Defying Gravity (BBC-ABC 2009, Ron Livingston, Laura Harris)

In the scifi drama series Defying Gravity we follow a team of eight astronauts (four men, four women) as they explore our solar system aboard the ship The Antares, on a six year mission. Closely monitored by Mission Control back on Earth it soon becomes obvious that some unseen force is directing them in strange ways. Maddux Donner is ships engineer, Evram Mintz is the doctor, Jen Crane the biologist, Nadia Schilling is the pilot, Zoe Barnes is a geologist, Ted Shaw is the commander of the ship, Steve Wassenfelder is physicist and Paula Morales is the lander pilot.

Played pretty straight, like an updated version of the BBC’s Moonbase 3, Defying Gravity probably suffered from its pan-country financing and the idea about the constant filming of the crew for a documentary series back on Earth seems designed purely to cater for the reality TV fan, it builds nicely though and once it becomes obvious that something is going to happen when the ships lands on Venus the tension mounts quite a bit.

Three seasons were planned but it was not to be.

production details
USA – Canada – UK – Germany | BBC-ABC-CTV | 13×50 minutes | Broadcast 2 August – 23 October 2009

Creator: James Parriott
Producers: Ron French, Sheri Elwood

cast
RON LIVINGSTON as Maddux Donner
LAURA HARRIS as Zoe Barnes
CHRISTINA COX as Jen Crane
MALIK YOBA as Ted Shaw
FLORENTINE LAHME as Nadia Sschilling
EYAL PODELL as Evram Mintz
PAULA GARCES as Paula Morales
DYLAN TAYLOR as Steve Wassenfinder
KAREN LEBLANC as Eve Weller-Shaw
ANDREW AIRLIE as Mike Goss

Alastair James is the editor-in-chief of Memorable TV, leading the charge in covering today's must-see television. A lifelong television enthusiast, his passion began with a deep dive into the world of classic sci-fi, culminating in his role as editor of "Beyond the Static," a publication devoted to celebrating iconic sci-fi series. While his love for classic television remains, Alastair's focus at Memorable TV is firmly on the present, analyzing the latest trends in the television landscape, from gripping crime dramas to the ever-evolving strategies of Survivor. His insights have been featured in numerous publications. At Memorable TV, Alastair's goal is to provide readers with sharp commentary, engaging reviews, and in-depth analysis of the shows dominating the current conversation.