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I know, I know, I bring this up about once every year, but that's because each time I watch it I am reminded just how brilliant and ahead of its time it was. I wrote a review for the paper I contribute to. I condensed it some:
This show, in this writers humble opinion, holds the undisputed title of "Greatest Show That Was Never Given a Chance-. At least until Firefly came along, anyway. A product of the imagination of veteran X Files writers Glen Morgan & James Wong, - who's leaving seriously put a dent in the quality of that shows output - came a dark, gritty vision of the future.
Set in the year 2063, the show charts a war between earth forces and a mysterious alien race known as the "Chigs-, that brutally destroys two off world earth colonies. The show centers on USMC squadron the 58th, nicknamed "The Wild Cards-.
What sets this show apart from other sci-fi is how deeply character driven it is. For a sci-fi show there is surprisingly little gloss, preferring to go instead with strong story and good character chemistry. The sets and special effects play second fiddle to the bond and raw emotion of the characters. The show takes classic war stories and give them a 22nd century makeover but the themes are absolute vintage.
This show is criminally underrated and due to lack of syndication largely unknown, but it is of the absolutely highest quality. It harnesses a dark and gritty realism that really penetrates and immerses us. If you want to see where Sci-Fi Channel's excellent Battlestar Galactica remake got its ideas for tone, atmosphere and production design then look no further now that it is finally available on dvd.
This show, in this writers humble opinion, holds the undisputed title of "Greatest Show That Was Never Given a Chance-. At least until Firefly came along, anyway. A product of the imagination of veteran X Files writers Glen Morgan & James Wong, - who's leaving seriously put a dent in the quality of that shows output - came a dark, gritty vision of the future.
Set in the year 2063, the show charts a war between earth forces and a mysterious alien race known as the "Chigs-, that brutally destroys two off world earth colonies. The show centers on USMC squadron the 58th, nicknamed "The Wild Cards-.
What sets this show apart from other sci-fi is how deeply character driven it is. For a sci-fi show there is surprisingly little gloss, preferring to go instead with strong story and good character chemistry. The sets and special effects play second fiddle to the bond and raw emotion of the characters. The show takes classic war stories and give them a 22nd century makeover but the themes are absolute vintage.
This show is criminally underrated and due to lack of syndication largely unknown, but it is of the absolutely highest quality. It harnesses a dark and gritty realism that really penetrates and immerses us. If you want to see where Sci-Fi Channel's excellent Battlestar Galactica remake got its ideas for tone, atmosphere and production design then look no further now that it is finally available on dvd.
They have been running Earth 2, though, so I'm enjoying that show all over again.
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