Andromeda (TV series)

Not to be confused with A for Andromeda.
Andromeda
Genre Science fiction
Created by Gene Roddenberry
Developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Starring
Composer(s)
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • United States
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 110 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time 45 minutes
Production company(s)
Release
Original network
Original release October 2, 2000 (2000-10-02) – May 13, 2005 (2005-05-13)

Andromeda (formally titled Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda) is a Canadian/American science fiction television series, based on unused material by the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and produced by Roddenberry's widow, Majel Barrett.[1] It starred Kevin Sorbo as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt. The series premiered on October 2, 2000, and ended on May 13, 2005.

Andromeda was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and produced by Tribune Entertainment and Fireworks Entertainment. It was distributed by Global TV (Fireworks' parent company) in Canada and syndicated in the United States on WGN and other channels.[2][3] It was picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel in the U.S. halfway through season four.[4] Andromeda is one of two TV series (to date) based upon concepts Roddenberry had created as early as the 1960s and 1970s. The name Dylan Hunt had also been used for the hero of three TV movie pilots Roddenberry had produced in the mid-1970s, Genesis II, Strange New World, and Planet Earth, both of which had a similar premise.

Plot and production

The series is set thousands of years in the future, and revolves around the Systems Commonwealth, a constitutional monarchy based in a distant star system called Tarn-Vedra. Humankind is a part of The Commonwealth, having been discovered by its members thousands of years before. The Commonwealth spreads across three galaxies: the The Milky Way, Triangulum, and Andromeda, with Tarn-Vedra near its core. Ships travel from one end of the Commonwealth to the other through slipstreams, following pre-guided roller coaster-like pathways through the cosmos to and from their destination.

The Commonwealth claims to be a utopian society, but it is actually in a state of war with the Magog, a predatory humanoid species with bat-like faces that are dedicated to war. A few years earlier, to show good faith as a result of peace talks, the Commonwealth ceded to the Magog a key home world. This home world is a key planet of one of the Commonwealth's member species, the genetically engineered Nietzscheans. The Nietzscheans, displeased with this peace agreement with the Magog, secretly attempt to usurp control of the Commonwealth. This is also the embodiment of their basic beliefs, as they see themselves as the race described as the "Übermensch" by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

The Commonwealth is defended by the High Guard, an armada of many ships. The protagonist of the series, Dylan Hunt, is the captain of a Commonwealth ship, the Andromeda Ascendant. The ship's computer, a powerful artificial intelligence, is a key character in the series, often referred to as simply "Andromeda" or affectionately as "Rommie."

The entire High Guard, including Captain Hunt, is caught by surprise in the first engagement of the Nietzschean uprising. He is forced to evacuate his crew, but Andromeda gets caught on the edge of an event horizon of a black hole, freezing him in time.

303 years later, in CY 10087 (approx 5167 CE), the crew of the salvage ship Eureka Maru locates Hunt's ship. The Systems Commonwealth and the High Guard have fallen in the centuries since he was frozen in time, beginning an era known as The Long Night. Hunt recruits the salvage crew to join him in an attempt to restore the Systems Commonwealth and "rekindle the light of civilization."

The salvage crew comprises its leader, Beka Valentine, a con-artist and expert pilot; a super-genius engineer named Seamus Harper (rescued from Nietzschean-enslaved Earth by Beka) who can plug his mind directly into computer systems; Trance Gemini, a mysterious alien of unknown origin whose innocent demeanor hides a surprisingly old soul; and Rev Bem, a Magog who has adopted a non-violent, Taoist-like religion called The Way ("Rev" being short for "Reverend"). The salvage crew's beneficiary also brought along an insurance policy in the form of a Nietzschean mercenary named Tyr Anasazi. Tyr is the leader of a group of mercenaries, of which he is the only one to be left on board after the opening episodes. Tyr's propensity for self-preservation leads him to also join Dylan's crew until better opportunities arise. As for Dylan, he is determined with his new crew to bring unity to the galaxies by restoring the Systems Commonwealth. The program's preamble summizes the series: 'On the starship Andromeda, hope lives again'.

Cast

Season One cast

Andromeda universe

Slipstream

Slipstream is the primary mode of travel for ships in the Andromeda universe, and the only known method of traveling faster than the speed of light. The Vedran discovery of the Slipstream was instrumental in the formation of their intergalactic empire, which became the precursor of the Systems Commonwealth.

Curiously, slipstream cannot be navigated by AIs (they have a 50% chance of choosing the correct path). Only organic pilots can "sense" a way to their destination (they have a 99% chance to choose the correct path), and although AIs are fitted on all large ships, they always require an organic pilot for interstellar travel. It is thought to be the process of choosing a path that makes the chosen path the correct one.

A function of slipstream is that apparent objective velocities are extremely variable, as it enables travel across millions of lightyears seemingly as swiftly as traveling between neighboring stars only tens of lightyears apart. Further, slipstream is a non-linear method of travel; the best and swiftest way to get from Point A to Point B (though they might be in the same galaxy) may very well involve hopping to another galaxy entirely. Also, the more frequently used routes are often easier, faster and more predictable.

Systems Commonwealth

Main article: Systems Commonwealth

The Systems Commonwealth was a huge utopian civilization, spanning three major galaxies of the Local Group. It was founded by Vedrans, the first race to discover slipstream, who initially used it to conquer the Andromeda Galaxy. After a long and bitter war of attrition with the major powers of the Triangulum Galaxy, the Vedran Empire was reorganized to the democratic Systems Commonwealth. The Commonwealth served as a peaceful intergalactic government for almost 10,000 years until the Nietzschean revolt.

Dylan eventually managed to restore the Commonwealth (though not to its former glory; initially it had only 50 members while the Old Commonwealth had included more than a million worlds). However, the New Commonwealth soon fell victim to internal corruption masterminded by the group known as the Collectors, allied with the Abyss.

Major star systems

Major races

Other races

Organizations

Home media

ADV Films released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 between 2003-2006. On October 3, 2006, they released a complete series DVD box set known as Andromeda: The Slipstream Collection.

Alliance Home Entertainment has released all five seasons on DVD in Canada only.

In Region 2, Revelation Films has released the first four seasons on DVD in the UK.[5][6][7][8] The fifth and final season will be released on November 24, 2014.[9]

On January 26, 2015, Revelation Films will release a complete series set on DVD in the UK.[10]

In Region 4, Beyond Home Entertainment has released all 5 seasons on DVD in Australia. In 2007/2008 they re-released all 5 seasons in new collector's editions that featured new packaging and all episodes were digitally re-mastered in wide screen format.[11]

A region B blu-ray release of season one will be released on June 24, 2013 in the UK, with the next two seasons following by the end of the year.[12]

The region B blu-ray release of the complete box set of all 5 seasons will be available on September 19, 2016..[13]


Awards

Andromeda was nominated for awards five organizational events spanning the years 2001 to 2006. It was nominated for six Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA awards, five Chicago International Film Festival awards, eight Gemini Awards, fifteen Leo Awards, and five WorldFest Houston awards. The show won 18 awards, of the total 39 nominations.

Awards
Year Awards Category Nominee Episode Result
2001 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series Andromeda [14] Nominated
2001 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best Actor on Television Kevin Sorbo Nominated
2001 Gemini Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series Lisa Ryder Nominated
2001 Gemini Awards Best Visual Effects Bruce MacDougall, James Kawano, Geoff Anderson, Tom Tennisco, Joe Farrell, Jim Finn, Darren Marcoux, Roberto Biagi Nominated
2001 Leo Awards Best Musical Score of a Dramatic Series Matthew McCauley Music Of A Distant Drum Won
2001 Leo Awards Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series Todd Liddiard Won
2001 Leo Awards Best Visual Effects of Dramatic Series Jim Finn, Roberto Biagi, Tom Tennisco, Geoff Anderson, Jamie Kawano, Paul Cox, Joe Farrell, Peter Mastalyr, Bruce MacDougall, Mladen Miholjcic, Noel Wright, Jean-Paul Ledoux Mathematics of Tears Won
2001 Leo Awards Best Picture Editing of Dramatic Series Gordon Rempel Angel Dark, Demon Bright Nominated
2001 Leo Awards Editing, Dramatic Series Eric Hill Music of a Distant Drum Won
2001 WorldFest Houston Television and Cable Production - Directing - Television David Winning Attempting Screed Won
2002 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series Andromeda Nominated
2002 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best Actress on Television Lexa Doig Nominated
2002 Gemini Awards Best Achievement in Make-Up Ryan Nicholson, Francesca von Zimmermann Won
2002 Gemini Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series Kristin Lehman Nominated
2002 Gemini Awards Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series Gordon Verheul Nominated
2002 Gemini Awards Best Visual Effects Geoff Anderson, Jim Finn, Roberto Biagi, Tom Tennisco Nominated
2002 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Visual Effects Jim Finn It's Hour Come Round At Last Nominated
2002 WorldFest Houston Television and Cable Production - Directing - Television David Winning Double or Nothingness Won
2002 WorldFest Houston Television and Cable Production - Directing - Television David Winning Machinery of The Mind Won
2003 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series Andromeda Nominated
2003 Chicago International Film Festival awards Special Achievement in Direction David Winning A Heart for Falsehood Framed Won
2003 Gemini Awards Best Achievement in Make-Up Ryan Nicholson, Francesca von Zimmermann Nominated
2003 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Visual Effects Jim Finn, Paul Cox, Todd Liddiard, Peter Mastalyr, Robert Appleby The Tunnel at the End of the Light Won
2003 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance - Female Laura Bertram The Dark Backward Nominated
2004 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series Andromeda Nominated
2004 Chicago International Film Festival awards Best Dramatic Series David Winning Double or Nothingness Won
2004 Chicago International Film Festival awards Best Dramatic Series David Winning Machinery of The Mind Won
2004 Chicago International Film Festival awards Special Achievement in Direction David Winning Double or Nothingness Won
2004 Gemini Awards Best Visual Effects Bruce Turner, Peter Hunt, Simon Lacey, Grant Lindsay A Symmetry of Imperfection Won
2004 WorldFest Houston Television and Cable Production - TV Series-Dramatic David Winning A Heart For Falsehood Frame Won
2005 Chicago International Film Festival awards Special Achievement in Direction David Winning Double or Nothingness Won
2005 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Make-Up Francesca von Zimmermann Moonlight Becomes You Nominated
2005 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Overall Sound Jeff Jackman, Michael Thomas, Roger Morris, Gordon Anderson Dissonant Interval Nominated
2005 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Sound Editing Jeff Jackman, Chester Biolowas, Roger Morris Dissonant Interval Nominated
2005 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Visual Effects Bruce Turner, Simon Lacey, Lindsay Grant, Ben Funk, Nick Michaeleski Dissonant Interval Nominated
2005 Leo Awards Dramatic Series: Best Visual Effects Bruce Turner, Simon Lacey, Lindsay Grant, Ben Funk, Nick Michaeleski Through a Glass Darkly Nominated
2005 WorldFest Houston Television and Cable Production - TV Series-Dramatic David Winning The Banks of The Lethe Won
2006 Leo Awards Best Sound Editing in a Dramatic Series Jeff Jackman, Chester Biolowas, Rick Senechal, Ian Mackie, Don Harrison Won
2006 Leo Awards Best Overall Sound in a Dramatic Series Paul Michael Thomas, Ken Biehl, Jeff Jackman, Gordon Anderson Nominated

References

  1. Lipper, Don (2000-11-01). "The Great Hen of the Galaxy Speaks". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2005-05-24. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  2. "Annual Report 2000" (PDF). CanWest Global Communications Corp. 2000. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  3. "Science Fiction/Fantasy/Etc. TV Episode Titles For 2000/2001 season". SFTV.org. 2000-09-30. Archived from the original on 6 December 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  4. "Science Fiction/Fantasy/Etc. TV Episode Titles For 2003/2004 season". SFTV.org. 2003-11-04. Archived from the original on 6 December 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  5. Archived November 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. Archived November 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. Archived November 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. Archived June 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. Archived June 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. Archived November 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. "EzyDVD - Australia's first and largest online DVD and Blu-ray store". Ezydvd.com.au. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  12. "Andromeda: Season One Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  13. "Andromeda: The Complete Andromeda". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  14. "Andromeda (2000) - Awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved 18 November 2014.

External links

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