Space: Above and Beyond/Season 1

Space: Above and Beyond is an American science fiction television series. It was created by Glen Morgan and James Wong and aired on the FOX Network for a single season from September 24th, 1995 to June 2nd, 1996, spanning a total of twenty-three episodes. The show is set in the near future time era of 2063 and 2064 and had a militaristic war film feel to it, as members of a space marine unit stationed aboard the carrier known as the USS Saratoga fought up against an aggressive alien race known as the Chigs. Although the series received fair to moderate ratings, it failed to impress the sponsors enough for it to be optioned for a second season.

Space: Above and Beyond featured an ensemble cast and starred Morgan Weisser as Lieutenant Nathan West, Kristen Cloke as Captain Shane Vansen, Rodney Rowland as Lieutenant Cooper Hawkes, Joel de la Fuente as Lieutenant Paul Wang, Lanei Chapman as Lieutenant Vanessa Damphouse, and James Morrison as Lieutenant Colonel T.C. McQueen.

Prior to the events of the show, there was a war between humans and android artificial intelligences known as Silicates. These human-looking androids, referred to as "walking personal computers", have rebelled, formed their own societies, and wage a guerrilla war against human society from a number of remote bases. The Silicates are also suspected of having some involvement with the Chigs.

In the years leading up to 2063, humanity has begun to colonize other planets. Lacking FTL technology, this is accomplished by taking advantage of transient but predictable, naturally occurring wormholes. Without warning, a previously unknown alien species, the "Chigs", attack and destroy Earth's first extra-solar colony and then destroy a second colony ship. The bulk of the Earth military forces sent to confront the Chigs are destroyed or outflanked, in part because the Chigs have some form of FTL, affording them greater freedom of movement (although this technology appears limited, and the Chigs also primarily utilize natural wormholes).

Production

 * Glen Morgan - Creator; Executive producer
 * James Wong - Creator; Executive producer
 * Stephen Zito - Co-executive producer
 * D. Howard Grigsby - Producer; Line producer
 * Michael Lake - Producer
 * Tim McHugh - Producer
 * Herb Adelman - Co-producer
 * Tom Towler - Supervising producer
 * Dan Dugan - Coordinating producer


 * Ken Dennis - Associate producer
 * Gordon Lonsdale - Director of photography
 * Anthony R. Palmieri - Director of photography
 * David Eggby - Director of photography
 * James Coblentz - Editor
 * George Potter - Editor
 * Chris G. Willingham - Editor
 * Bernard Hides - Production designer
 * Shirley Walker - Composer

Directors

 * Charles Martin Smith
 * David Nutter
 * Felix Enriquez Alcala
 * Henri Safran
 * Jesus Salvador Trevino
 * Jim Charleston
 * Michael Katleman
 * Stephen Cragg
 * Stephen Posey
 * Thomas J. Wright
 * Tucker Gates
 * Vern Gillum
 * Winrich Kolbe

Writers

 * Doc Johnson
 * Glen Morgan
 * Howard Grigsby
 * James Wong
 * Joe Reinkemeyer
 * Jule Selbo
 * Marilyn Osborn
 * Matt Kiene
 * Peyton Webb
 * Richard Whitley
 * Stephen Zito

Notes & Trivia

 * "SAAB/Season 1" serves as a shortcut to this page.