Seaquest DSV - Season One

"SeaQuest DSV" originally aired in 1993 (I was in junior high at the time). A futuristic show set in the mid-21st century, it followed the adventures of the SeaQuest, a peacekeeping/ research submarine, and its crew, headed by Nathan Bridger (Roy Scheider from Jaws). Much like Star Trek, SeaQuest was devoted to the exploration of unknown worlds in the form of the mysteries of the ocean: black smokers and toxic bacteria, mysterious minerals on the ocean floor, and battling new viruses. The crew was also called to rescue missions and to defuse hostile situations between various factions.The first season was by far the best. Although elements of the supernatural and extraterrestrial were explored, it was done in a scientific, believable manner. Seasons two and three (dubbed "Voyage to the bottom of the barrel" by some critics) degenerated into a Xena-like world of Greek gods, giant robots, and aliens that had little to do with the dignity and wonder of the first season. The futuristic military and scientific technology was always believable, grounded in modern design and aesthetically beautiful (look at how much background detail is in the SeaQuest sets).The cast, headed by Roy Scheider, was a tightly-knit ensemble that was always believable as a military family: there were rivalries, outbursts, and crew romances, but they all came together in times of need. First season standouts in addition to those above include Lieutenant Commander Katherine Hitchcock (Stacy Haiduk), Dr. Kristin Westphalen (Stephanie Beacham), resident linguist Tim O'Neill (Ted Raimi from Xena Warrior Princess, brother of Spiderman director Sam Raimi), and teenage prodigy Lucas Wolenczak (Jonathan Brandis, who committed suicide in 2003). Notable guest stars include William Shatner, Charlton Heston, and Seth Green. The show was fairly unique for the time in that multiethnic characters played major roles onboard the SeaQuest (Commander Jonathan Ford (Don Franklin) and Sensor Chief Miguel Ortiz (Marco Sanchez).Though the CGI special effects certainly appear dated thirteen years later, they were fairly advanced for the time (1993). The video quality on the DVD set is very good, much better than the original broadcasts. The soundtrack by John Debney brings to mind work by John Williams, and the show's writing (at least the first season) was a fine balance of humor, drama, and camaraderie that never felt stilted or forced.My collection has finally come full circle: I'm now the proud owner of the DVD set in addition to SeaQuest models, soundtrack, a T-shirt, all three paperbacks, a calendar, bookmark, and the video game. I'm so glad to finally own a DVD version of SeaQuest (I was left with disintegrating VHS tapes), and this version was worth the wait! The box design and cases are beautiful and functional. There are four two-sided discs housed in four slim cases listing each episode. Menus are very limited and give a brief summary for each episode, along with chapters. The only extra is half an hour of deleted scenes available for several episodes (filmed but not finished, no background music, etc., which explains the eerie silence) and closed captioning, but this is a beautiful tribute to one of my favourite TV series of all time.

This was by far the best of the three seasons this show ran. Upon first airing - this show was going to be a "Star Trek" under water. The sub was a research and exploration vessel and episodes were written to teach the viewers with the clips at the end. The developing interactions between the crew members were not unlike that of the well written "Trek" series.Shamefully, the producers of this show wanted to focus on demographics and tailor the show to attract different viewers. The largest blunder was putting so much emphasis on the Lucas character as they attempted to make him the "heartthrob" of the show and get the teenage girls to watch simply so they can swoon over him. Unfortunately, he was not a pivotal character and focusing on him ruined the show as it rapidly was "kiddiefied".The second season abandoned the educational angle and took on a more science fiction theme - sadly it failed as it was handled poorly. They tried to make it more "Trek" and got a tragedy more in the lines of Blake's 7 (a good show itself but for the dark themes). The third season drove the final stake in Seaquest's heart as it took a totally different path. Now, it's no longer a ship of exploration but one of war. It was no surprise the show was finally canceled and put out of its suffering.Drastic cast changes also contributed to the show's demise. Seaquest producers broke the unwritten, Golden rule - never kill off major cast members (making them mysteriously disappear with no explanation is just as bad). Losing your captain is just as bad and was a sizable nail in the coffin.In summary, Seaquest DSV - Season 1 is the only one worth preserving - Seasons 2 and 3 will come out eventually, I will consider getting 2 if not just for the fianl episode with the Hyberions (decent looking aliens) but I do not want the 3rd season - it's pathetic.To the powers that be: if a series is to be remade - this one deserves it. I would recommend remaking the first season with its format intact and then NOT deviating from it. Introduce some sci-fi but in little doses - we all love that. Get the original crew if possible and leave it intact.