Andromeda (TV series)
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Andromeda_ascendant.jpg
Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda is a science fiction television series, a posthumous creation of Gene Roddenberry. It stars Kevin Sorbo as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt. The series premiered in the fall of 2000 and as of December 2004 was in its fifth and final season.
At the start of the series four galaxies are mostly part of the Systems Commonwealth, based from Tarn-Vedra and is quite a utopian society. However, one of the Commonwealth's member species, the Nietzscheans, became disillusioned with the peace with the Magog, and try to overthrow the Commonwealth. In the first battle, Dylan Hunt is forced to evacuate his crew, but his ship, the Andromeda Ascendant, gets caught on the edge of a black hole's event horizon. Over 300 years later, a salvage crew (on the Eureka Maru) rescues him. The Systems Commonwealth has fallen, leading to a dark age known as The Long Night. Hunt recruits the salvage crew to join him in an attempt to restore the Systems Commonwealth and "rekindle the light of civilization".
Season one of the series shows Hunt assembling the crew and adjusting to the new universe, while pursuing the creation of the Restored Systems Commonwealth; the second season shows the crew reacting to the sudden necessity of the Restored Systems Commonwealth after the discovery of the Magog Worldship, as they continue to make sure the dream comes true. Season three shows the Restored Systems Commonwealth implemented and the crew preparing for the impending fight against The Spirit of The Abyss and the Magog, while season four shows the new Commonwealth corrupted by its enemies, thus making survival against said enemies more difficult.
Andromeda is one of two TV series (to date) based upon concepts Roddenberry had created as early as the 1960s and 1970s. The name Dylan Hunt had also been given to the heroes of two TV movie pilots Roddenberry had produced in the mid-1970s. Another series postumously "created" by Roddenberry is Earth: Final Conflict.
Controversy erupted during the midst of the second season when series developer Robert Hewitt Wolfe announced he had been let go from the show's production, though his influence was felt through the completion of the second season; at that point, Bob Engels was brought on to executive produce the series. The reason for the change was due to the desire to make the show more episodic and open to "casual viewers," as Wolfe's version although episodic had many storylines and continuing story arcs. After the show's final episode aired, Wolfe wrote a one-act play that he placed on his website (http://www.rhwolfe.com/Insider%20Info.htm), entitled Coda that explained his version of the show (and without contradicting the already aired episodes).
When Engels took over and the show began the more "episodic" format, many felt there was a noticable decline in the quality of the show; others thought that the self-contained episodic plots often times made little sense and were hard to follow, since they (and characters important to such plots) would be introduced and then removed on a whim with little or not explanation or introduction. In this respect, it was at this point that the series jumped the shark. Consequently, the original intention of the episodic format to open up "casual viewers" only alienated the current fanbase and arguably made the show even harder to follow for new and even old viewers.
Cast
- Kevin Sorbo - Dylan Hunt
- Lisa Ryder - Beka Valentine
- Keith Hamilton Cobb - Tyr Anasazi, out of Victoria by Barbarossa, of Kodiak Pride (seasons 1-3)
- Gordon Michael Woolvett - Seamus Zelazny Harper
- Laura Bertram - Trance Gemini
- Lexa Doig - Rommie
- Brent Stait - Reverend "Rev Bem" Behemial Far Traveler aka Red Plague (season 1 and 2)
- Steve Bacic - Telemachus Rhade (from season 4)
- Brandy Ledford - Doyle (from season 5)
Recurring and guest characters
- Steve Bacic - Gaheris Rhade (season 1-3), Telemachus Rhade (season 2 and 4-5)
- John de Lancie - Uncle Sid
- James Marsters - Charlemagne Bolivar
- Michael Shanks - Gabriel/Remiel
- Christopher Judge - Achilles/Hector
- Don S. Davis - Avineri
- Tony Todd - Fehdman Metis
- William B. Davis - Professor Logitch
- Alex Diakun - Höhne
- John Tench - Gerentex
- Dylan Bierk - Freya
- Brent Stait - Rev Bem (season 3)
- Keith Hamilton Cobb - Tyr Anasazi (season 4)
See also
Trivia
- Michael Shanks (Gabriel/Remiel), Christopher Judge (Hector/Achilles) and Don S. Davis (Avineri) are all cast members of the long-running science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They play Dr. Daniel Jackson, Teal'c and Major General/Lieutenant General George S. Hammond on that series.
- Lexa Doig (Rommie) met her future husband, Stargate SG-1 star Michael Shanks, when he guest starred in the Season One episode "Star-Crossed".
External links
- The official Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda web site (http://www.andromedatv.com)
- The Andromeda Ascendant website (http://www.saveandromeda.com/allsystems/andromeda/index.htm)
- All Systems University (http://www.saveandromeda.com/allsystems/)
- Seamus Harper's website (http://saveandromeda.com/harper/intro.htm)
- David Winning (director) official web site (http://www.davidwinning.com/)
- Save Andromeda website (http://saveandromeda.com/)de:Andromeda (Serie)
es:Andrómeda (serie) ja:アンドロメダ (TVドラマ) nl:Andromeda (televisie) sv:Andromeda (TV-serie)