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SeaQuest DSV (1993-1996)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Yes indeed, the series had very imaginative aspects — like the inclusion of crewman Darwin and the water-filled tubes which allowed him to travel around the ship. Those were good examples of why my kids and I were captivated by the series when it first premiere.

My thirteen-year-old daughter (ASF member Ticket2theMoon) was dazzled by young Jonathan Brandis, a promising young actor whose life ended in tragedy just ten later when he committed suicide. Sad

The show desperately needed a strong executive producer in the "Roddenberry mold", one who had a deep devotion to the concept of oceanographic exploration and could hire a writing staff who were both knowledgeable on the subject and imaginative enough to concoct great stories within that rich environment.

The series was killed by the incompetence of people who didn't know how to make SeaQuest DVS the new Star Trek.

Just for the record, the fact that we never saw the SeaQuest running on the surface or arriving at seaports around the world killed part of the enthusiasm it could have created for submarine fans like me.

I'd have preferred a design more like the Seaview . . . but with hydrofoil extensions which made it faster on the surface!




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Pow
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, Bud, a strong hand was required at the helm for SQ in order to reach all its potential.

I liked the SQ squid-like design but agree that they should have made some scenes of this amazing submarine cruising along the ocean's surface; and coming into various ports around the world.

I also admire your hydrofoil upgrade design for the Seaview.

More SQ Assets.

"Smart Torpedo" Payload is not explosive but instead builds up a massive electrical burst which is delivered to target upon impact.

So this must be intended as a non-lethal weapon by deactivating the power systems of underseas craft or buildings via an electromagnetic pulse.

Trouble being that once you render a submarine or underwater colony to have all its power deactivated could create a cascade of deadly consequences.

Would a vessel then sink below crush depth? What happens with the vessel or colony's air filtration system and all life support?

The SQ could possibly attempt to rescue the now helpless submarine or colony in question.

However, many things can go wrong that are unforeseen by the SQ.
On the other hand the SQ does have to be equipped in order to defend itself or perform offensive actions as needed.

Stun Gun. Hand-held weapon that fires electrically-charged dart. Magnitude can be variable as required in different situations.

Primarily utilized for subduing sea life for examination, tagging or to render medical assistance.

The SG can also be used on humans.

Two Classes : Pistol and Rifle.
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Krel
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They did have stun guns, which I can only recall them using once. They were sonic in function and if you didn't take protective measures, they were as dangerous to you as to you intended victim. But the sonic waves wouldn't punch a hole in the hull like their Glocks had the potential to do.

I don't remember any scenes of the SQ on the surface either. That could have been because the CGI technology at the time was limited and not up to the task.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Another thing that bothered me was the design of the bridge.

It was so irregular, not to mention so dark, that I could never get a sense of how the room was shaped. It had a claustrophobic, "maze-like" feel. Confused

And it really needed a wide high-definition screen at the front of the bridge, curved so that it wrapped around the front of the bridge area. The screen would display a computer enhanced image of the view ahead (among other things).

This image would be composed of data derived from cameras, sonar, radar, and infrared — all combined to produce a convincing "view" of the what would be seen if the water were crystal clear and the light were bright enough to illuminate everything. Very Happy

That way the crew (and the viewing audience) would be more aware of what was around the vessel and how fast it was traveling at any given moment.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Oct 23, 2021 9:50 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Changes that happened to SeaQuest prior to the series premiere.

Dr.Nelson Westphalen, Chief Marine Scientist, Non-Navy Personnel.

Important contributor to oceanic exploration. Older gent with a gray ponytail who grew up behind the Iron Curtain.

Due to his upbringing under a very repressive regime, Westphalen has a lot of difficulty with authority of any kind.

He has a begrudging respect for Captain Nathan Bridger because of Bridger's scientific background.

Dr.Westphalen has constant conflict with Lt.Commander Ford over Ford's concern for the SeaQuest whenever it interferes with the scientist's on board making an important scientific discovery.

Kristin Westphalen is Dr.Westphalen's vital assistant.

She is the doctor's younger, attractive ex-wife. The attraction between her and Ford does not help the animosity between Ford and the doctor.

Item. For the show they dropped the Dr.Westphalen character and kept Kristin Westphalen and made her the Chief Medical Officer for the SQ.

Dr. Akira Shimura : Chief medical Officer.

One of the doctor's areas of expertise is the replacement of diseased or damaged human organs.

Dr.Shimura has replaced two of his own organs due to being diagnosed with cancer.

The extremely experimental nature of these transplants makes them fragile and almost impossible to maintain on land.

The SeaQuest has to have a controlled environment at all times with atmospheric pressure, humidity, and the nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide ratios rigidly maintained continuously.

These conditions present the doctor with the perfect home and prison.

He must always remain under the sea.

Item. This would have been a fascinating character given his medical situation. Alas, the good doctor character was eliminated.
I wonder why the creators of the show simply did not transfer Shimura's medical issues to Dr. Kristin Westphalen instead?

Liana Hays. Journalist-educator. Liana is a correspondent for Earthnet, a global broadcast news network.

Her primary assignment is to host the weekly educational program broadcast from aboard the SeaQuest.

She and her three person video crew also cover daily life on board the submarine; as well as stories that occur on assignments for the SeaQuest.

Freedom of the press and issues that Captain Bridger feels are sensitive and cannot always be reported---at least immediately---can cause Liana & Bridger to clash.

In spite of all that, there is an attraction between the journalist and the captain.

Item. Another character that was sadly dropped. I think this was a huge miscalculation by the producers.

A journalist could have brought all types of insights, experience and contacts to the missions of the SeaQuest.

The fight for her journalistic reportage and the captain's need for national security and crew safety could have offered some excellent scenes.

Sort of a SeaQuest meets Lou Grant(excellent show).

I remember that the fantastic science-fiction television movie/pilot "Virtuality" had just such a female reporter on board the space ship Phaeton.
She did reports as the ship took off from Earth.

She had a nifty looking combo camera-audio device that fit in her hand for interviews with the crew and views of the ship.

A shame that "Virtuality" was not picked up as it was an intelligently done show with great potential.
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The following are story proposals for episodes for SeaQuest that were not ever used.

(1.) An elaborate undersea tourist resort is the cause of an strong shock wave. The seismic activity continues as the SeaQuest attempts to discover the cause.

Geologists have discovered a rich vein of an extremely valuable mineral on the site of the resort after the completion of the facility.

The wealthy owner of the resort is conducting covert excavation for the mineral while also going through with his grand gala opening of his lavish resort.

Before Bridger can close down the resort and safely evacuate the guests, one wing collapses trapping several guests along with crew members from the SQ.

Note from me. Sounds exciting, like those disaster films that were popular.


(2.) During a routine exploration mission, the SeaQuest's mini-sub is fired upon by a group of farmers from a isolated agri-colony. The farmers mistook the mini-sub for a group of violent high-tech renegades who have been attacking the colony.

With the mini-sub damaged, and the SQ unable to navigate the undersea canyon which leads to the colony, Bridger and his crew must find a way to help the farmers to stop the marauders permanently.

Note from me. Can anyone say "The Magnificent Seven?"

(3.) The SeaQuest is sent to a tropical island resort research facility where the scientist in charge has become a megalomaniac.

Bridger and his crew find that not only do the natives who worship the mad scientist will do anything to defend him.

The animals of the island who have been genetically engineered to increase their intelligence will also fight for their master.

Note from me. I hope that H.G.Wells was going to acknowledged for this prosaic sounding episode.


(4.) Weather satellites predict that a remote island will be devastated by a massive typhoon.

The SeaQuest is sent to evacuate the island natives and transport them to another island. The natives have never had any contact with outsiders and have never seen any kind of technology in their lives.

The natives are in absolute awe of the SQ and promptly declare Bridger a God.

Also on board in order to observe the effects of the prolonged voyages at sea upon the crew is Miriam Lane.

Lane is actually employed by a twenty-first terrorist organization eager to learn about the SQ's highly advanced technology.

Note from me. This could have been fun to see the natives marvel over the SQ and how Bridger would dissuade the innocent natives that he wasn't a supreme being.

The spy on board is a tired old plot device used in countless films and television shows. Sometimes done well and sometimes not.



(5.) A deep-sea salvage team is conducting illegal salvage operations of the famed passenger liner---the Titanic.

The SeaQuest receives a distress signal and discovers that the salvage team is trapped inside the remains of the doomed ship.

As Bridger and his crew attempt to rescue the salvage team they also come across stunning new evidence that indicates that the most famous naval disaster in history was not caused by the striking of an iceberg.

Whoa, this one sounds intriguing. I cannot imagine anything as horrible as being trapped underwater in the remains of the Titanic. Yikes!


(6.) The SeaQuest discovers a scuttled World War II ship.

Two men are discovered alive who were the subjects of a cryonics experiment conducted by the Third Reich.

One is an S.S.officer who had himself placed in suspended animation as Germany surrendered. The other is a Jewish concentration survivor who was used as a guinea pig for the cryogenic freeze.

Both men are revived as Bridger and the UEO attempt to decide what to do with both individuals.

The SS officer begins to plot the destruction of the SQ after he learns of Germany's loss in WW II.

When the former Jewish prisoner discovers the magnitude of the Holocaust, he begins to plot the murder of the SS man'

Note from you-know-who. I would imagine that this could have an enormously powerful episode and would have liked to see it.

Aside from a strong script, the casting for the Jewish man and SS officer would have been critical.

The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea s-f TV series did a somewhat similar story.

"And Five of Us are Left" from October 03, 1965.

The Seaview discovers part of the missing WW II crew of the US Submarine Tetra in an underwater cave. Also with the crew is a Japanese officer that they rescued from drowning during the war.

I have not seen this episode but as I recall it was one of the better episodes from the show before it devolved into monster/alien-of-the-week plots that were absurd.
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Krel
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of the prop builders for the show was Eric Nagy. On his Facebook page he has photos of some of the props from the show. In the third season, when they introduced the rayguns, I think they were called pulse pistols, or am I thinking of "Farscape"? For rifles, they used rubber castings of Calico rifles with added detail. Mr Nagy said that they built a rifle that was along the design line of the pulse pistol, but after spending A LOT of money on the prop, they never never used it! He says that he has the rifle in storage, and when he finds it, he will post photos of it. But he did post two sketches used in the design of the rifle.




Mr. Nagy didn't say which drawing was used for the prop, or if it was a combination of the two. I look forward to seeing the prop, if he ever finds it. Laughing

To go through all the trouble of deciding on a new prop, to design, approve the design, have the prop built, then never use it. Is it any wonder that movies & TV shows, especially SF shows cost so much.

Bud, if the photos are too large, please let me know and I will reduce them. I just wanted people to be able to read the writing on the drawings

David.
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Pow
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very interesting. Thank you for posting this, Krel.

I always preferred the Stun Gun design seen on the first season of SeaQuest.

It looked both futuristic and at the same time like something we could see in our lifetime.

Later on they created a brand new hand weapon that came off as too Farscape for my taste.

Not a bad design, but somehow not a good fit for SQ, which was a show trying to have one foot in s-f and one foot in reality.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Items that SeaQuest possessed but we never saw in any episode.

At least I don't remember seeing these gizmos on any episodes...it has been a long time since I've seen the show.

The Poly~Environment Chamber. Crew members could enter this room and with a flip of the switch they could have a multitude of environments.

How very Holo-Deck of 'em.

Dry Shower/Bath. In a cylinder a variation of microwaves is able to remove all particles and dirt from the human body.

Stealth Ultra-Lights. Solar-powered hang gliders that cannot be detected that are used on SQ's missions.

The hang gliders are contained in a small pack from which they can be deployed instantly by setting off a compressed air cartridge.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SeaQuest was one of the first weekly s~f TV series to employ CGI for everything underwater in its September 1993 debut.

The pilot movie for Babylon 5 beat SQ when it premiered on February 22, 1993.

Both series paved the way for future s~f shows to utilize CGI and move away from the traditional model-miniatures that s~f shows had used from the 1950's onward.

Beating both B5 & SQ was Captain Power and the Soldiers from the Future which arrived on TV in the fall of 1987.

Captain Power rendered the mechanical robots known as the Bio-Dreads fully on a computer.
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm currently watching the first season of SQ DSV on my recently ordered dvds whose quality is superb.

I remain awed at just how terrific this series was during its first season. Season's two and three would vary in quality and suffer a number of cast members exits from the show.

It makes me realize just how many of the terrific s~f TV shows we enjoyed & were fans of went through transformations as their respective seasons progressed — and how the show's went downhill over time.

ST:TOS and Sliders come immediately to my mind.

Creators of both shows ended up leaving due to clashes with their networks. Top writers would leave, cast members would depart, budgets slashed, less talented folks would arrive to run the show.

As much as I look forward to any s~f series I am a fan of go into later seasons after debuting with strong & exciting first seasons; I am also wary that behind-the-scene battles and changes may well demolish what was once a promising idea.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I couldn't agree more with everything you said above! Very Happy

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Oct 23, 2021 9:52 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As I am watching the first season episodes of SQ DSV it amazes me just how many times they go back and forth referring to the SQ as a ship or a sub!

I believe that Naval terminology only refers to submarines as boats and never ships.

I also caught them referring to the corridors in SQ and not calling them passageways, which I believe is what they are called in the US Navy.

Parlance slip ups aside, this is still a fine s-f series that deserved better than it got.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another nice visual touch for SQ DSV are the CGI underwater scenes. They are made just dark enough to still be able to follow scenes very easily but still believe that the submarine is operating somewhere in the depths of the ocean.

On Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ( 1964~'68 ) each week it seemed as if the Seaview was plowing along in some crystal clear swimming pool when they were supposed to be in the ocean.

I understand that the FX crew did the best they could with the FX technology from that era. So I don't mean to be unfairly critical in my comparison between the two shows.

It's just that SQ DSV comes off a tad more realistic given the marvels of what they can do with CGI.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
On Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ( 1964~'68 ) each week it seemed as if the Seaview was plowing along in some crystal clear swimming pool when they were supposed to be in the ocean.

The lighting on Voyage was intentional. Irwin Allen had a special lighting setup with paddles and masks over the water tanks* to produce the light ripples. This was to prove that the effects were actually being filmed underwater. He also wanted you to be able to see all of the expensive miniatures. He liked the light ripples so much, that he faked the lighting ripples on "City Beneath the Sea". Laughing

Part of the reason for the low lighting on the SQ CGI, is because the CGI software wasn't up to the task of doing the water environment effects, which were much more difficult to render than the space effects in B5.

David.

*There were two effects water tanks. A large one, which was lost when Fox sold off the section of the lot which had the tank. A smaller effets water tank was constructed when they lost the big tank. In the small tank, the large Seaview miniature could only move forward about three feet, or it would hit the side of the tank!
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