Defying Gravity (TV series)
Defying Gravity | |
---|---|
![]() Defying Gravity intertitle | |
Genre | Drama Science fiction |
Created by | James Parriott |
Directed by | David Straiton Peter Howitt |
Starring | Ron Livingston Malik Yoba Laura Harris Eyal Podell Christina Cox Peter Howitt |
Country of origin | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Original language | Englisch |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Michael Edelstein James Parriott Brian Hamilton Michael Chechik[1] |
Producer | Ron French |
Production location | Vancouver, Canada |
Cinematography | Stephen McNutt |
Production companies | BBC FOX Omni Film CTV SPACE ProSieben |
Original release | |
Network | CTV (CAN) BBC 2 (UK) ABC (USA) ProSieben (Germany) |
Release | August 2, 2009 present | –
Defying Gravity is a multi-nationally produced space travel television drama series, first aired on August 2, 2009 on ABC and CTV. Set in the year 2052, with flashbacks to five and ten years earlier in the story's continuity, the series follows eight astronauts[2]—four women and four men—from five countries on a six-year space mission through the Solar System,[3] during which they are monitored from earth via a real-time communication system.[4] The series was pitched to networks as "Grey's Anatomy in space".[5]
Premise
The program follows the adventures of eight astronauts on board the international spacecraft Antares. The lives of the astronauts are being constantly recorded and broadcast back to Earth both as part of an ongoing documentary and as part of mission monitoring. In spite of a libido-suppressing device worn by each crew member, referred to as "HALO" for "Hormone Activated Libido Oppressors", romantic entanglements develop among some crew members. Further complicating their lives is a mysterious storage pod which contains something referred to as Beta, which is exerting a secret impact on their mission.[6]
Development
The project was inspired by the BBC docufiction series Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets, broadcast on BBC1 in 2004. The show is being co-produced by the BBC, Fox Television Studios, and Omni Film Productions in association with Canadian broadcasters CTV Television Network, SPACE, and German broadcaster ProSieben.[7]
13 episodes have been ordered,[8] and filming began on January 19, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada, lasting six months. CGI effects are being handled by Stargate Studios, in collaboration with set designer Stephen Geaghan.[6]
Scheduling
On June 30, 2009, ABC announced that it had ordered the program for a summer 2009 broadcast in the United States.[9][5] It was aired on BBC 2 in the United Kingdom[10], ProSieben in Germany,[5] and both CTV and SPACE in Canada.[11]
CTV moved the scheduled airing of the show from Sunday to Friday nights on August 26, 2009, and speculation began about the possibility of the show being canceled.[12] On September 14, 2009, online sources noted ABC's apparent cancellation of the series, with most having reported the eighth episode as the "series finale",[13] while others reported it as the "season finale".[14] The show's publicist, Nicole Marostica, issued a statement on September 14, 2009 that ABC is not in fact canceling the show but that management is deciding on a time slot to air the remaining 5 episodes of season 1.[15]
CTV aired Episode 9 "Eve Ate The Apple" on Friday, September 18, 2009, but does not have Defying Gravity on its schedule for the next week.
Cast and Characters
Character | Actor | Position | Relationship(s) | Home location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Onboard the Antares | ||||
Dr. Evram Mintz[Bio 1] | Eyal Podell | Doctor and Psychiatrist | Claire Dereux's boyfriend | Israel |
Jen Crane[Bio 2] | Christina Cox | Biologist | Wife of Rollie Crane, had a past relationship with Ted Shaw | Canada[Bio 3] |
Maddux Donner[Bio 4] | Ron Livingston | Chief Engineer | Previously, Sharon Lewis, a fellow crewmember who died during an earlier mission to Mars[16]; currently, Zoe Barnes and Nadia Schilling | Iowa, USA |
Nadia Schilling[Bio 5] | Florentine Lahme | Pilot | "Friend with benefits" to Maddux Donner | Deutschland |
Paula Morales[Bio 6] | Paula Garcés | Payload specialist, Pilot, On-board Documentary Producer | Brownsville, Texas, USA[Bio 6] | |
Steve Wassenfelder[Bio 7] | Dylan Taylor | Theoretical Physicist | Apparent, but unstated, infatuation with Paula Morales. | |
Ted Shaw[Bio 8] | Malik Yoba | Commander | Eve Weller's husband, had a past relationship with Jen Crane | |
Zoe Barnes[Bio 9] | Laura Harris | Geologist | Had a one-night stand with Maddux Donner who is unaware that it resulted in an aborted pregnancy | |
On Earth | ||||
Ajay Sharma[Bio 10] | Zahf Paroo | Orig. Flight Engineer; reinstated ground crew | Mumbai, India | |
Claire Dereux[Bio 11] | Maxim Roy | Flight Surgeon | Evram Mintz's girlfriend | Montreal, Canada |
Eve Weller-Shaw[Bio 12] | Karen Leblanc | Works alongside flight director Goss | Ted Shaw's wife | |
Mike Goss[Bio 13] | Andrew Airlie | Mission Control Flight Director | ||
Rollie Crane[Bio 14] | Ty Olsson | Former Commander, now CapCom | Jen Crane's husband | |
Trevor Williams[Bio 15] | Peter Howitt | Journalist | Britain |
Episode List
Season 1 (2009)
# | Titel | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Original Airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Pilot" | David Straiton | James D. Parriott | August 2, 2009 | |
Four male and four female astronauts prepare for a mission aboard the spaceship Antares. Their journey will last six years. | |||||
2 | "Natural Selection" | Peter Howitt | James D. Parriott | August 2, 2009 | |
The Antares begins its mission to explore the planets in the solar system. | |||||
3 | "Threshold" | Peter Howitt | Sheri Elwood | August 9, 2009 | |
A mysterious force aboard the Antares begins to have a profound effect on the astronauts' biological compositions and personality traits. | |||||
4 | "H2IK" | Fred Gerber | Brett Conrad | August 16, 2009 | |
An unknown malfunction sends the Antares into chaos as the ship's operating systems are thrown offline, causing the failure of vital systems such as power, gravity, and heating. | |||||
5 | "Rubicon" | Marcie Ulin | Meredith Lavender & Marcie Ulin | August 23, 2009 | |
As the Antares approaches the point of no return, the crew must deal with the upcoming crossing of the critical boundary where return to Earth is no longer an option. | |||||
6 | "Bacon"[12] | Marcie Ulin | Meredith Lavender | August 28, 2009CTV) August 30, 2009 (ABC) | (|
Drawing closer to the orbit of Venus, some members of the Antares crew struggle with guilt and experience vivid repercussions of past actions, while a serious accident puts the life of a teammate in danger, uniting everyone in the desperate endeavor to save her. | |||||
7 | "Fear" | Jeff Woolnough | Chris Provenzano | September 4, 2009CTV) September 6, 2009 (ABC) | (|
It's Halloween aboard the Antares and the forces of darkness are revealed in more ways than one, as feverish hallucinations jeopardize the lives of the crew just as they are about to embark on a promotional event for which the whole world is waiting. | |||||
8 | "Love, Honor, Obey"[Schedule 1][13] | Fred Gerber | Susan Nirah Jaffee | September 11, 2009CTV) September 13, 2009 (ABC) | (|
An impending solar flare threatens the crew of the Antares with dangerous radiation, while the strange force in Pod 4 finally sends out a siren call that proves utterly irresistible. | |||||
9 | "Eve Ate the Apple" | Peter Howitt | Blythe Robe | September 18, 2009CTV) | (|
The crew of the Antares learns about Pod 4 and the real reason for their mission to Venus. | |||||
10 | "Deja Vu" | TBA | TBA | October 2, 2009SPACE)[17] | (|
It's election day but the crew aboard the Antares is still processing the news about their real mission on Venus. | |||||
11 | "Solitary" | TBA | TBA | October 9, 2009SPACE)[18] | (|
In the final hours before the landing on Venus, crew members of the Antares confront the loneliness and isolation of space. | |||||
12 | "Venus" | TBA | TBA | October 16, 2009SPACE)[19] | (|
It's the day of the Venus landing, a historic and dangerous event likely to alter the lives of everyone involved. | |||||
13 | "Kiss" | TBA | TBA | October 23, 2009SPACE)[20] | (|
After landing on the burning surface of Venus, Zoe walks toward a sound only she can hear, drawn by her destiny into almost certain destruction. |
Reception
US weekly Nielsen ratings
# | Episode | ABC Air Date | Timeslot (EST) | Rating | Aktie | 18-49 Rating | Viewers (m) | Rank (Overall) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Pilot" | Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009 | 9:00 pm | 2.4 | 4 | 1.1 / 3 | 3.83 | #21 |
2 | "Natural Selection" | Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 2.3 | 4 | 1.0 / 3 | 3.56 | #21 |
3 | "Threshold" | Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 1.8 | 3 | 1.0 / 2 | 2.81 | #28 |
4 | "H2IK" | Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 1.7 | 3 | 0.8 / 2 | 2.59 | #34 |
5 | "Rubicon" | Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 1.8 | 3 | 0.8 / 2 | 2.66 | #33 |
6 | "Bacon" | Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 1.7 | 3 | 0.9 / 2 | 2.53 | #31 |
7 | "Fear" | Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 2.7 | 4 | 0.6 / 2 | 2.16 | #29 |
8 | "Love, Honor, Obey" | Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 1.6 | 3 | 0.8 / 2 | 2.53 | #39 |
Canadian weekly ratings
# | Episode | CTV Air Date | CTV Time Slot (EST) | Viewers (100'000s) | Rank (Overall) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 & 2 | "Pilot/Natural Selection" | Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009 | 9:00 pm | 7.83 | #20 |
3 | "Threshold" | Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009 | 10:00 pm | 5.73 | #30 |
4 | "H2IK" | Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009 | 10:00 pm | K.A. | K.A. |
5 | "Rubicon" | Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009 | 10:00 pm | K.A. | K.A. |
6 | "Bacon" | Friday, Aug. 28, 2009 | 10:00 pm | K.A. | K.A. |
7 | "Fear" | Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 | 10:00 pm | K.A. | K.A. |
8 | "Love, Honor, Obey" | Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 | 10:00 pm | K.A. | K.A. |
9 | "Eve Ate the Apple" | Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 | 10:00 pm | TBA | TBA |
References
- ^ "Ron Livingston is Defying Gravity". The Hollywood Reporter. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
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(help)[dead link] - ^ Benzine, Adam (2008-12-17). "Transatlantic space drama on launch pad". C21 Media. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
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and|date=
(help) - ^ "ABC.com - Defying Gravity - About the show".
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Why ABC's Defying Gravity is no Virtuality 2".
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ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "ABC Picks Up Gravity". The Hollywood Reporter. 2009-06-30. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
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and|date=
(help) - ^ a b "New CTV Series DEFYING GRAVITY Premieres August 2" (PDF) (Press release). Omni Film. 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
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(help) - ^ Dowell, Ben (2008-12-17). "BBC and Fox take flight for blockbuster drama series". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
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and|date=
(help) - ^ Reynolds, Simon (2008-11-04). "Fox, BBC team for space drama 'Gravity'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
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and|date=
(help) - ^ Bryant, Adam (4 November 2008). "Ron Livingston and Fox TV Are Defying Gravity". TV Guide. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
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(help) - ^ "New Adventure Drama Slated for BBC Two". World Screen. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
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(help)[dead link] - ^ "'Defying Gravity' lifts off August 2 on CTV, A and ABC". CTV.ca. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
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and|date=
(help) - ^ a b Jones, Bryan (26 August 2009). "Defying Gravity Gets New CTV Timeslot in Canada". TVOvermind.
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b Whittington, Mark (14 September 2009). "'Defying Gravity' TV series cancelled". Examiner.com.
{{cite news}}
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(help); Unknown parameter|accesdate=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Cynthia (14 September 2009). "Defying Gravity: The Season Finale?". SF Universe. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
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and|date=
(help) - ^ "ABC REP: "DEFYING GRAVITY" NOT CANCELED". The Futon Critic. 14 September 2009.
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(help); Unknown parameter|accesdate=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Video Clip Details". TopTVBytes. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
- ^ http://www.spacecast.com/Schedule.aspx?fldate=10/2/2009%208:00:00%20PM
- ^ http://www.spacecast.com/Schedule.aspx?fldate=10/9/2009%208:00:00%20PM
- ^ http://www.spacecast.com/Schedule.aspx?fldate=10/16/2009%208:00:00%20PM
- ^ http://www.spacecast.com/Schedule.aspx?fldate=10/23/2009%208:00:00%20PM
Character biographies
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Dr. Evram". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Jen". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "CTV.ca - Defying Gravity Bios - Jen Crane". CTV.ca - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Maddux". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Nadia". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ a b "About the show - Character Bios - Paula". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Steve". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Ted". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Zoe". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Ajay". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Claire". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Eve". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Mike". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Rollie". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Trevor". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved 2009-08-17.