"Impact" (2008) TV mini-series

Writer (WGA):

Michael Vickerman (written by)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Get ready to experience the dark side of the moon!

Plot:

While the entire world watches the largest meteor shower in 10,000 years, a rogue asteroid, hidden by the meteor field...

Plot Keywords:

Moon | Asteroid | Astronaut | Meteor Shower | Space

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

David James Elliott	...	Alex Kittner (3 episodes, 2009)
Natasha Henstridge	...	Dr. Maddie Rhodes (3 episodes, 2009)
Benjamin Sadler	...	Roland Emerson (2 episodes, 2009)
Florentine Lahme	...	Martina Altmann (2 episodes, 2009)
James Cromwell	...	Lloyd (2 episodes, 2009)
Steven Culp	...	President Edward Taylor (2 episodes, 2009)
Owen Best	...	Jake Kittner (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Natasha Calis	...	Sadie Kittner (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Yee Jee Tso	...	Jered O'Banno (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Colin Cunningham	...	David Rhodes (2 episodes, 2009)
Michael Kopsa	...	General Vaughn (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Samantha Ferris	...	Renee Ferguson (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Ron Lea	...	Tom Ranfield (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Benjamin Ayres	...	Bob Pierce (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Gerard Plunkett	...	Terrence Young (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Ty Olsson	...	Derek (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Dean Redman	...	War Room Tech #1 (2 episodes, 2009)
Peter Albert Weir	...	Young German (2 episodes, 2009)

Also Known As:

Last Impact - Der Einschlag (Germany)

Runtime:

Canada:180 min (2 episodes)

Country:

Germany | USA | Canada

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:All

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Goofs:

Factual errors: A brown dwarf is not a star. It is more like a gas giant like Jupiter but larger. It does not have the mass to begin fusion. The closest thing to the stellar object in the movie would probably be a white dwarf. That is if a white dwarf were to somehow break apart or if a piece was ejected during its formation.

cute kids, cool grandpa, lousy science and writing.

Hey, did anyone else notice that the patch on the general's sleeve was for the First Cavalry? What!?! Cavalry? Couldn't they at least have invented some bogus "Joint Astrospace Defence Command" patch?

I must admit, I didn't watch the movie intently: my wife was watching, and I would sit with her until the bogusness got too bad, then I'd go clean my closet or something. But I must also admit that I'm biased by my own history. I worked for NASA for 37 years, then taught high school for six, so the stunning level of bad science really grated on my sensibility. As someone noted, couldn't the writers have at least talked an amateur astronomer into critiquing the script. Maybe he could have explained the law of the conservation of momentum, and if the writers were quick studies, they might have progressed to complex topics like basic orbital mechanics.

There were redeeming features, of course. The little girl proved herself a fine young actress with her expressive face in that video conversation with her dad, and the grandpa was splendid, just as he was in "Babe". (I'd like to look for more of his movies to rent: I enjoy his work.) And, of course, all us old-timers know that all female space scientists are blonde, slender, very attractive, 30 to 35 years old, and possessed of big boobs. So they did get that part right.

Seriously, there should be no excuse for such bad science fiction on TV. Too much of the US population is nearly illiterate in science. And I am not talking about the kids in school now. This movie was shown in prime time, so was presumably intended for adult audiences. But this is the population who agree, in the majority, with the statement "early humans often had to defend their caves against marauding dinosaurs." And let's not forget there are politicians that claim to not believe the theory that is actually the fundamental guiding principle of contemporary biology. With a little more effort, some of the major flaws in the story could have been corrected and the audience might have gone away with a little better understanding of the underlying science. Yes, it's science FICTION, but fiction still needs internal self-consistency and a clear understanding of its own premises and their consequences. (Think "Jurassic Park" as a good example.)

Some of us have worked hard to educate this country in science, and seeing this movie is so discouraging, as if taunting us by saying we are never going to win.