Mr. Sci-Fi's Space Command
Two weeks ago, I talked about a YouTube channel that I believed many people should tune into: Marc Scott Zicree's Mr. Sci-Fi.
One of the items mentioned at the end of the post was his ongoing project, Space Command.
Like many creatives working in the world of networks, executives, budgets, ratings, and focus groups though, Zicree has frequently stumbled over roadblocks when it comes to getting his work out there. So, with the rise of new viewing vistas, such as subscription channels and streaming services, Zicree has elected to try to get his latest project out there via one of those platforms.
Before I go any further in this direction--for those of you reading this who haven't watched it--check it out below.
The great Anne McCaffrey noted, “Science Fiction is not always original ideas. Sometimes, it’s a variation on older ideas.” Like many people his age, Zicree not only grew up watching the original Twilight Zone, but he also grew up watching the Star Trek, The Original Series. Both shows had an undeniable impact on him, along with the many shows for which he wrote over the years, such as Babylon 5. This show is clearly his take on the Great American Televised Space Opera.
And, all in all, it's an impressive variation on a theme.
After an epic opening credits sequence (viewable on the original version posted back in January), which juxtaposes shots of the known spans of space, with John Williams/Hans Zimmer-esque music and JFK’s words from his Moon Race speech, the story starts with a bang of a teaser. Like many great screenwriters, Zicree knows how to capture his audience’s attention immediately.
We open to shots of a faulty ship rapidly entering the Martian atmosphere, carrying Evelyn Odara and her daughter. It is clear unless someone saves them, the ship and its passengers will surely burn up in the course of entry.
Above them is a potential rescue ship, piloted by members of the eponymous organization, Space Command. In the pilot’s seat is Jack Kemmer, played by Ethan McDowell, who, against his captain’s orders, dives in to save the plummeting ship and its passengers. He manages to catch the ship and secure it to the top of his own.
In his landing attempt though, both ships skid down a long runway, causing some considerable damage to the runway and the vessels. But, to quote the Ninth Doctor, “Everybody lives.”
And that’s just the first few minutes.
From there, we come to learn some interesting things about this vision of the future that Zicree has invented for us. For one, humanity has managed to save the Earth from severe climate change thinks to its ingenuity and new technology. That new tech has also led to the development of light speed travel (of course), and a type of labor-saving android known as the Synthetics. Yet, there is a notable omission typical of Space Opera science fiction in Zicree’s vision: aliens. However, the solar system may in fact be on the verge of uncovering evidence that we, humanity, are indeed not alone.
Now, we don’t get the whole story in this hour long episode because it is in fact the first half of a story arc Zicree has titled Space Command: Redemption, the first two-episode arc of a projected 12 episode season. Yet, with only a portion of it is clear that this is story, a universe, and a cast of characters we could end up spending a long time with and enjoying that time.
Zicree riddles the supporting cast with many familiar faces, familiar that is to those of us who are SF film and television devotees. Robert Picardo, from Star Trek Voyager, plays a significant role in the story. A number of Babylon 5 alumni, including Bruce Boxleitner, Bill Mumy (who isn’t buried beneath 50 layers of make-up and foam rubber this time), and the previously mentioned Mira Furlan appear. And, rounding out the cast in the role of the Synthetic Dor Neven is Star Trek Discovery and Shape of Water actor, Doug Jones (who Zicree also doesn’t bury beneath 50 layers of make-up and latex).
Also, Zicree laces in subtle nods to Science Fiction’s history by naming characters after famous writers. The names of two of the supporting characters are Le Guin and Bradbury. It’s good to see the game of SF reference going strong in this show.
Some of the edits and effects however are a tad rough. Still, we must keep in mind that this is a work in progress. Yes, the effects aren’t totally up to the standard contemporary audiences are used to in a post-Star Wars and Lord of the Rings world. Indeed, some of the scene edits aren’t as smooth as can be. However, for a project that neither a major network, streaming service, or studio is currently bankrolling, we have to give credit where credit is due. This show may not be the best version of itself yet, but give it time, and it just might make it there.
If I had to levy one major criticism at the show, though (if I don’t point this out, then a number of others will), it would be one particular casting choice.
Ethan McDowell, who plays Captain Kemmer, seems like a competent actor. And, he does have a young William Shatner/Chris Pine sort of presence about him (an intentional choice I’m sure on Zicree’s part). I, however, see his casting as a problem.
In the show, shortly after the action packed teaser, we meet Kemmer’s parents. His father Anson Kemmer, played by Michael Harney (a familiar face to fans of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black), is married to a woman named Anoka Chandimal Kemmer, a woman of South Asian descent.
Yet, despite this clearly interracial union, Jack Kemmer is clearly (how to put this delicately)…not biracial.
I understand that acting ability should always be primary reason why someone gets a part in a production, but this choice is jarring and problematic.
Why bother putting an interracial relationship into your show if you’re not going to integrate it fully into your casting decisions? Did Zicree and his production team just expect his audience to gloss over this choice in a 21st Century context where audiences are demanding greater diversity and inclusivity? Are we supposed to assume that Kemmer is actually Anoka’s stepson, born before her marriage to his father? (If so, that needs clarification.) Or, did he just expect us to do some kind of mental Punnett Square when we realized that a child of an interracial relationship doesn’t present as biracial? I don’t understand, and it honestly irritates me.
Why do I bother to point this out? After all, my two cents on the subject is unlikely to change things, considering that the series is already in production. I doubt that my dislike of this choice is going to make Zicree and company pull a Ridley Scott and remove Ethan McDowell or the actress who plays his mother out of the show and replace them with someone else for the sake of consistency.
I harp on about it because of what such a choice subliminally communicates to a contemporary audience: that including positive representation of people in the minority doesn’t matter.
There are characters on this show that add diversity to its cast, and many of them actually have lines. From my research into the projects future, Zicree also intends to introduce more characters into the series who are people of color (the show's IMDB page makes that quite clear). But passing up the opportunity to put a biracial actor in the lead just seems like a waste. Jack Kemmer could’ve been science fiction’s Shadow Moon or Ged. Instead, he seems like a Chris Pine knock off wedged into a situation that’s supposed to give the impression of inclusion and diversity in the future.
Again though, my little grip likely won’t change anything. Nonetheless, despite it, the show has more positive elements going for it than inhibiting its success.
As of a few weeks ago, Zicree and crew are in the process of completing the second episode in of the Redemption story. Additionally, he is still shopping the show around to subscription cable and streaming service platforms in the hopes of acquiring more stable financing and distribution for the rest of the series. From his own reports a number of such organizations have shown interest, but TV is a fickle business. Though, the video on YouTube has reached over 146k views at the time of me writing this; thus, it’s clear there is an interest, potential audience for this show.
It is possible, if things go well, that the show could end up on our screens within the next couple of years. We will simply have to wait and see if Zicree’s Space Command is to be.
One of the items mentioned at the end of the post was his ongoing project, Space Command.
The project’s pilot--which you can
watch on the Mr. Sci-Fi channel right now (there are three different versions of it at this point)--arose largely through a crowdfunding
effort on Kickstarter. And it’s clear from this sophisticated, but obviously
not finalized, piece of TV what Zicree’s influences are.
Like many creatives working in the world of networks, executives, budgets, ratings, and focus groups though, Zicree has frequently stumbled over roadblocks when it comes to getting his work out there. So, with the rise of new viewing vistas, such as subscription channels and streaming services, Zicree has elected to try to get his latest project out there via one of those platforms.
Before I go any further in this direction--for those of you reading this who haven't watched it--check it out below.
The great Anne McCaffrey noted, “Science Fiction is not always original ideas. Sometimes, it’s a variation on older ideas.” Like many people his age, Zicree not only grew up watching the original Twilight Zone, but he also grew up watching the Star Trek, The Original Series. Both shows had an undeniable impact on him, along with the many shows for which he wrote over the years, such as Babylon 5. This show is clearly his take on the Great American Televised Space Opera.
And, all in all, it's an impressive variation on a theme.
After an epic opening credits sequence (viewable on the original version posted back in January), which juxtaposes shots of the known spans of space, with John Williams/Hans Zimmer-esque music and JFK’s words from his Moon Race speech, the story starts with a bang of a teaser. Like many great screenwriters, Zicree knows how to capture his audience’s attention immediately.
We open to shots of a faulty ship rapidly entering the Martian atmosphere, carrying Evelyn Odara and her daughter. It is clear unless someone saves them, the ship and its passengers will surely burn up in the course of entry.
Above them is a potential rescue ship, piloted by members of the eponymous organization, Space Command. In the pilot’s seat is Jack Kemmer, played by Ethan McDowell, who, against his captain’s orders, dives in to save the plummeting ship and its passengers. He manages to catch the ship and secure it to the top of his own.
In his landing attempt though, both ships skid down a long runway, causing some considerable damage to the runway and the vessels. But, to quote the Ninth Doctor, “Everybody lives.”
And that’s just the first few minutes.
From there, we come to learn some interesting things about this vision of the future that Zicree has invented for us. For one, humanity has managed to save the Earth from severe climate change thinks to its ingenuity and new technology. That new tech has also led to the development of light speed travel (of course), and a type of labor-saving android known as the Synthetics. Yet, there is a notable omission typical of Space Opera science fiction in Zicree’s vision: aliens. However, the solar system may in fact be on the verge of uncovering evidence that we, humanity, are indeed not alone.
Now, we don’t get the whole story in this hour long episode because it is in fact the first half of a story arc Zicree has titled Space Command: Redemption, the first two-episode arc of a projected 12 episode season. Yet, with only a portion of it is clear that this is story, a universe, and a cast of characters we could end up spending a long time with and enjoying that time.
Zicree riddles the supporting cast with many familiar faces, familiar that is to those of us who are SF film and television devotees. Robert Picardo, from Star Trek Voyager, plays a significant role in the story. A number of Babylon 5 alumni, including Bruce Boxleitner, Bill Mumy (who isn’t buried beneath 50 layers of make-up and foam rubber this time), and the previously mentioned Mira Furlan appear. And, rounding out the cast in the role of the Synthetic Dor Neven is Star Trek Discovery and Shape of Water actor, Doug Jones (who Zicree also doesn’t bury beneath 50 layers of make-up and latex).
Also, Zicree laces in subtle nods to Science Fiction’s history by naming characters after famous writers. The names of two of the supporting characters are Le Guin and Bradbury. It’s good to see the game of SF reference going strong in this show.
Some of the edits and effects however are a tad rough. Still, we must keep in mind that this is a work in progress. Yes, the effects aren’t totally up to the standard contemporary audiences are used to in a post-Star Wars and Lord of the Rings world. Indeed, some of the scene edits aren’t as smooth as can be. However, for a project that neither a major network, streaming service, or studio is currently bankrolling, we have to give credit where credit is due. This show may not be the best version of itself yet, but give it time, and it just might make it there.
If I had to levy one major criticism at the show, though (if I don’t point this out, then a number of others will), it would be one particular casting choice.
Ethan McDowell, who plays Captain Kemmer, seems like a competent actor. And, he does have a young William Shatner/Chris Pine sort of presence about him (an intentional choice I’m sure on Zicree’s part). I, however, see his casting as a problem.
In the show, shortly after the action packed teaser, we meet Kemmer’s parents. His father Anson Kemmer, played by Michael Harney (a familiar face to fans of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black), is married to a woman named Anoka Chandimal Kemmer, a woman of South Asian descent.
Yet, despite this clearly interracial union, Jack Kemmer is clearly (how to put this delicately)…not biracial.
I understand that acting ability should always be primary reason why someone gets a part in a production, but this choice is jarring and problematic.
Why bother putting an interracial relationship into your show if you’re not going to integrate it fully into your casting decisions? Did Zicree and his production team just expect his audience to gloss over this choice in a 21st Century context where audiences are demanding greater diversity and inclusivity? Are we supposed to assume that Kemmer is actually Anoka’s stepson, born before her marriage to his father? (If so, that needs clarification.) Or, did he just expect us to do some kind of mental Punnett Square when we realized that a child of an interracial relationship doesn’t present as biracial? I don’t understand, and it honestly irritates me.
Why do I bother to point this out? After all, my two cents on the subject is unlikely to change things, considering that the series is already in production. I doubt that my dislike of this choice is going to make Zicree and company pull a Ridley Scott and remove Ethan McDowell or the actress who plays his mother out of the show and replace them with someone else for the sake of consistency.
I harp on about it because of what such a choice subliminally communicates to a contemporary audience: that including positive representation of people in the minority doesn’t matter.
There are characters on this show that add diversity to its cast, and many of them actually have lines. From my research into the projects future, Zicree also intends to introduce more characters into the series who are people of color (the show's IMDB page makes that quite clear). But passing up the opportunity to put a biracial actor in the lead just seems like a waste. Jack Kemmer could’ve been science fiction’s Shadow Moon or Ged. Instead, he seems like a Chris Pine knock off wedged into a situation that’s supposed to give the impression of inclusion and diversity in the future.
Again though, my little grip likely won’t change anything. Nonetheless, despite it, the show has more positive elements going for it than inhibiting its success.
As of a few weeks ago, Zicree and crew are in the process of completing the second episode in of the Redemption story. Additionally, he is still shopping the show around to subscription cable and streaming service platforms in the hopes of acquiring more stable financing and distribution for the rest of the series. From his own reports a number of such organizations have shown interest, but TV is a fickle business. Though, the video on YouTube has reached over 146k views at the time of me writing this; thus, it’s clear there is an interest, potential audience for this show.
It is possible, if things go well, that the show could end up on our screens within the next couple of years. We will simply have to wait and see if Zicree’s Space Command is to be.
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