2023/09/11

In the 90’s, as you probably will know, there was an explosion of SCI-FI on TV, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Space: Above & Beyond, The X-Files, Stargate SG1, Farscape, and much, much more. With these overwhelmingly many new TV shows there also was SeaQuest DSV. Instead of exploring space, the crew of the SeaQuest explores the oceans on Earth, set in the year 2018, 25 years after the original broadcast year 1993. I’ve said if before, I believe it was the answer to Star Trek: The Next Generation. The first episode aired on September 12^th, 1993, final episodes aired on June 9^th, 1996.

The SeaQuest is a state of the art underwater vessel with a combination of military and scientific influences. Most of the main cast is military, with a few civilian academics. Additionally the cast includes a dolphin, which can be communicated with by use of a Vocorder. (SeaQuest.Fandom).

SeaQuest is created by Rockne S. O’Bannon, who is also responsible for Farscape, Alien Nation as also Defiance. Steven Spielberg was an executive producer for the first two seasons. It is a show with a big cast, not gonna name them all but a few stand out, Roy Scheider of course, as Captain Nathan Bridger, Jonathan Brandis, the wunderkind, Lucas Wolencak, think Wesley Crusher, Star Trek TNG. Don Franklin who plays Commander Jonathan Ford and Stephanie Beacham who plays Dr. Kristin Westphalen and Stacy Haiduk as Lt. Commander Katherine Hitchcock. One more I want to mention, because he was the funny one on the ship, John D’Aquino as Lt. Benjamin Krieg. If you needed something, he could get if for you. Only the first 3 where there for all seasons, although Roy Scheider only had a few guest spots in season 3. Some other interesting guestspots also: William Shatner, Mark Hamill, Michael York, Richard Herd, David McCallum, Tim Russ, Kent McCord and the list goes on and on!

The first season is definitely the best season, it is almost magical somehow! When you read this you probably think: that guy is mental, but I don’t know how else to explain it, not saying that the first season was perfect or anything but it was original in the sense that our oceans had not been explored in a fictional show, Roy Scheider was the perfect Captain, almost a father to that crew, certainly for Wolencak. After every episode there were 30 seconds where facts where explained by Bob Ballard, related to the episode, about our ocean life. Also the cast, in my opinion is the strongest in the first season, important characters. Characters which made the show more believable and more fun, didn’t return in season two. Characters like Dr. Kristin Westphalen, Lt. Commander Katherine Hitchcock, Chief Manilow Crocker (Royce D. Applegate) and Lt. Benjamin Krieg, they did not return in season two.

The season two cast was diminished with these characters not returning. Also the stories weren’t as engaging, at least that is how I felt it, it wasn’t awful but is was a bit bland. New characters were Dagwood (Peter DeLuise), Tony Piccolo (Michael DeLuise), Helmswoman Lonnie Anderson (Kathy Evison), Dr. Wendy Smith (Rosalind Allen) and Lt. James Brody (Edward Kerr). Of these characters I think Lonnie Anderson worked best and Dr. Wendy Smith added something to the mix for me, the characters played by the DeLuise brothers I did not really cared for to be honest, especially Piccolo, most of the time he only annoyed me.

The 3^rd season I got to see somewhere in 2013 for the first time! Never before I was able to purchase in on DVD, so 18 years later I got to see the 3^rd season for the first time. Also because in my country, in the 90’s the network only aired the first season and kept repeating that season but never aired the 2^nd and the 3^rd season, at least, that is how I remember it.

Screencaps: Google Search

In the 3^rd season Roy Scheider, who was obligated to show his face because of his contract I believe, came by a few times. The show was now called SeaQuest 2032, captain of the SeaQuest in the 3^rd season was Captain Oliver Hudson (Michael Ironside) and I have to say, the 3^rd season, for me, is definitely a tick-up from season two. It still cannot compete with the 1^st season but at least it was in better shape than the previous season. Michael Ironside is a very different actor than Roy Scheider, therefore also a very different captain, but that wasn't a problem for me, although I loved Roy Scheider as captain. With captain Oliver Hudson, there is a more militaristic leadership, really different than Bridger's leadership but I respected them both. Another thing is that season 3 is set in 2032, where SeaQuest has been missing for a decade, which is also interesting.

SeaQuest released on Blu-ray:

This was something which has surprised me, a 3-season show, not really successful, a bit forgotten, suddenly got a Blu-ray release! It was somewhere in 2016 I believe when it was first announced, an Australian release. I purchased the first season but then it stopped, no more releases from Australia. But then Germany announced their SeaQuest releases, all 3 dates became available, so I purchased the German sets, so I probably still have the first season from the Australian set lying here somewhere also. The German releases look amazing, nice slip around the case, first two seasons have English subtitles, third one doesn’t unfortunately. PQ is very good, live action scenes have been transferred to HD, the underwater scenes are upscaled, which isn’t an issue for me.

Last year, July 2022, the complete series was also released in North America, do not know the specifics of that set but I imagine it is similar. For more info, please check this website: Blu-ray.com. There is a review available for the US release if you are interested.

Final Word:

SeaQuest isn’t perfect, it is a flawed show but at the same time it is also a show, as a SCI-FI fan, you at least have to rewatch once! For folks who really like it, I suggest to see if a Blu-ray set is something for you because it never looked better than this, even better than streaming. Writing all this, it is beginning it itch again to also start another rewatch, especially that first season, I love the first season as you probably already gathered. 30 years, only 4-5 years after the show initially takes place. I don’t know if the creator of this show thought that by this time, this (his show) would at all be possible, something we perhaps all were thinking that by 2018 this was all normal, all possible, but for some reason that didn’t happen in a time span of 30 years it seems. Or does it and the general public just isn’t aware of it?