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Defying Gravity (TV series)

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Defying Gravity
Defying Gravity intertitle
Defying Gravity intertitle
GenreDrama
Science fiction
Created byJames D. Parriott
Starring
ComposerShawn Pierce
Country of originUnited States
Canada
United Kingdom
Germany
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersMichael Edelstein
James Parriott
Brian Hamilton
Michael Chechik[1]
ProducerRon French
Production locationsVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CinematographyStephen McNutt
Production companiesBBC
Fox Television Studios
Omni Film Productions
CTV
SPACE
ProSieben
Original release
NetworkCTV (CAN)
BBC Two & BBC HD (UK)
ABC (USA)
ProSieben (Germany)
ReleaseAugust 2 –
October 23, 2009 (2009-10-23)

Defying Gravity is a multi-nationally produced space travel television science fiction drama series which first aired on August 2, 2009 on ABC and CTV and was canceled in the autumn (September/October) of 2009. Set in the year 2052, the series follows eight astronauts[2] (four women and four men) from four 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] Thirteen episodes of the series were produced before it was cancelled, only eight of which were shown on ABC, though the full run was shown in other countries or online.

Premise

The program follows the adventures of eight astronauts on board the international spacecraft Antares, the next ambitious manned space mission after the Mars landing. 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 that contains something referred to as Beta, which is exerting an influence on their mission.[6]

Development

The project was inspired by the BBC fictional documentary miniseries Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets, broadcast on BBC One in 2004.[7] The show was co-produced by the BBC, Fox Television Studios, and Omni Film Productions, in association with Canadian broadcasters CTV Television Network and SPACE, as well as German broadcaster ProSieben.[8]

Thirteen episodes were initially ordered,[9] and filming began on January 19, 2009, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, North America, lasting six months. CGI effects were 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.[5][10] The show began on October 21, 2009[11] on BBC Two and BBC HD in the United Kingdom,[12] and has aired on both CTV and SPACE in Canada,[13] and is set to air on ProSieben in Germany.[5] All 13 episodes aired in November / December 2009 on Arena TV in Australia.

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.[14] 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", while others reported it as the "season finale".[15] 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.[16]

CTV aired episode 9, Eve Ate the Apple on September 18, 2009, but did not have Defying Gravity on its schedule for the following week. The remaining four episodes were aired on SPACE, which is only available in Canada. On October 22, 2009, TV Squad reported that the sets for Defying Gravity had been destroyed and that the series had been canceled.[17] On October 29, 2009, creator James Parriott revealed to CliqueClack TV how the series would have continued, had the show gone past its first season. Parriott explained that he has the first three seasons plotted out in a show "bible", along with how it would ultimately end. Also reported was that the remaining episodes that did not air in the U.S. would not be shown on television, but would appear later on Hulu and iTunes. The series was released to DVD on January 19, 2010. All online content regarding the show was removed from the ABC website as of November 18, 2009, and is no longer available on Hulu.[18]

Cast and characters

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Pilot"David StraitonJames D. ParriottAugust 2, 2009 (2009-08-02) (ABC/CTV)
Four male and four female astronauts prepare for a six-year mission aboard the spaceship Antares.
2"Natural Selection"
"Law of Natural Selection"		Peter HowittJames D. ParriottAugust 2, 2009 (2009-08-02) (ABC/CTV)
The Antares begins its mission to explore the planets in the solar system. During flashback scenes from 5 years in the past, we learn that Steve is not able to swim and should have been disqualified from the Antares mission. However, his inclusion was a requirement set by Eve Weller. We also learn about Zoe's and Maddux's one-night stand. In the present, Zoe gets in the specially designed Venus suit to test it for leaks. A system error ejects her and the leak causes her to lose pressure in space. Steve's otherwise disgusting idea saves Zoe's life and gains him respect from others.
3"Threshold"Peter HowittSheri ElwoodAugust 9, 2009 (2009-08-09) (ABC/CTV)
A mysterious force aboard the Antares begins to have a profound effect on the astronauts' biological compositions and personality traits.
4"H2IK"
"H2IK (Hell If I Know)"		Fred GerberBrett ConradAugust 16, 2009 (2009-08-16) (ABC/CTV)
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 UlinMeredith Lavender & Marcie UlinAugust 23, 2009 (2009-08-23) (ABC/CTV)
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"[14]Marcie UlinMeredith LavenderAugust 28, 2009 (2009-08-28) (CTV)
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 WoolnoughChris ProvenzanoSeptember 4, 2009 (2009-09-04) (CTV)
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]Fred GerberSusan Nirah JaffeeSeptember 11, 2009 (2009-09-11) (CTV)
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"[Schedule 2]Peter HowittBlythe RobeSeptember 18, 2009 (2009-09-18) (CTV)
The crew of the Antares learns about Pod 4 and the real reason for their mission to Venus.
10"Deja Vu"[Schedule 3]Michael RohlSheri ElwoodOctober 2, 2009 (2009-10-02) (SPACE)[21]
It's election day but the crew aboard the Antares is still processing the news about their real mission on Venus.
11"Solitary"David StraitonMeredith Lavender & Marcie UlinOctober 9, 2009 (2009-10-09) (SPACE)[22]
In the final hours before the landing on Venus, crew members of the Antares confront the loneliness and isolation of space.
12"Venus"Sturla GunnarssonJames D. ParriottOctober 16, 2009 (2009-10-16) (SPACE)[23]
It's the day of the Venus landing, a historic and dangerous event likely to alter the lives of everyone involved.
13"Kiss"Sturla GunnarssonJames D. ParriottOctober 23, 2009 (2009-10-23) (SPACE)[24]
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.
  1. ^ As of September 14, 2009 this episode was the last scheduled airing of the show on ABC.
  2. ^ As of October 2, 2009 this episode was the last scheduled airing of the show on CTV.
  3. ^ CTV originally had this episode scheduled for September 25, 2009 but started season 3 of Flashpoint instead.

Ratings

US Nielsen ratings

# Episode US air date Rating Share Rating/share
(18-49) 		Viewers
(millions) 		Rank
(week)
1 "Pilot" August 2, 2009 2.4 4 1.1/3 3.83 21
2 "Natural Selection" August 2, 2009 2.3 4 1.0/3 3.56 21
3 "Threshold" August 9, 2009 1.8 3 1.0/2 2.81 28
4 "H2IK" August 16, 2009 1.7 3 0.8/2 2.59 34
5 "Rubicon" August 23, 2009 1.8 3 0.8/2 2.66 33
6 "Bacon" August 30, 2009 1.7 3 0.9/2 2.53 31
7 "Fear" September 6, 2009 1.7 4 0.6/2 2.16 29
8 "Love, Honor, Obey" September 13, 2009 1.6 3 0.8/2 2.53 39

Canadian BBM ratings

# Episode Canadian air date Viewers
(million) 		Rank
(week)
1
2 		"Pilot"
"Natural Selection" 		August 2, 2009 (CTV) 0.783[25] 20[25]
3 "Threshold" August 9, 2009 (CTV) —[26] —[26]
4 "H2IK" August 16, 2009 (CTV) 0.573[27] 30[27]
5 "Rubicon" August 23, 2009 (CTV) —[28] —[28]
6 "Bacon" August 28, 2009 (CTV) —[29] —[29]
7 "Fear" September 4, 2009 (CTV) —[30] —[30]
8 "Love, Honor, Obey" September 11, 2009 (CTV) —[31] —[31]
9 "Eve Ate the Apple" September 18, 2009 (CTV) —[32] —[32]
10 "Deja Vu" October 2, 2009 (Space) —[33] —[33]
11 "Solitary" October 9, 2009 (Space) —[34] —[34]
12 "Venus" October 16, 2009 (Space) —[35] —[35]
13 "Kiss" October 23, 2009 (Space) —[36] —[36]

UK BARB ratings

# Episode UK air date Audience share
(%) 		Viewers
(million)
1 "Pilot" October 21, 2009[37] 7.7 1.72
2 "Law of Natural Selection" October 21, 2009[37] 7.2 1.44
3 "Threshold" October 29, 2009[37] 3.5 0.79
4 "H2IK (Hell If I Know)" November 5, 2009[37] 3.3 0.76
5 "Rubicon" November 12, 2009[37] 2.8 0.67
6 "Bacon" November 14, 2009[37] — —
7 "Fear" November 21, 2009[37] — —
8 "Love, Honor, Obey" November 28, 2009[37] — —
9 "Eve Ate the Apple" December 12, 2009[37] — —
10 "Deja Vu" December 19, 2009[37] — —
11 "Solitary" December 20, 2009[37] — —
12 "Venus" December 21, 2009[37] — —
13 "Kiss" December 22, 2009[37] — —

DVD releases

Set details Special features
Country United States, Canada United Kingdom Australia
  • Bonus featurettes:[38]
    • Mission Accomplished — A Look at Defying Gravity
    • Five Photo Slide Shows
    • 29 Deleted Scenes
# episodes 13 13[39] —
Aspect ratio 1.78:1 1.85:1[39] —
Running time 578 minutes 538 minutes[39] —
Audio Dolby Digital 5.1 — —
Subtitles English, Spanish, French — —
# of discs 4 4[39] —
Region 1 (NTSC) 2 (PAL)[39] —
Rating Not Rated 15[39] —
Release date January 19, 2010 (2010-01-19)[38] February 25, 2013 (2013-02-25)[39][40] —

References

  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 4, 2008). "Ron Livingston is Defying Gravity". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  2. ^ Benzine, Adam (December 17, 2008). "Transatlantic space drama on launch pad". C21 Media. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  3. ^ "ABC.com - Defying Gravity - About the show". Archived from the original on September 5, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "Why ABC's Defying Gravity is no Virtuality 2". SCI FI Wire. Archived from the original on July 26, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c "ABC Picks Up Gravity". The Hollywood Reporter. June 30, 2009. Archived from the original on June 12, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b "New CTV Series DEFYING GRAVITY Premieres August 2" (PDF) (Press release). Omni Film. July 10, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009. Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Pickard, Anna (October 22, 2009). "Defying Gravity defies logic". London: The Guardian. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  8. ^ Dowell, Ben (December 17, 2008). "BBC and Fox take flight for blockbuster drama series". London: The Guardian. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  9. ^ Reynolds, Simon (November 4, 2008). "Fox, BBC team for space drama 'Gravity'". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  10. ^ Bryant, Adam (November 4, 2008). "Ron Livingston and Fox TV Are Defying Gravity". TV Guide. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  11. ^ BBC.co.uk Defying Gravity BBC Two
  12. ^ "New Adventure Drama Slated for BBC Two". World Screen. December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.[dead link‍]
  13. ^ "'Defying Gravity' lifts off August 2 on CTV, A and ABC". CTV.ca. July 10, 2009. Archived from the original on July 15, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
  14. ^ a b Jones, Bryan (August 26, 2009). "Defying Gravity Gets New CTV Timeslot in Canada". TVOvermind. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Cynthia (September 14, 2009). "Defying Gravity: The Season Finale?". SF Universe. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
  16. ^ "ABC REP: "DEFYING GRAVITY" NOT CANCELED". The Futon Critic. September 14, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  17. ^ Lewinski, John (October 22, 2009). "Set visits reveal ghosts of Defying Gravity set destruction". TVSquad. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  18. ^ a b McDuffee, Keith (October 29, 2009). "How Defying Gravity would have progressed, straight from the creator". CliqueClack.com.
  19. ^ "Video Clip Details". TopTVBytes. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  20. ^ a b c Defying Gravity, Episode 10: "Deja Vu"
  21. ^ "SPACE-Schedule 10/2/2009". Spacecast. October 2, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "SPACE-Schedule 10/9/2009". Spacecast. October 2, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "SPACE-Schedule 10/16/2009". Spacecast. October 16, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "SPACE-Schedule 10/23/2009". Spacecast. October 23, 2009. Archived from the original on October 20, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) July 27-August 2, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) August 3–9, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) August 10–16, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) August 17–23, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) August 24–30, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) August 31-September 6, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) September 7–13, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 12, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) September 14–20, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) September 28-October 4, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) October 5–11, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) October 12–18, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) October 19–25, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "BBC Two - Defying Gravity - Episode guide". Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  38. ^ a b tvshowsondvd.com. "Defying Gravity — Fox's Formal Press Release Sticks to 'The Complete First Season' title". Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g "Defying Gravity - The Complete Series (BBC) [DVD]". Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  40. ^ britishfantasysociety.com. "Defying Gravity — complete seasons to be released on DVD". Retrieved August 21, 2013.
Character biographies
  1. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Dr. Evram". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "CTV.ca - Defying Gravity Bios - Jen Crane". CTV.ca - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 18, 2009.[dead link‍]
  3. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Jen". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  4. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Maddux". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Nadia". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Paula". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  7. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Steve". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Archived from the original on September 6, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Ted". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  9. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Zoe". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  10. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Ajay". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Claire". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Eve". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  13. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Mike". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  14. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Rollie". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Archived from the original on September 6, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "BBC Two Programmes - Defying Gravity". BBC.co.uk - BBC Two. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
  16. ^ "About the show - Character Bios - Trevor". ABC.com - Defying Gravity. Archived from the original on September 6, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
Defying Gravity cast
  1. Maddux Donner (Ron Livingston) at ctv.ca (retrieved on 12/12/09)
  2. Zoe Barnes (Laura Harris) at ctv.ca (retrieved on 12/12/09)
  3. Ted Shaw (Malik Yoba) at ctv.ca (retrieved on 12/12/09)
  4. Jen Crane (Christina Cox) at ctv.ca (retrieved on 12/12/09)
  5. Nadia Schilling (Florentine Lahme) at ctv.ca (retrieved on 12/12/09)
  6. Dr. Evram Mintz (Eyal Podell) at ctv.ca (retrieved on 12/12/09)
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