Gettysburg (28 Jul. 2000)

Two 21st century Civil War enthusiasts find themselves back in time at the original Battle of Gettysburg and meet another time traveler who gives them a mission.

Director:

Mario Azzopardi

Writer:

Sam Egan

Stars:

Joshua Leonard, Jonathan Scarfe, Alex Diakun

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Joshua Leonard	...	Andy
Jonathan Scarfe	...	Vince
Alex Diakun	...	Nicholas Prentice
Aaron Pearl	...	Lt. Winters
Ocean Hellman	...	Pregnant Woman
Robert Moloney
Scott Bellis
Blu Mankuma	...	President
Meat Loaf	...	Col. Angus Devine (as Meatloaf)
Todd Talbot	...	Reed Hollingsworth
David Storch	...	Major Hinton
Jason Gaffney	...	Joe Benton
Adrian Holmes	...	James
Haig Sutherland	...	Will Monroe
Jim Lauder	...	General Lee (as James Lauder)

Storyline

Two 21st century Civil War enthusiasts find themselves back in time at the original Battle of Gettysburg and meet another time traveler who gives them a mission.

---

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Details

Release Date:

28 July 2000 (Canada)

Company Credits

Did You Know?

Trivia

Per the title, Gettysburg is a small town in Pennsylvania where on 1-3 July 1863 a decisive battle occurred during the American Civil War stopping an invasion of the north by Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virigina. At the dedication of the military cemetery President Abraham Lincoln delivered a few remarks now known as "The Gettysburg Address" that is now regarded as one of the most elegant and important speeches in American history.

---

Goofs

The confederate lieutenant says that they have been transferred to another corps, that of General George E Pickett. It was Pickett's division in Gen. James Longstreet's Corps. George Pickett never commanded more than a division.

---

Connections

Featured in The Outer Limits: Time to Time (2001)

User Reviews

Great

Alternate history, the idea of trying to experience or alter past events, is a popular subject in science fiction. The Outer Limits has done several of these kind of episodes, but probably none better than "Gettysburg". Two young men attend a re-enactment of the famous Civil War battle, on the site, complete with actors playing soldiers, and period guns. Suddenly a man (Alex Diakun, who has done several OL episodes, and is brilliant) appears, and takes their photograph. Like magic they are transported to 1863, and the real battleground. One is dressed as a Union soldier, and the other a Confederate (because of their allegiances). Since they are behind the Southern lines, this gets them in trouble, especially with the Colonel (played by the singer/actor known as Meatloaf). The offending young man is saved from a certain death only because he convinces his captors that he is a medic, and indeed saves the life of a wounded officer. As the plot unfolds, there are a number of great scenes that depict the horror, fear, and desperation these men experience. We see the young and old, the wounded, lame, and dying. At the same time, there is a scene that shows a woman giving birth. It is obvious that these two men were brought there for a purpose. They see their heroes (and even an ancestor) fight, but they also learn that war is not glorious. If the show had ended soon after they had come to that revelation (there is a heartbreaking scene depicting "Pickett's Charge", a fool-hardy attempt to break the Union lines, with close-ups of the old and young, fearful and even praying), then it would have garnered a higher mark. Sometimes The series tried too hard getting a "twist", and in this case it failed. Yet I must commend the show for its historical accuracy and attempt at depicting human emotions, some of which can be hard to face. An 8 of 10.