SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND

Publicity for this series made much of the fact that its creators were ex-producers of the cult series The X-Files. Costing around two million US dollars per episode, it was touted as a kind of Top Gun in space with computer generated images instead of the old model-shots, a new process pioneered by Babylon 5. In fact, it was better than Top Gun, although it would be hard to guess by watching the pilot alone. The regular episodes were gritty, fairly unglamorous, and often brutally honest in their depiction of war, some scenes being very reminiscent of the better Vietnam War films.
    The pilot starts with the discovery of an extraterrestrial species who, after obliterating several nascent Earth colonies, then set its sights on Earth itself. Enter the 58th squadron of the US Marine Corp Air and Space Cavalry, part of a United Nations' organised world defence force. This band of fighter pilots (sometimes numbering as few as the five main cast members as casualties and replacements came and went), led by the charismatic McQueen, are on a mission to defend the planet.
    As with The X-Files, Space Precinct, and the Star Trek series, Space was first screened by Sky One, then by BBC2 the following autumn. Unfortunately, despite showing much promise, the series was never commissioned for a second season, and concluded with a two part special, which, despite not reaching the end of the war, does conclude this particular story within it fairly satisfactorily, while setting the circumstances for the war's imminent end.

REGULAR CAST

Nathan West Morgan Weisser Shane Vansen Kristen Cloke
Colonel T C McQueen James Morrison   Cooper Hawkes Rodney Rowland
Paul Wang Joel de la Fuente   Vanessa Damphousse Lanei Chapman
Commodore Ross Tucker Smallwood (Episode 2 Onwards)

Created by: Glen Morgan and
  James Wong
Executive Producers: Glen Morgan
  and James Wong
Producers: Tim McHugh and
  Howard Grigsby
Associate Producer: Ken Dennis
Co-Producer: Herb Adelman
Music: Shirley Walker

A Hard Eight Pictures Inc Production for Twentieth Century Fox
22 colour episodes, pilot 90 minutes, rest x 44-minutes
1996/13th March - 14th August 1996
(Sky One)

A fledgling Earth colony in 2063 is wiped out and Earth finds itself on the losing end of a vicious war. A bunch of new Marine recruits must be kicked into shape to mount a last-ditch effort to protect their homes.

Kylen Celina Amanda Douge
Sgt Major Frank Bougus R Lee Ermey
Secretary General Chartwell Bill Hunter
Mike "Pags" Pagodin Peter Kent
Michelle Low Theresa Wong
Annie West Gennie Nevinson
Neil West Angus Grant 

Through a recently discovered Tellus colony survivor, West discovers Kylen may still be alive. He steals a fighter to search for her and finds a Chig POW camp.

Survivor French Stewart
Howard Sewell Michael Mantell
Theresa Ashford Linda Carlson
Yuko Kayaguest Bok Yun Shon

Shane leads the marines in a desperate battle to prevent vital raw materials from falling into the hands of the AI's, whilst struggling with her personal fear of them.

Felicity OH 519 Kimberly Patton
Lt Nelson Susan Priver

Tank soldiers threaten mutiny aboard a space cargo vessel when the captain is forced to order the termination of In-Vitro (artificially bred humans) cargo. In one of the stored tanks is a batch sister to Hawks.

Captain Lewelyn Tony Amendola
First Mate Potter Calvin Levels
CPO Keats Tom Everett

A war veteran takes command of the 58th and embarks on a mysterious mission behind enemy lines, but it seems he has his own agenda, and refuses to be deterred from it.

Raymond Butts Steve Rankin
Bowman Lar Park-Lincoln

Earth's Secretary General has been assassinated, and the troops must protect the potential replacements. However, because the assassin was an In-Vitro, the 58th's IVs are held for "loyalty questioning", while dangerous political manoeuvering takes place on the Saratoga.

Diane Hayden Harriet Sansom Harris
Lt Richard Cwirko John Verea
Nicholas Chaput George Delhoyo
Felicity OH 483 Kimberly Patton
Lt Kelly Anne Winslow Tasia Valenza

The marines encounter a mind-altering alien weapon on the savage battleground of Tartarus. There they find a garrison of troops, also affected, have murdered one another.

Crazy Marine Bob Koherr

The 58th manage to capture a disabled enemy bomber, which they use as a Trojan Horse to get them behind enemy lines, despite the blocking attempts of the sinister Aerotech company.

Howard Sewell Michael Mantell
Lt Stroud Melissa Bowen

The Marines are imprisoned by AIs working for the Silicates after their bombing run ends in failure. Now they must fight physical and mental torture to escape.

Elroy EL 1327 Doug Hutchinson
Kylen Celina Amanda Douge
Felicity OH 924 Kimberly Patton
Lt Stroud Melissa Bowen

When a badly wounded West is brought back to the Saratoga, the last survivor of his unit, he begins to recall a brutal battle between the 58th and the Chigs. He is so insistent that his comrades are still alive that doctors plan corrective surgery on his memory centres to ease his pain.

Nurse Marnie McPhall
Chaplain Edmund Shaff
Lt Clayton Leo Garcia

It's Christmas Day, and the crippled ISSCV is stranded in space after an intense battle. The marines know there is little hope of survival even when enemy fighters fail to open fire. Then they intercept a cryptic message telling them to "hitch a ride" on an oncoming comet. Is the message a trap, or a gift from the enemy?

Lt Kelly Anne Winslow Tasia Valenza
Marine Leslie O'Neil
Communications Officer Sharon Annett

Hawkes is on his own behind enemy lines when his mission commander is killed. As he struggles to survive, he experiences mixed visions of his birth and training, and a woman who seems to be trying to protect him.

Major Jack Colquitt Dale Dye
Monitor #1 Brian Cousins
Friendly Chig Robert Thomas

Damphousse experiences psychic visions during combat which earns her the enmity of the lone survivor of a rival squad which is wiped out when they ignore her warnings. She also receives the unwelcome attentions of a special agency officer from Earth.

Colonel Burke Richard Kind
Lt Kelly Anne Winslow Tasia Valenza
Lubin Karce Picoy
Captain Kremens Timothy Dale Agee

A Marine squadron is wiped out in seconds by a Chig secret weapon, and the 58th are chosen to head a special mission to shoot down the enemy vessel. (This episode begins with new title graphics and re-vamped music.)

Captain John Oakes Michael Reilly Burke
Lt Kelly Anne Winslow Tasia Valenza

'Chiggy von Richtoven' claims another victim, Lt Winslow of the 58th, and McQueen determines that her pointless death will be avenged by him, even though he is grounded.

Elroy EL Doug Hutchinson
Lt Kelly Anne Winslow Tasia Valenza
Howard Sewell Michael Mantell
Colonel Schrader Charmin Lee
Commodore Ross Tucker Smallwood

Nathan's younger brother has joined up and his green unit accompanies the 58th on an intelligence gathering operation. But the younger West has a CO who dreams of glory.

Neil West Marc Worden
Herrick David Barrera
Miller Christian Hoff
Eichler P J Ochian
Donovan Al Garrett

Communications from home bring a variety of news and concerns, not least for McQueen and Hawkes, who are to 'star' in a documentary on In-Vitros in the armed forces. West discovers that his parents have not been informed of Neil West's death.

Reporter Steve Hytner
Lt John Hall Darren Gray Ward
Monk Bo Clendenin
Ann Jennifer Burns
Mrs West Loren Chase

Cut off during a major ground-based battle, the 58th begin their withdrawal to a pick-up site. On the way they stumble across a lone tank driver and his battered machine, named "Pearly", and a single surviving officer from a British Coldstream Guards battalion.

Elroy EL Doug Hutchinson
Major Cyril McKendrick Martin Jarvis
Sgt Louie Fox Adam Goldberg
Felicity OH Kimberly Patton

An exhausted 58th gladly accept 48 hours leave on a relaxation cruiser, but once there they find that playful enjoyment isn't what it was.

Alvin EL 51583 David Duchovny
Suzie Janet Gunn
The Host Coolio
Nurse Larlee Jennifer Crystal

The marines take part in a dangerous misinformation campaign in preparation for Operation Roundhammer, the 21st century version of the Pacific War. They must escort an APC and allow its passengers to be captured by the Chigs.

General Ranford Ronald G Joseph
Colonel Klingman Gail O'Grady

Operation Roundhammer gets underway with a near suicidal attack on a military base previously lost to the Chigs. But a far greater prize reveals itself as the Chigs make a tactical error, and the marines already on the ground must fend for themselves as their air cover leaves.

Lt Rice Jennifer Balgobin
Admiral Granville Van Dusen
Admiral Broden David St James
General Ming James Kiriyama-Lem
Admiral Vetter Nancy Linehan Charles

The 58th, scouting ahead in preparation for the final assault on the enemy homeworld, come across a lone alien who is determined to protect its unborn young. The marines decide to warn it to escape the area while it can. Then a Chig ship approaches the Saratoga signalling Morse Code for peace.

Colonel Rabborn Don Pugsley
Chig Derek Mark Lochran

The Chig official on board the Saratoga as a peace envoy, may have somewhat dubious motives. As the Telos IV prisoners are released, something goes tragically wrong, and the 58th are involved in a final, desperate, defence of the civilians so recently freed.

Kylen Celina Amanda Douge
E Allen Wayne Richard Fancy
Admiral Stenner Chris Ellis
Diane Hayden Harriet Sansom
Colonel Rabborn Don Pugsley
Chig Derek Martin Lochran
German Colonist Tom Ayers
Colonist Christopher Boyer

All details are trademarked and copyrighted by their respective producers. All character and location names are also copyright. No infringement of any copyright is intended.
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