seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032 .
Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction. It stars Roy Scheider as Nathan Bridger, captain of the eponymous high-tech submarine seaQuest DSV 4600, Jonathan Brandis as Lucas Wolenczak, a teenaged computer genius, and Stephanie Beacham as Kristin Westphalen, the chief medical officer and head of the seaQuest science department. Steven Spielberg expressed interest in the project and served as one of the show's executive producers during the first two seasons.
Filming of the first season was marked by producer disputes, changes at the helm (off-screen, as well as on-screen), and even an earthquake. The second season contained changes in the cast, as well as disputes between cast members and producers, while the third season introduced a new lead actor and title. While initially popular, the series began to decline in ratings throughout its run; however, it remained sufficiently popular to last two and a half seasons—being abruptly canceled in the middle of the third—and, despite its cancellation, has achieved something of a cult following in the years since its demise.
Roy Scheider narrated the voiceover during the opening credits of each first-season episode:
The 21st century: mankind has colonized the last unexplored region on Earth; the ocean. As captain of the seaQuest and its crew, we are its guardians. For beneath the surface lies the future.
Season 1
The series follows the adventures of the high-tech submarine seaQuest operated by the United Earth Oceans Organization (UEO), a global federation of nations, similar to the United Nations, which was created following a major showdown of nations that occurred circa 2017. The seaQuest was built by NORPAC (a military organization mentioned in the pilot) and given to the UEO after its creation. The storyline begins in the year 2018, after mankind has exhausted almost all natural resources, except for the ones on the ocean floor. Many new colonies have been established there and it's the job of the seaQuest and its crew to protect them from hostile nonaligned nations and to aid in mediating disputes. Part of the original focus of seaQuest DSV also centered around the interpersonal relationships of the crew, such as Captain Bridger's, Lucas Wolenczak's, and Dr. Westphalen's loss of immediate family and their shared interest in science, as well as each other, and the "love-hate relationship" between Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg and Lieutenant Commander Katherine Hitchcock, recently divorced, now forced to serve together on the same ship.
Season 2
In the first-season finale, Bridger sacrifices the seaQuest to prevent an ecological disaster, and for a short time it was not known if the show would be renewed for another season. When it was decided the show would return, NBC and Universal used this opportunity to tinker with the show's format. Both Royce D. Applegate (Chief Manilow Crocker) and John D'Aquino (Krieg) were released by NBC as the network wanted a younger cast for the second year (D'Aquino subsequently returned for a guest appearance in the third season). Stacy Haiduk (Hitchcock), who was not happy with her character's development, informed producers she did not wish to return if the show went on to a second season. Stephanie Beacham, who as Dr. Kristin Westphalen was one of the first season's strongest characters, had been asked back for the second year; however, she quit when it was decided the show would move production from Los Angeles to Florida. (The move also changed the show's location from Pearl Harbor to New Cape Quest; a fictional city in Florida). Beacham also blamed continued fighting between the network and the show's producers as a major reason why she did not return. The series had also suffered in the ratings, as it was pitted against Lois and Clark .
Joining the series were Edward Kerr, who replaced Applegate's character as Lieutenant James Brody; Kathy Evison, who replaced Haiduk's character as Lieutenant Lonnie Henderson; Rosalind Allen, who replaced Beacham's character as Dr. Wendy Smith; and Michael and Peter DeLuise who both replaced D'Aquino's character in varying degrees as Seaman Anthony Piccolo and Dagwood, respectively. A new seaQuest was constructed; the sets redesigned, and a shortened version of the Emmy winning main title theme was instituted as the series returned to the airwaves on September 18 , 1994 with the two-hour television movie titled "Daggers."
NBC also decided they wanted more stereotypically "sci-fi" oriented episodes this season, a direction that was explored toward the end of the first season when seaQuest discovers a million-year-old alien ship buried in the ocean floor. The marine trivia presentations during the credits previously hosted by oceanographer Robert Ballard were instead presented by the show's cast ( sans Roy Scheider). While these changes did attract a new audience, many of the original fans of the first season were unhappy at the show's change in tone and abandoned it.
By the end of season two, seaQuest DSV was again suffering, partly attributed to a perceived decrease in the quality of the writing as well as preemptions by NBC due to sports coverage. The threat of cancellation loomed large but NBC gave it one more chance after plans for a new series titled Rolling Thunder to replace seaQuest DSV were canceled. Producer Lee Goldberg claimed the new series was canceled because the premise was "awful."
Season 3
Another revamp resulted in the production of a third season, now called seaQuest 2032 . Roy Scheider had been vocal in his anger of the show's new direction. "It's childish trash," Scheider claimed in an interview while filming the second season. "I am very bitter about it. I feel betrayed." Scheider also described the second season as being " 21 Jump Street meets Star Trek. " Executive Producer Patrick Hasburgh had strong words for Scheider as well, replying "I'm sorry he is such a sad and angry man. seaQuest is going to be a terrific show, and he is lucky to be part of it." Scheider requested to be released from his contract with NBC. However, the network only partially agreed and demanded that Bridger would make several appearances throughout the season. Edward Kerr had been very frustrated with the episode titled "Alone" (reportedly, Kerr hated the script so much that he walked off the set, which is why Brody does not appear in that episode) and also wished to exit the series in the third season, which is why his character was critically injured in the second season finale, "Splashdown". However, NBC would only agree to release him from his contract if he continued to play Brody for a few episodes in the third season so his character could be killed off for more dramatic impact. Rosalind Allen was released as her character proved to be unpopular with the fans. Marco Sanchez (Sensor Chief Miguel Ortiz), who had requested to remain with the series, was also released after NBC decided it wanted the principal cast number dropped from ten to nine, leaving Jonathan Brandis, Don Franklin (Commander Jonathan Ford), and Ted Raimi (Lieutenant Tim O'Neill) as the only three cast members who remained with the show since the first episode. The marine trivia presentations at the end of the show were dropped entirely.
"The world is not a nice place, it's not comfortable...corporate entities have grown to the point where they rival and sometimes are more powerful than actual national governments. UEO is not the big kid on the block anymore, seaQuest is no longer state of the art; it's a boat and it's a military vehicle and I'm going to take it places it has never been before." -- Michael Ironside, in an interview promoting season three
In the season premiere, the seaQuest reappears, its crew mostly intact, ten years after their abduction at the end of season two. Captain Bridger retires to raise his grandson and Michael Ironside joins the cast as the more militaristic Captain Oliver Hudson and brings along his "best student", Lieutenant J.J. Fredericks, who serves as seaQuest' s ace sub-fighter pilot as the UEO faces the threat of the Macronesian Alliance. Other recurring characters were also added. While the series is perceived as becoming much darker than it was in the previous seasons, some fans felt that seaQuest had finally found its feet. However, Universal and NBC disagreed, and canceled the series after thirteen episodes.
Cast
- Roy Scheider as Captain Nathan Bridger (seasons 1-2, 3x01, 3x07, 3x09)
- Jonathan Brandis as Lucas Wolenczak (seasons 1-3)
- Stephanie Beacham as Dr. Kristin Westphalen (season 1)
- Stacy Haiduk as Lt. Commander Kath
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