EARTH 2 - The Complete Series - ***

Release Date 4th June 2012.

UK DVD release date: 28th of May 2012. RRP: £39.99.

Heading to DVD in the UK for the first time is Steven Spielberg's 1990s science fiction TV series EARTH 2. Originally transmitted in the US from November 1994, never as far as I'm aware receiving a UK outing, the series was initially well received by critics and fans alike. However, as the series unwound through the winter of 1995, audiences dwindled and the series was cancelled by NBC after 22 episodes.

In 2192 due to rampant pollution most of the human population had fled Earth to live on large orbiting space stations. Billionaire Devon Adair's (Deborah Farentino) eight-year-old son, Ulysses Adair (Joey Zimmerman), had contracted a rare, fatal disease called "The Syndrome", a condition whose existence is not acknowledged by the government and medical community. Desperate to save her son, Devon puts together a group who will pioneer the effort to settle a planet 22 light-years away from Earth. Hours before Adair's group intends to leave, a bomb is discovered, set to explode the hour the ship would leave. The Eden Project leaves immediately, jettisoning the bomb before detonation.

When the ship arrives at G889, it crash lands on the wrong side of the planet. With her group scattered on the planet surface and supplies missing, Devon begins heading west to the planned site of New Pacifica.

It's WAGON TRAIN - a staple of 1960s TV meets LOST IN SPACE light-years updated, sci-fi family style. Its explorers braving a new frontier, with a little thrilly-chilly for everybody. It has E.T.-cute, but deadly creatures for children to love, underground spooks for grown-up goose bumps, special effects, high-tech-looking gadgets, which do now look a bit dated, remember this was made in the early 90s, alien experiences and heaps of action.

Filmed in New Mexico EARTH 2 has a nice, cinematic look, but the special effects are even by the standards of the time are not great. The aliens are unimaginative (thinking about it, the Earth visitors are the aliens here) that range from a cuddly little Yoda-like creature to the lumpy, mummyesque Terrians that are more comical than menacing.

After a slow couple of episodes, EARTH 2 plunges into a dreamlike realm of time warps and overlapping realities and things become much more interesting. EARTH 2 may not boldly go anywhere sci-fi hasn't been before, however the more episodes I watched, the more I was drawn in to the dynamic of the show and the relationships between the characters. I began to care what happened to them, which from my point of view is what you should be looking for in any TV show. Not a classic by any means, but not a bad watch.

Ian Rattray.

Bonus features include deleted and extended scenes, blooper reel and outtakes.

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