Defying Gravity

[Galactus]

Ron Livingston is Defying Gravity
Source: The Hollywood Reporter November 4, 2008


Fox TV Studios has teamed with Canada's CTV, Germany's ProSieben and the BBC for "Defying Gravity," a 13-episode adventure drama series starring Ron Livingston (Office Space), says The Hollywood Reporter.

"Gravity," which hails from creator/executive producer James Parriott ("Grey's Anatomy") and executive producer Michael Edelstein ("Desperate Housewives"), is set in the near future and revolves around eight astronauts from five countries who take on a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system.

German actress Florentine Lahme also has been cast in "Gravity," a co-venture between FtvS and Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions, whose Brian Hamilton and Michael Chechik also executive produce.

David Straiton has signed on to direct the first episode of the series, which is slated to begin production Jan. 19 in Vancouver.

As with its other internationally produced series, FtvS will be shopping "Gravity" to the U.S. networks as a finished product.

 

[November Rain]

sounds promising.

I was thinking the other day how a show based on an international casts with no european white representatives would go down.

malasian
oriental,
west african
south african
south american
iranian
native american
aboriginee

it has nothing to do with this topic really but i just wondered how it would go down.

 

[POWdER-man]

Season Premiere is on right now. I am enjoying what I see so far. I felt bad for AJ as he felt so strongly it was his destiny to be going to Venus.

There is some big mysteries already shaping up:

What's the real purpose of them going to Venus and why are they not being told until they get there.
What happened in Mars with Donner and Ted?
What happened to AJ and the other guy that they developped heart murmurs and what do the head people know about it?
Why is Zoey hearing little baby cries?

etc...

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Man, I'm barely watching it and it still was boring the crap out of me.

The actresses playing Nadia and Claire are smokin' hot though.

 

[Sub-Zero]

it's trying to be more like lost than anything, but failing to do so. kinda interesting with the whole each of them was "chosen" for this mission, and "beta" is running the show unknown to the crew. ok at best, but nowhere near great. here's hoping flash forward will be amazing.

 

[Evelisse]

Was ok I guess, really needed to give just a taste more of what the secret might be.


Also, gotta love the slowest tether pull in history there at the end, we dont have an automated tether retraction system in place in the future?

 

[carrrnuttt]

Also, gotta love the slowest tether pull in history there at the end, we dont have an automated tether retraction system in place in the future?

This. The only thing I can think of is that AJ's system override FUBAR'ed the tether system, but none of that was even mentioned, and even then, by the time they were doing the rescue, they already reversed AJ's lockout.

A slow start. I'll give it two more episodes to reel me in (pun intended). That's bad, since I am usually a fan of these kinds of stories. Reminds me of "Mission to Mars," which I liked, and "Sunshine," which I loved.

I also have a feeling that Beta is some form of alien life.

 

[GL1]

I haven't seen much of it so far. I like it though.

 

[Evelisse]

I'll give it one more episode before i stop watching. So far it's been like a teen drama, only with people in their 30s. Been pretty boring so far, they need to just get to the secret already, really really doubt its going to be as mind blowing as the show is trying to make it seem.

 

[GL1]

I got through the three eps now. I see what people are saying about the soapishness. It's too much of these little piddling relationships. There's the "mysterious force" which gives me that LOST feeling. Locke would fit right in... but beyond that, there's nothing going on. Nothing is happening in space beyond one chick throwing up, and back on earth, during a FIVE YEAR training session, the only thing going on is relationships.

I think, maybe, that was the mistake. The flashbacks could be the change of pace to a sterile type show, but instead, all we have are backstory on the relationships and little LOSTish 'what a coinkydink' moments. There should be some sort of gripping action or drama or trial there instead of incidentals.

Without tension beyond the romantic and the mystery, the show is only half-entertaining, and without context, I find myself caring less and less about exactly who these characters are attached to and more curious about how they react in tense situations... and finding few examples of such. The tether incident, for instance, is the kind of drama that we need every episode. Constant flashbacks to Earth is a perfect time for this, since you'd think constant mishaps on a space station wouldn't "work" so to speak.

 

[Sawyer]

I was mildly interested in it, then I heard it referred to as "Grey's Anatomy in space" and immediately lost interest. I'll pass.

 

[Arbiter]

their explanation for the gravity makes no since

 

[Mrh7448]

I got through the three eps now. I see what people are saying about the soapishness. It's too much of these little piddling relationships. There's the "mysterious force" which gives me that LOST feeling. Locke would fit right in... but beyond that, there's nothing going on. Nothing is happening in space beyond one chick throwing up, and back on earth, during a FIVE YEAR training session, the only thing going on is relationships.

I think, maybe, that was the mistake. The flashbacks could be the change of pace to a sterile type show, but instead, all we have are backstory on the relationships and little LOSTish 'what a coinkydink' moments. There should be some sort of gripping action or drama or trial there instead of incidentals.

Without tension beyond the romantic and the mystery, the show is only half-entertaining, and without context, I find myself caring less and less about exactly who these characters are attached to and more curious about how they react in tense situations... and finding few examples of such. The tether incident, for instance, is the kind of drama that we need every episode. Constant flashbacks to Earth is a perfect time for this, since you'd think constant mishaps on a space station wouldn't "work" so to speak.

I agree, this show easily became a soap opera in space. It has a lot of potential but it's wasted on dealing with relationships. This is also how I saw Jericho as well when it aired the first season. Nothing happened just a bunch of relationships, even after the big blasts.

They need to get in gear or people will lose interest. They have this great backstory with the "mysterious element" but we know absolutely nothing about it. This could be done in the same way it was done on Eureka which had a similar element but at least that had other things going on with the main element as a back drop, plus at least in Eureka there was a lot of humour which this show really lacks.

I watched the first 2 episodes and I'm already losing interest. I'll give it one more try but that's about it.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I totally agree with everyone saying the show places too much importance on relationships. I have a feeling that was a studio head decision too, you can almost see studio/market research handprints all over the show, trying to make it accessible to the widest audience and failing in every way. I think the cast is really good and doing the best with the material they're being given, it's just too bad that material isn't all that great.

 

[Superfreak]

I'm in Canada, and yet to watch this show, simply because it is on CTV. I don't know if it is the show. But I'm certainly sure that it is the CTV promos for the show that have utterly failed to generate any interest for me. CTV guts the original promos, in favor of their own (for all the shows they air) AND THEY SUCK AT IT. Somehow, they manage to make all the shows they air, including their news, look like absolute horse ****.


Is the show any good?

 

[GL1]

It is some good, but not enough for most. LOST in space, with soap opera subplots.

I'm probably going to ride it out, because I like the premise that much, and I like to see responsible if not upstanding black characters, and this show has not one, but two of them. Even with the mystery, its scarcely worth talking about.

I do want to know what Beta wants them to do on Venus.