Space: Above and Beyond (1995–1996)

The Earth is embroiled in a desperate war against alien invaders, and this series focuses on one squadron of Marine pilots involved in it.

Creators:

Glen Morgan, James Wong

Stars:

Morgan Weisser, Kristen Cloke, Rodney Rowland

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Morgan Weisser	...	Lt. Nathan West (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kristen Cloke	...	Lt. Shane Vansen (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Rodney Rowland	...	Lt. Cooper Hawkes (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Joel de la Fuente	...	Lt. Paul Wang (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Lanei Chapman	...	Lt. Vanessa Damphousse (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
James Morrison	...	Lt. Col. Tyrus Cassius 'T.C.' McQueen (23 episodes, 1995-1996)
Tucker Smallwood	...	Commodore Ross (16 episodes, 1995-1996)

Storyline

The Earth is embroiled in a desperate war against alien invaders, and this series focuses on one squadron of Marine pilots involved in it.

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Plot Keywords:

marine | alien | fictional war | space | military | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Above and Beyond

Filming Locations:

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Fox Television Network, Hard Eight Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

McQueen's name is an homage to Steve McQueen.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lt. Col. Tyrus Cassius "TC" McQueen: [narration] We thought we were alone. We believed the universe was ours. Until one night in 2063, on a Earth colony 16 light-years away, they struck. Now we're at war. We fight when called, in space, on land, and at sea. To lose this war means more than defeat; to surrender is to never go home. All of us must rise to the call... above and beyond.

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Crazy Credits

The credits changed mid-season because of pressure from the network that feared the audience wouldn't know what is going on. The new credits had a narration summarizing the show's story. The producers hated the second version.

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Connections

Referenced in The X-Files: Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space' (1996)

User Reviews

One of the truly greats

This is without doubt one of the truly great sci-fi series of all time. Why it was ever cancelled is, equally, one of the great mysteries of all time. The characters were all highly charismatic and all very different; yet they blended together perfectly to make one hell of a team. Nowhere was there a weak link: the weakest was the tendency to photograph the entire series in near blackness - a fault shared by so many TV and cinema films these days e.g. The X-Files. This is not a series with a single 'star' with everyone else playing satellite roles: in S:AAB, there are either no stars or everyone is a star. You cannot choose individuals as the entire series emphasises time and again that the group of youngsters and their commanding officers are all part of the team, and that they are all functioning as one unit. To anyone who is not impressed by S:AAB, then I really would like to know what they fancy, as I probably would not.