Defying Gravity (TV series)
| Defying Gravity | |
|---|---|
| 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 |  United States Canada United Kingdom Germany |
| Original language | English |
| 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 locations | Vancouver, Canada |
| Cinematography | Stephen McNutt |
| Production companies | BBC Fox Television Studios Omni Film Productions CTV SPACE ProSieben |
| Original release | |
| Network | CTV (CAN) BBC 2 (UK) ABC (USA) ProSieben (Germany) |
Defying Gravity is an internationally produced space travel television drama series, first aired on August 2, 2009. Set in the year 2052 with flashbacks to five years earlier, the series will follow eight astronauts—four women and four men—from five countries on a six-year space mission through the Solar System, where everything they do is monitored.[2] The series was pitched to networks as "Grey's Anatomy in space."[3]
Development
The project was inspired by the BBC docufiction series Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets, broadcast on BBC1 in 2004. 13 episodes have currently been ordered.[4] On June 30, 2009 ABC picked up the series for a summer 2009 run in the USA.[3] It is to be aired on BBC 2 in the UK[5], ProSieben in Germany.[3] and both CTV and Space in Canada.
The show is being co-produced by the BBC, Fox Television Studios and Omni Film Productions in association with Canadian broadcasters CTV Television Network and SPACE, and German broadcaster ProSieben.[6]
Filming began on January 19, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada, and lasted six months. Three weeks after wrapping ABC announced it had ordered the program for broadcast in the U.S.[7]
CGI effects are being handled by Stargate Studios in collaboration with set designer Stephen Geaghan.
Premise
The program follows the adventures of eight astronauts on board the international spacecraft Antares. In a story within the story, the lives of the astronauts are being recorded and broadcast back to Earth as part of an ongoing documentary. In spite of a libido-suppressing device worn by each crew member (a HALOS) romantic entanglement will occur. Further complicating their lives is a mysterious storage pod with a secret impact on their mission.[8]
Story
Cast
The confirmed cast includes:[9]
- Andrew Airlie as Mission Control Commander Mike Goss
- Christina Cox as biologist Jen Crane
- Paula Garces as pilot and on-board documentary producer Paula Morales
- Laura Harris as ship's geologist Zoe Barnes
- Peter Howitt as BBC journalist Trevor Williams
- Florentine Lahme as pilot Nadia Schilling
- Karen LeBlanc as scientist Eve Shaw
- Ron Livingston as Antares flight engineer Maddux Donner
- Ty Olsson as grounded mission commander Rollie Crane
- Zahf Paroo as grounded flight engineer Ajay Sharma
- Eyal Podell as psychiatrist and medical officer Evram Mintz
- Dylan Taylor as theoretical physicist Steve Wassenfelder
- Malik Yoba as Antares commander Ted Shaw
- Maxim Roy as flight surgeon Claire Dereux
Episode List
Season 1 (2009)
| # | Title | 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 | |
| 4 | "H2IK" | Unknown | Unknown | August 16, 2009 | |
Reception
US Weekly Nielsen ratings
| # | Episode | Air Date | Timeslot (EST) | Rating | Share | 18-49 Rating | Viewers (m) | Rank (Overall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | August 2, 2009 | Sunday, 9:00PM | 2.4 | TBA | TBA | 3.8 | #21 |
| 2 | "Natural Selection" | August 2, 2009 | Sunday, 10:00PM | 2.3 | TBA | TBA | 3.6 | #21 |
| 3 | "Threshold" | August 9, 2009 | Sunday, 10:00PM | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 4 | "H2IK" | August 16, 2009 | Sunday, 10:00PM | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
References
- ^ "Ron Livingston is Defying Gravity". The Hollywood Reporter. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "Transatlantic space drama on launch pad". C21 Media. 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ a b c "ABC Picks Up Gravity". The Hollywood Reporter. 2009-06-30. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ "Fox, BBC team for space drama 'Gravity'". Digital Spy. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "New Adventure Drama Slated for BBC Two". World Screen. 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "BBC and Fox take flight for blockbuster drama series". The Guardian. 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "Ron Livingston and Fox TV Are Defying Gravity". TV Guide. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "Press Release" (PDF). Omni Film Productions. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
- ^ "BBC, Fox space drama cast grows". Digital Spy. 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-12-27.