I just re-watched this series on DVD (thank you for finally releasing it to DVD Fox - to bad you were so stupid as to cancel it in the first place!).
If you want to watch a fantastic Sci-Fi show that was well acted from the get go (remember how wooden STNG and DS9, amongst others, were for the first couple of seasons?) was visually stunning with superb scenery and CGI, and did not fit your usual "raw raw we are always the victor" mold then this is the TV sci-fi series for you.
Its cancellation was one of the events that convinced me Fox could never be taken seriously as a network. Every aspect of this series was top notch, the characterizations were detailed, the acting was excellent, the effects extremely well done but not overwhelming to the story line. Its downfall for TV was that it was quite bleak through much of the seasonal story line - this was a sci-fi series that featured Earth on the defensive, losing more often then winning; and that it was expensive - over $1MM per episode at a time when the average show was a fraction of that amount. Furthermore, the execs at Fox felt it was to dark, and played around with the time slot a lot, and eventually put it to bed although ratings were acceptable for a newbie show in a specialized genre.
A nice aspect of the show was that it featured a young cast of relative unknowns, but they were talented, and are very believable in their roles. The first few episodes flesh out the characters very well, and as the season progresses, each is expanded believably. There is an overall story arc (the war) and episodes in the arc storyline are entirely believable in almost all cases.
The individual episodes are often very gritty and realistic, lots of characterization occurs every episode, so that as the season progresses, it becomes very easy to identify with the characters and their individual traits. Even though this is a military scifi type show, and lots of battles and so on occur, the emphasis is nearly always on the characters and their interplay as a unit (the main characters are a Squad level team of Marine pilots), not on the special effects, notwithstanding the fact the latter are always superb.
The series also featured many recognizable guest stars, sometimes uncredited, and usually well cast in their part.
Overall, if you were a fan of well crafted Scifi or action/drama, and want to make a commitment to a great DVD set (24 episodes in the season vs today's much shorter seasons!) then I highly recommend this series.
Definitely a must for fans of Bablyon 5, Stargate, New Battlestar Galactica (BSG Fans will readily identify where the BSG producers/writers got some of their ideas from if they watch SAAB). The Creators of Space Above and Beyond where also the creators of X-Files - Glen Morgan and James Wong.
Be advised the DVD release contains virtually no extras, Fox released it on DVD to take advantage of the growing interest in Scifi due to Stargate and New BSG, plus the fabulous sales B5 has racked up on DVD. But they added nothing to the DVD release. Just so you know.
This is a 10 all the way, riveting and enjoyable.
If you want to watch a fantastic Sci-Fi show that was well acted from the get go (remember how wooden STNG and DS9, amongst others, were for the first couple of seasons?) was visually stunning with superb scenery and CGI, and did not fit your usual "raw raw we are always the victor" mold then this is the TV sci-fi series for you.
Its cancellation was one of the events that convinced me Fox could never be taken seriously as a network. Every aspect of this series was top notch, the characterizations were detailed, the acting was excellent, the effects extremely well done but not overwhelming to the story line. Its downfall for TV was that it was quite bleak through much of the seasonal story line - this was a sci-fi series that featured Earth on the defensive, losing more often then winning; and that it was expensive - over $1MM per episode at a time when the average show was a fraction of that amount. Furthermore, the execs at Fox felt it was to dark, and played around with the time slot a lot, and eventually put it to bed although ratings were acceptable for a newbie show in a specialized genre.
A nice aspect of the show was that it featured a young cast of relative unknowns, but they were talented, and are very believable in their roles. The first few episodes flesh out the characters very well, and as the season progresses, each is expanded believably. There is an overall story arc (the war) and episodes in the arc storyline are entirely believable in almost all cases.
The individual episodes are often very gritty and realistic, lots of characterization occurs every episode, so that as the season progresses, it becomes very easy to identify with the characters and their individual traits. Even though this is a military scifi type show, and lots of battles and so on occur, the emphasis is nearly always on the characters and their interplay as a unit (the main characters are a Squad level team of Marine pilots), not on the special effects, notwithstanding the fact the latter are always superb.
The series also featured many recognizable guest stars, sometimes uncredited, and usually well cast in their part.
Overall, if you were a fan of well crafted Scifi or action/drama, and want to make a commitment to a great DVD set (24 episodes in the season vs today's much shorter seasons!) then I highly recommend this series.
Definitely a must for fans of Bablyon 5, Stargate, New Battlestar Galactica (BSG Fans will readily identify where the BSG producers/writers got some of their ideas from if they watch SAAB). The Creators of Space Above and Beyond where also the creators of X-Files - Glen Morgan and James Wong.
Be advised the DVD release contains virtually no extras, Fox released it on DVD to take advantage of the growing interest in Scifi due to Stargate and New BSG, plus the fabulous sales B5 has racked up on DVD. But they added nothing to the DVD release. Just so you know.
This is a 10 all the way, riveting and enjoyable.