Andromeda (2000–2005)

Captain Hunt and the crew of the Starship Andromeda set out on a mission to rebuild the Systems Commonwealth 300 years after its fall.

Creator:

Gene Roddenberry

Stars:

Kevin Sorbo, Lisa Ryder, Lexa Doig

16 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Kevin Sorbo	...	Captain Dylan Hunt (110 episodes, 2000-2005)
Lisa Ryder	...	Beka Valentine (109 episodes, 2000-2005)
Lexa Doig	...	Andromeda Ascendant (108 episodes, 2000-2005)
Gordon Michael Woolvett	...	Seamus Harper (104 episodes, 2000-2005)
Laura Bertram	...	Trance Gemini (103 episodes, 2000-2005)
Keith Hamilton Cobb	...	Tyr Anasazi (67 episodes, 2000-2003)
Steve Bacic	...	Telemachus Rhade (45 episodes, 2000-2005)

Storyline

After being frozen in time for 300 years, captain Dylan Hunt and his sentient warship Andromeda sets out to restore peace and civilization to the known universe. With him is the crew of the ship that, with profit in mind and unknowing of her captain still being alive, salvaged Andromeda from the black hole keeping her suspended in time. Andromeda originally hid in the black hole after a big battle. When Captain Hunt wakes up he realizes that this battle was the beginning of an epic war and that the great civilization he was defending, the Commonwealth, has been eradicated from existence. He and his unlikely and sometimes unpredictable crew starts on a mission to once again bring hope to the galaxy.

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Plot Keywords:

black hole | frozen | time | military | larva | 

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Taglines:

Worlds Apart from the Rest

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Space [ca]

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fireworks Entertainment, Tribune Entertainment, BLT Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

In addition to the other historic/mythological Nietzchean names, Telemachus Rhade takes his first name from the son of Odysseus. Telemachus becomes a prominent character near the end of "The Odyssey".

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Quotes

[Watching two aliens fall to their deaths after being thrown off a bridge]
Tyr Anasazi: Mine hit first.
Dylan Hunt: Yours was fatter.

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Connections

Referenced in Relic Hunter: Fertile Ground (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Main Title (Andromeda Invictus)"
Written by Matthew McCauley
Performed by Matthew McCauley
Episode: {all season two and three episodes}

User Reviews

Pluses and minuses

What Andromeda does well:

1. The cast is, on the whole, quite good. Kevin Sorbo is the solid core (typical) central character one expects in this type of story, but the other characters are generally original and well-played. I especially like Harper and Beka, who manage to be fresh and compelling without being so iconoclastic as to distract the viewer from the plot. I also like that Rommie is not only an AI "learning to be human" but is also The Ship.

2. Backstory and plot are as interesting as any sci-fi franchise on television. The tale of Dylan's having been "stuck in a singularity" for 300 years, while scientifically suspect, makes a good yarn.

3. Effects and art direction are up to the best modern syndie TV can offer: benefitting from the advances in computer tech while likewise suffering from the vague sense of unreality it creates.

Where Andromeda falls short:

1. As the biggest "power that be," Sorbo has a slight tendency to overstress his character's importance. Dylan is, of course, the most important character, but as a fairly stereotyped "strong, silent captain," he's far from the most interesting character. The other characters should not only be allowed to carry some episodes, they should also be allowed to "be the hero" in more stories, even when Dylan is also featured. No captain, no matter how heroic, is always right.

2. Individual episodes are hit-and-miss. Not only are occasional episodes not much fun to watch, they don't even have much to do with the ongoing story. While I recognize that we can't get a barnburner every week, we do need *some* reason to tune in, whether it's humor or romance or whatever.

3. Not every unique touch has played out: Rev Bem was interesting in conception but not really in execution. I don't fault Brent Stait; I just think a Magog monk was compelling for about a week tops. I don't really mind that he was written out (for whatever reason). Another character who has failed to reach critical mass: Tyr. KHC is a good actor and undeniably an impressive physical specimen, but as the seasons have gone by, Tyr has never really developed much beyond a surly, untrustworthy bore. I think the problem lies largely with the concept of Nietzscheans in general; to make him more interesting, they would necessarily undermine the underpinnings of the character--it's a catch-22. I'm also underwhelmed by the "new Trance." The character as originally played was enigmatic and sweet; now she's just confusing.

4. Season 3 already misses the "rebuilding the Commonwealth" story thread. While the stories this year have been interesting, the show lacks dramatic impetus. Now that they're not concentrating on preparing for the Magog invasion or on strengthening the Commonwealth, they seem to be floundering around a bit. The plot lacks direction.

All told, I like Andromeda as much as anything on right now. But I can't help but feel it's not living up to potential. I'm afraid they may be trying to please a focus group rather than trying to make compelling television.