted taking pictures of the SAAB's fighter planes when they were being shipped. 13y ago I have even stated that it is without a doubt the best live action sci-fi tv series ever made. Right now it would have some competition for that place from Expanse, Altered Carbon and Westworld.
Someone (Chinese? Soviet?) saw the Hammerheads when they were brought to Australia where they filmed the pilot, and thought they were the newest American fighter planes.
In its time it was the most expensive series on TV. That money was not pissed away. The look was singular.
I LOVE this show! Sure, some of the acting is gringeworthy, but the stories are fantastic! and McQueen is STILL one of my favorite scifi characters of ALL TIME! Really wish the show had gotten more seasons, it had SO MUCH potential.
OG S:AAB fan here. My girlfriend/wife (we got married during the show's run) watched it whenever FOX didn't preempt it, we got the DVD box set when it first came out (I rewatched it last year), and I still wear my Wildcards t-shirt.
The show was a rough gem. There's some '90s cheesiness throughout the series, but the show is fantastic where it matters, and there was nothing else like it at the time. It was gritty, multilayered, and had surprisingly deep character and story development, especially toward the end.
It also didn't shy away from moral gray areas, which I think was one of its greatest strengths. Well, that and the Hammerhead fighters, which are still absolutely badass today, and one of the coolest designs for a space fighter in sci-fi. (There's an anecdote about the full scale ground models being mistaken for experimental fighter by Russian intelligence. I'm not kidding. )
It wasn't perfect, but it deserves much more attention than it got, and FOX was a downright abusive parent.
As for me, I play the space MMO Elite Dangerous, and when war broke out between humanity and an enigmatic alien race late last year, I changed my fleet carrier's name to Saratoga in honor of the carrier in the show. See you on the front line!
Bummer, I was about to ask where I can watch it again! I wasn't able to finish the remainder when it first aired. There had to be another show I needed to watch, and it was before DVRs were invented. Thanks for the retrospect!
What made this series so great and gave it "realism" was they used it as a parable for WWII. ❤️
Loved this show as a kid
I really liked this show, mostly for it's realism and obvious homages to The Forever War and Starship Troopers. As a happenstance, I lived next to the commander, actor James Morrison during that time period. We would talk on occasion. Nice guy....and amazingly much like his character on the show. Stoic, quiet and would sit out nightly to smoke his cigar. He looked the part of a senior military commander.
For real?! Where was this at the time?
@@germanicelt When I lived in Los Angeles at Park La Brea.
@@RobBon12 Oh that's cool. I thought this was filmed in Australia, but I know see it was just the pilot shot there.
S: A&B was brilliant, I was so sad they didn't get another season :( I liked how they replied to criticisms in show: there were complaints about the lack of space battles, and in one episode McQueen addresses the Wildcard and tells them "We're marines!" Genius! Also, my favourite line of the show: "Shuffle the Wildcards. And deal them."
But I can't agree that the final episode was satisfying, I was too upset that it was ending for it to be good :P
My family and I watched SAB on Sunday nights right after Fox's Sunday football games. Fantastic show, and we were so bummed out that it only ran for one season. I'd love to see it come back, maybe someone with deep pockets could make it happen.
I remember the biggest hindering factor to the show gaining an audience was the time slot which was often preempted by football games running into overtime
Can you do an episode for Babylon 5? A show that both needs to be remembered and definitely needs to come back.
One of my all time favorite series of any genre, it was so much more than just another sci fi show.
@@ThirdCydonian The mid 90s kicked off some amazing tv space opera's. I suppose all thanks to the advances in CGI.
I watched this and Earth 2 and loved every minute of them! I really wish they continued both. I watched it again about 10 years ago and still found my favourite episode to be the one where Coops goes on that covert mission and come face to helmet with a Chig
"Who Monitors the Birds?" Fantastic episode! 👍
The fact that it was cleverly told with minimal dialogue, always impressed me! 🤔,😉
Thanks for reminding me of Earth 2. While it did not stand out like Space Above and Beyond, it was a show that I enjoyed that was cancelled too soon.
@@mysterxyz Yeah, been fascinated ever since as to what a somewhat "realistic" first colony on another world might be like to live in.
@@mysterxyz POPPET!
One of the best sci-fi shows of all time. One of my faves. I would watch it all over again.
I loved this show back in high school! Great video thank you
Great show. Dark as heck and I dug that. Time forgotten.
It was a reflection of the mood of that time. Everything seemed to go dark in the mid 90s.
@@germanicelt Agreed. I think any tech heavy future will be dark. Also any alien war will really show the underbelly of the human species.
A Chig did show up for a cameo in the Halloween episode of the Season 2 episode of MILLENIUM, "The Curse of Frank Black."
Lt col raymond Butts was one of my favorite characters
Also liked his brother Seymour.
Easy as eatin' pancakes and listening to The Man In Black...
He ate his last pancake.
I owe you. For about thirty yrs now I could remember a show I really liked on sci fi channel. Literally all I could remember was the use of playing cards “aces” for their call signs.
I loved that show so much. I was so happy when I found it on DVD. If only the storyline had been allowed to resolve. The way they left it was criminal. One of my favorite episodes was the one where Cooper sees the Chig soldier looking at the birds and has a memory of having watched birds from the window after he was de-tanked, raises his hand and asks, "Who monitors the birds?" and they said they did, then he asks, "Who monitors you?" And they look at each other and you know what it means. And Coop and the Chig soldier have that German/Brit WWI Christmas eve moment, exchanging a token, realizing they're just cogs in a massive machine. Or the episode where Vansen recalls how her family was killed because of a roll of dice. Such a good show.
How could Space Above and Beyond have ripped off Starship Troopers if it came out two years before that movie? Maybe it's the other way around? Starship Troopers was influenced by the show?
Starship Troopers, the novel, was written in the 1950s.
I always felt Sa&b was the template for Ronald Moore’s take on BsG
I was looking for this comment. I think it definitely inspired by it and BSG was allowed to finish!
This show was great. Really wish they could have continued the story. I would actually like them to revisit this one
I loved this show and couldn't believe they canceled it.
Aye.... You just reawakened my good old teenage memory of this awesome and much missed space opera