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Friday, November 4, 1994
The Associated PressNBC's 'Earth 2' Lurches Off to the Horizon
by Scott Williams, AP Television Writer
"Earth 2," NBC's new science fiction series debuting Sunday as a two-hour movie, is set in the not-so-distant future.
It is the 23rd century. The Earth has been ravaged and despoiled and humankind, its numbers reduced to a handful, now lives in an orbiting space station.
"Hold on!" you say, twirling the rotor on your Star Trek beanie. "Is this one of those deals where everybody wears headsets, lives in tubes and blows their nose in aluminum hankies?"
Well, kind of. Debrah Farentino ("Equal Justice") plays scientist Devon Adair (say it fast three times), who's organized an interstellar expedition to an Earth-like planet, where she and like-minded colonists hope to start over. Adair, a single mom, has a pressing, personal reason to go. Her son, Ulysses (Joey Zimmerman), is one of about 200 children wasting away from a mysterious syndrome that comes - no kidding - from living in the sterile, regulated environment of a space station. None has lived past age 9; he's 8.
"Cool!" you say. "A lifesaving mission! Rugged individualists blazing a colony out of the galactic wilderness!"
Not so fast, Space Boy. Adair has overcome six years of government resistance to the mission, but just eight hours before blastoff, her team intercepts a newscast that the expedition was destroyed.
"Hold on," you say. "These people living in tubes want to blow up the colonists? And a great deal of capital equipment in the bargain? Why didn't they just hide the car keys?"
And miss out on a space explosion for a first-act closer?
"So, they get to the planet, right?"
Well, they crash, but ... yes. And that's where 'Earth 2' starts to get silly.
People who have never been outdoors or even seen the sky just saunter out of their pod and stroll around. You'd think they'd have EXTREMELY strong feelings at that moment, wouldn't you? No, they're so relaxed it's funny.
Adair must lead them on a trek halfway around the planet to set up a base for a second shipment of settlers. As an actress, the fine-boned Farentino lacks the gravitas to lead such an expedition.
Still, it can't be too tough a planet. In Sunday's premiere, the deserts, foothills, forests and river valleys seem like they're about 20 feet apart.
"Jeez," you say. "It sounds like 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.' "
Close. The writing is "plotty," setting up little emotional troughs and peaks for children and young adults always situated against Kodak-moment backgrounds.
Oh, and Farentino does a voice-over narration, with soaring horns and strings to punctuate what you're seeing.
"Cripes. Is there ANYTHING to like about the show?"
Yes. The only science fiction character in the cast is played by the wonderful Sullivan Walker (the daddy on "Where I Live"). He's a brain-wiped killer who's been reprogrammed as a spiritual, benevolent teacher. And, while the cast is generally made up of younger, less-established actors, Adair's love interest and second in command obviously will be Clancy Brown, a fine actor who shines in roles like this. The cinematography is superb. The creature effects are by Greg Cannon, who won an Oscar for "Mrs. Doubtfire," and the production looks like the producers put a ton of money into it. But they skimped on the writing.
If you think of "Earth 2" as science fiction, you'll be disappointed. These aren't 23rd century people. They're people who talk like us, think like us and act like us, only without the Winnebagos.
"Uh-ohhhh. Do they have cute kids?"
Yes.
"A clunky robot with a radio announcer's voice?"
Um ... yes.
"A weasely villain?"
Uh-huh.
"So it's 'Lost In Space' revisited, right?"
Man, you're tough. That show was kitschy space opera starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, Angela Cartwright and Billy Mumy (now on "Babylon 5") as "Danger" Will Robinson. It was merely 1965's idea of "family viewing."
"Earth 2" is merely 1994's.