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SeaQuest DSV

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seaQuest DSV was an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "The Near Future", seaQuest originally mixed high drama with realistic scientific fact. It starred Roy Scheider (best known for his role as Police Chief Brody in Jaws) as Nathan Bridger, captain of the eponymous high-tech submarine seaQuest DSV 4600, Jonathan Brandis as Lucas Wolenczak, a teenaged computer genius, and Stephanie Beacham as Kristin Westphalen, the chief medical officer and head of the seaQuest science department.

The series had a troubled beginning. Without the interest of Steven Spielberg, who acted as an executive producer, it might never have made it to the screen at all. Filming of the first season was marked by producer disputes, changes at the helm (off-screen), and even an earthquake. On its debut, it was panned by the critics, who dubbed it "Voyage to the Bottom of the Ratings" (in reference to a similar 1960s TV series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), and criticised everything from the characterisation of the show's female characters to Darwin, the show's dolphin. The show was nonetheless sufficiently popular to last two and a half seasons, being abruptly cancelled in the middle of the third.

Roy Scheider narrated the voiceover during each first season's episodes' opening credits:

The 21st century: mankind has colonized the last unexplored region on Earth; the ocean. As captain of the seaQuest and its crew, we are its guardians. For beneath the surface lies the future.

Contents

Plot overview

The series follows the adventures of the high-tech submarine seaQuest operated by the United Earth Oceans Organization (UEO), a global federation of nations, similar to the United Nations, which was created following a major global conflict that occurred circa 2010. The seaQuest was built by NORPAC (a military organization mentioned in the pilot) and given to the UEO after its creation. The storyline begins in the year 2018, after mankind has exhausted almost all natural resources, except for the ones on the ocean floor. Many new colonies have been established there and it's the job of the seaQuest and its crew to protect them from hostile nonaligned nations and to aid in mediating disputes.

Changes after season 1

Roy Scheider and Steven Spielberg on the set of NBC's seaQuest DSV (1993)
Roy Scheider and Steven Spielberg on the set of NBC's seaQuest DSV (1993)

In the first season finale, Bridger sacrifices the seaQuest to prevent an ecological disaster, and for a short time it was not known if the show would be renewed for another season. When it was decided the show would return, NBC and Universal used this opportunity to tinker with the show's format. Both Royce D. Applegate and John D'Aquino were fired by NBC as the network wanted a younger cast for the show's second year (D'Aquino subsequently returned for a guest appearance in the third season). Stacy Haiduk, who was not happy with her character's development, informed producers she did not wish to return if the show went on to a second season. Stephanie Beacham, who as Dr. Kristin Westphalen was one of the first season's strongest characters, had been asked back for the second year, contrary to popular rumour; however, she quit when it was decided the show would move production from Los Angeles to Florida. (The move also changed the show's location from Pearl Harbor to New Cape Quest). Beacham also blamed poor writing and continued fighting between the network and the show's producers as major reasons why she did not return. The series had suffered in the ratings, pitted as it was against .

The studio wanted more sci-fi oriented episodes, a direction moved toward at the end of season one, when seaQuest encounters a million-year-old alien ship buried in the ocean floor. The marine trivia presentations during the credits by oceanographer Bob Ballard were now presented by the principal cast of the show. These changes attracted a new audience, but many of the original fans of the first season were unhappy at the show's change from "sci-fact" to "sci-fi" and abandoned the show.

By the end of season two, seaQuest DSV was again suffering, partly attributed to a decrease in the quality of the writing. The season's heavily sci-fi climax, "Splashdown", sees the crew and the boat transported to another planet, where the majority of them die (or so it seems). The threat of cancellation loomed large but Universal gave it one more chance.

Changes after season 2

Another revamp resulted in the third season, the series now called seaQuest 2032. Roy Scheider had been vocal in his anger of the show's new direction and wanted out. However, Scheider had a contract with the network so it was decided that Bridger would make several appearances throughout the season. Rosalind Allen was fired as her character, Dr. Wendy Smith, proved to be unpopular among fans (Dr. Smith, introduced in season 2, was essentially seen as a weak mixture of two female characters from : the attractive doctor, who is the captain's unrequited love interest, and the psychic, who can sense emotions). Marco Sanchez was also fired after NBC decided it wanted the principal cast number dropped from ten to eight. Edward Kerr was fired for the same reason as Sanchez -- however, he was asked to play his character for the first five episodes so they could kill him off for dramatic effect. The marine trivia presentations at the end of the show were cut. The seaQuest reappears, its crew intact, ten years after their abduction at the end of season two. Captain Bridger steps down to raise his grandson (although Scheider appears in two further episodes of the season), and Michael Ironside enters the fray as the more militaristic Oliver Hudson as the UEO faces the threat of the Macronesian Alliance. Much darker than the previous seasons, some fans felt that seaQuest had finally found its feet. However, Universal and NBC disagreed, and cancelled the series after 13 episodes.

DVD release

Fans of "seaQuest DSV" have campaigned for the release of the series on DVD. Universal Studios, which owns the distribution rights to the series, had at one time stated that it had no plans to release the show on DVD. Over the past few years, illegal bootleg recordings of the series have been sold on eBay and other online auction sites in VCD and DVD format.

In 2005 Universal announced that the first season of "seaQuest DSV" would be released on DVD on December 26 2005 along with a week long marathon of the show on the Sci Fi Channel. Universal credited the fans with changing their minds about a DVD release. However, some also credit the successful sales of bootleg copies of the series. The DVD release included numerous deleted scenes as well as alternate versions of broadcast scenes.

Media

A short series of novels based on the characters and concepts dipicted on seaQuest DSV were available during the first season of the show. They were:

One issue of a "seaQuest DSV" comic book was also published by Nemesis Comics.

Trivia

References to Star Trek

Cast

Recurring Guest Cast

Additionally, seaQuest DSV employed a significant amount of guest stars familiar with the sci-fi genre, many of whom would go on to star in other shows. Notable guest stars included William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Charlton Heston (star of The Ten Commandments, Planet of the Apes and other classic 1960s-70s SF films), Tim Russ (later Tuvok on '), Seth Green (later Scott Evil in the Austin Powers films, Oz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Chris Griffin on Family Guy), Kent McCord (Officer Jim Reed of Adam-12, Captain Troy of Galactica 1980, Unger in ', and later Jack Crichton of O'Bannon's Farscape), William Morgan Sheppherd (numerous appearances in Star Trek, Max Headroom and Babylon 5), and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). Additionally, Richard Herd is also notable for the recurring role of Admiral Owen Paris on the aforementioned Star Trek: Voyager.

Episodes

\"Watergate\" song lyrics

This song was performed in the second season episode "Watergate" and was performed by guest star Dawn Robinson.

To ease her grief with comfort,
To say something,
To turn her hurt and pain away,
Sighs often,
His heart being moved by his great love, most deeply,
And still the Gods give orders,
He obeys them,
He goes back to his fleet,
To his fleet.
By night, by day, the portals of darkness stand open,
It is easy by descending,
Down to all the news,
His heart being moved by his great love, most deeply,
And still the Gods give orders,
He obeys them,
He goes back to his fleet,
To his fleet.

External links

Official

Unofficial

Seaquest is also the name of an Activision video game for Atari 2600.

 

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