Hats Off to Space Command
“I often hear the fans say ‘Why are there so few good science fiction shows on the air?’ and why the good ones so often go south. I can tell you: Frankly, most of the network suits just don’t get it, but you and I do! And thanks to Kickstarter and thanks to you, we don’t need them anymore.”
‐ Marc Scott Zicree
(Video removed)
Introduction
I was looking at a bunch of random YouTube videos and I came across another Kickstarter-related video. This one was about an independently-produced series called “Space Command”. It will reinvent the Canadian 1950s TV show as high-quality, timeless feature-length movies. What makes this stand out from all the other episodic content I’ve seen on Kickstarter is that some of the people working on Space Command have connection to other sci-fi franchises such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, Sliders and Star Wars.
What does this have to do with Star Control?
To be honest, absolutely nothing. However, the shows they have worked on have indirect relationships with Star Control. Even though Star Control isn’t the best-selling game of all time, the plot and dialog is clever and interesting. With the star-studded cast of writers and actors in Space Command, they will also have their own benefit of clever and interesting plot and dialog.
A Confession
To be honest, the last time I have sat down and watched a sci-fi series on TV was for the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Overall, I liked how it started out; I started to have mixed feelings as the series progressed towards religious themes and the Cylons appeared less frequently. I did not like Caprica, which was cancelled after 18 episodes. I lost interest in Stargate and its spin-offs.
If I had to choose a Star Trek spin-off I like the least, it would be Voyager; I find the recurring plot elements repetitive (e.g. The Borg, holographic rights, a way to go home that involves breaking a rule, etc.). Themes of ethics, family and equal rights were forced into the plot; They tried too hard to be family-friendly or at least stay away from the darker and more serious tone that Deep Space 9 established. However, many of the things they did were for the purposes of keeping budgets low, an issue that has plagued Star Trek since the beginning.
Did you know that the Gorn only appeared three times on TV: once in the classic series, The Animated Series and again in Enterprise? Did you know that early designs for the Borg envisioned them with a more insectoid appearance, consistent with their “hive” and Borg “queen”? Did you know that the portrayal of the Borg differed greatly after The Next Generation episode “Q Who”; they were originally interested in assimilating technology, not lifeforms.
Battleship has excellent CGI. :|
I generally do not watch low-budget science fiction; they either have too much pew pew (laser beams), cookie-cutter plot about saving the universe or it’s simply a story that takes place in the future with no real science.
The last science fiction movie I watched as of this post was Prometheus. It is a good movie, though it raises more questions than it does answer them. However, Star Control II also did that! :D By doing this, a sequel is undeniable.
So, why did I mention the above? It is because I am genuinely interested in Space Command. Despite the above, I can’t wait to see this movie. Even though the budget is nowhere near what we’re used to in the big screen, it will have the clever writing and skilled actors that are the true elements of good science fiction.
Conclusion
The Kickstarter campaign for Space Command has ended on July 14 with $221,267, exceeding their original $75,000 goal. I haven’t watched the original series. With all of their combined years of experience, this can become something that Star Control fans can enjoy too. I can’t wait to see more.
Check out the site and the concept art.
What do you think of Space Command?
Links
Space Command Kickstarter Page
Star Command on Twitter
Edit: Corrected minor mistakes and provided more accurate info regarding it’s connection to the Canadian TV show.
