I swear, it’s just coincidence that the last several postings have been sci-fi related, but even with that being the case, I’d still like to talk for a few moments about ABC’s new summer replacement series, an anthology called “Masters of Science Fiction.”
I’d heard a little bit about it from the show’s publicist before I headed out to the TCA Press Tour in July; it sounded interesting (although, obviously, tempting me with a science-fiction concept is akin to shooting fish in a barrel), and it had a phenomenal list of contributing actors (Malcolm McDowell, Anne Heche, Sam Waterston, Judy Davis, Terry O’Quinn, Elizabeth Rohm, Brian Dennehy, and John Hurt are just some of the folks involved), so, naturally, when the publicist offered up a review copy, I was ready to roll. Unfortunately, it didn’t arrive before my departure to L.A. for the tour, so I didn’t get to check it out until my return…and even more unfortunately, by the time I returned, I was already a bit iffy on checking it out, thanks to the words of no less than ABC’s president of entertainment, Stephen McPherson.
During ABC’s executive panel, someone asked McPherson about the origin of the series, he responded, “It was a low-cost initiative that we tried. We did this series of movies to see if there was a way to spark something different at a really low cost point. You know, I think there is some good work done there, but it’s very unseen. So it’s just been…it’s been a little bit problematic.”
Okay, now, to be fair, he’s acknowledging the “good work” inherent somewhere in the series, but his suggestion that it’s “very unseen” is a little disingenuous; after all, there were six episodes made for “Masters of Science Fiction,” and as the network’s president of entertainment, I have to think he might’ve had something to do with the fact that ABC is opting to only show four of them. Also, come on, he’s saying this stuff to critics before the series has even aired…? Way to get behind it, man!
From my perspective, however, I can now tell that you that I’ve seen the four episodes that will be airing on Saturday nights at 10 PM for the next few weeks…and, wow, if that timeslot of death doesn’t instill you with ABC’s definitive opinion of the show, I don’t know what does…and it’s nothing but a stone cold shame that they’re burying this thing. “Masters of Science Fiction” harks back to classic dramatic anthologies like “The Twilight Zone,” “The Outer Limits,” and the like. The budget might not be through the roof, but the performances are top-notch, and that goes beyond the acting; the show brings in directors like Mark Rydell (“On Golden Pond”), Michael Tolkin (“The Player”), and Jonathan Frakes (“Star Trek: First Contact”), and features adaptations of stories by Robert Heinlein (“I, Robot”), Howard Fast (“Spartacus”), and legendary sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison, who adapts his own story, collaborating with Josh Olson (“A History of Violence”).
Some folks have been dismissive of the fact that the show was done in connection with Starz, but don’t lump “Masters of Science Fiction” in with “Masters of Horror”; the latter is more about blood, guts, and cheap scares, while this is intelligent and thought-provoking drama, done with the occasional – but far from constant – wink at the viewer. Take, for instance, “The Awakening,” which stars O’Quinn (you know him as John Locke from “Lost”) as a former military man who’s called back into service when it’s suspected that aliens may be landing on Earth. The situation is sufficiently grim that the President of the United States is brought into the loop…and who plays the President? William B. Davis, a.k.a. the Cigarette Smoking Man from “The X-Files.” There’s something darkly funny about that, and you can bet that the producers were completely in on the joke. It’s also mildly amusing that the show is narrated by Professor Stephen Hawking…and, yes, I know, there’s really no way to know that it was actually Hawking doing the narration, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, shall we?
“Masters of Science Fiction” is quality stuff, and, honestly, I don’t see anything here that couldn’t, if given the opportunity, draw an audience, especially given the amount of familiar faces involved. Why bury it on Saturday nights at 10 PM…? I mean, I’m not telling you to blow off any existing plans you may have, but if you’re home, it’s well worth watching…and if you’re not home but you’ve got TiVo, I do recommend that you grab it and check it out later.
Oh, and if you like it as much as I did, don’t be afraid to send a nasty E-mail to Stephen McPherson and ask him why he couldn’t be bothered to set aside one of ABC’s reality show for a few weeks and give this series a halfway-decent chance at success…
