| The
Review: |
SeaQuest DSV – Season 1 brings the
audience to the depths of the ocean, a place just as foreign
as distant galaxies. In the light of Abyss (1989), it might
have been a good decision. However, the initial criticism
of SeaQuest DSV promised a disastrous science fiction tale
that brought to mind the notion of sinking ships. The problems
started before the shooting of the TV series when producers
and other involved parties could not come to a mutual agreement
on the show. SeaQuest might never have been green lit if it
was not for Steven Spielberg’s interest in the project, as
he also served as executive producer. With all the tumult
around the show including an earthquake, it is not odd that
the series started off a little shaky, but once the sci-fi
show had begun to air its underwater adventures in September
of 1993, it received a warm welcoming by the American TV audience.
***
The 90-minute pilot episode, To
Be or Not To Be, rapidly introduced a futuristic society that
has exhausted almost all of earth’s resources. In order to
continue life on earth people sought themselves to the ocean
floors where resources still existed. However, it does not
provide the safety and tranquility that many expect, as hostile
factions seek to control areas of the earthly underwater domain.
To protect the people and help solve the conflicts under the
sea level, Captain Nathan Bridger (Roy Schneider) takes command
over his mammoth creation, the high tech mega-submarine SeaQuest
DSV 4600. SeaQuest DSV also provides interesting scientific
notions together with each adventure, as it also portrays
the importance of protecting the environment. ***
Through the adventures of SeaQuest
and a number of characters, the audience finds themselves
experiencing a TV show that slightly resembles Star Trek.
Some of the episodes also bring back some notion of the old
sci-fi show Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, but it clearly
avoids the corny atmosphere of the 60s show. What truly sticks
out with the first season of SeaQuest DSV is the quality of
the episodes, as it drastically deteriorates in the following
two years. It is clear that it had some potential, but after
the final episode of the first season, the producers made
it very difficult for the show to maintain the same level
of quality. Ultimately, this first season of SeaQuest offers
a decent science fiction drama intended for television, but
it never had the opportunity to reach greatness due to its
struggling dynamics behind the screen. ***
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| The
Extras: |
It is with great disappointment
that this DVD does not have any extras besides the deleted
scenes, which can be located by episode. These deleted scenes
offer a minute level of interest, as it is easily understood
why these scenes could not fit into the TV series budgeted
time. I wish there was a special feature on the environmental
issues and how the idea of the story came about, but this
might be a little too much to ask for considering the shows
limited success after the first season. ***
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| Final
Words: |
SeaQuest DSV – Season 1 has several
interesting aspects incorporated into the show such as a strong
concern for the environment and science. It also has some
good episodes with suspense and entertainment, but it does
not reach greatness. Yet, the show has its charm with the
talking dolphin Darwin and its cast. Now after the release
of the first season, the viewers can avoid the massive amount
of bootlegged copies on ebay, and instead get a chance to
see all 23 episodes of season 1 with terrific sound and visual
quality. ***
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