'Space: Above and Beyond': 30 years on, Fox's failed military sci-fi series is almost lost to time... and that's a shame

In the fickle universe of popular TV entertainment, there is often a creative endeavor whose reach far exceeds its grasp for whatever particular reason at that moment in broadcast history. Case in point is the short-lived military sci-fi jewel, "Space: Above and Beyond."

Fox's ambitious adventure saga celebrating Humankind's perilous steps outside of our solar system marks its 30th anniversary this week, and it's well worth a look back on its many triumphs, as well as its failings.

This hotly anticipated science fiction show was created by the talented "The X-Files" writing team of James Wong and Glen Morgan ("Final Destination Franchise") with much fanfare. Though it only lasted one season, it certainly was at the vanguard for the period and helped push episodic speculative fiction fare not named "Star Trek" into another realm of linear narrative possibilities.

Unspooling its storytelling arcs in the year 2063, "Space: Above and Beyond" chronicled humanity’s efforts to colonize the galaxy by employing a network of naturally occurring wormholes. Trouble arises when an extra-solar colony on the planet Vesta is wiped out by a hostile alien race known as the Chig, and an interspecies war erupts.

The underappreciated one-and-done series consisted of a 2-hour double-bill debut that was aired as a movie, followed by 23 episodes (nearly three seasons by today's standards!). The show concerns a rowdy international squadron of young starfighter pilots known as the 58th Wildcards serving aboard the USS Saratoga space carrier vessel, depicting their rise from green cadets to hardened soldiers in their ongoing clash against Earth-bound Chig.

Wildcards' squadron leader Captain Shane Vansen (Kristen Cloke) was joined by Nathan West (Morgan Weisser), Cooper Hawkes (Rodney Rowland). Joel de la Fuente (Paul Wang), and Lanei Chapman (Vanessa Damphousse). These daring warriors were commanded by Lt. Col. T.C. McQueen (James Morrison), a battle-tested veteran who whipped his special unit into shape to prepare them for the combat tactics of the insect-like Chig extraterrestrials.

The double-bill pilot episode originally aired on Sept. 24, 1995, and begins when the first human planetary settlement called Vesta Colony is massacred by a surprise night attack of alien spaceships, leading to Earth striking back as the intruders slip into our solar system via the system of predictable wormholes. A second landing party attempting to colonize the planet Tellus suffers the same fate as Vesta, and the stage is set for a prolonged intergalactic showdown.

This thrilling two-part made-for-TV movie was directed by a young David Nutter, who went on to become an Emmy-winning filmmaker helming a multitude of episodes for "The X-Files," "The Sopranos," and the disturbing "Red Wedding" episode of "Game of Thrones." With the series showcasing the lives and loves of Colonial Marines, there will — of course — be comparisons to movies like 1986's "Top Gun," 1987's "Full Metal Jacket," and especially 1997's "Starship Troopers". There are a lot of visual similarities to Heinlein's Hollywood classic, though the show predates it by a good two years.

"Space: Above and Beyond's" early use of CGI in its VFX of rocketships and planetary vistas remains impressive for its day, and that subdued cinematography palette would influence Ronald D. Moore's "Battlestar Galactica," which became a touchstone for sci-fi sagas.

Part of the series' multi-layered conflict revolves around the growing distrust on Earth of In Vitros. Wrongly referred to as "tanks," they're humans conceived in artificial gestation tanks and bred as adult soldiers, following a previous war between humans and a rebellious android race called Silicates. Remnants of these artificial beings, initially conceived as a servant class on Earth, now act as mercenaries for the Chig in their continuing conflict with Earth's outgunned forces.

Wong and Morgan's mission into gung-ho military sci-fi drama is definitely a product of its time, so it's wise to consider its filming style, pacing, and melodramatic tone, whether you're diving in and discovering it for the first time or revisiting for nostalgia's sake. There is also an unavoidable level of jingoism that comes with these types of shows, and while it's delivered a lot less ironically than in Starship Troopers, it doesn't get in the way of the entertainment.

Their mythic worldbuilding held the promise of multiple seasons to further explore themes of bigotry, morality, preconceived notions of alien civilizations, and the nature of war. Sadly, low viewership numbers, a severe lack of network promotion, and its costly $5 million per episode pricetag made it a prime candidate for the chopping block in 1996.

Spirited and involving, with a rousing old-fashioned score by Shirley Walker, solid special effects, and decent performances from its twenty-something cast, "Space: Above and Beyond" holds a unique place in sci-fi programming. It had grand ideas and great intentions, but never quite achieved the pinnacle of its vision. What's important, though, is that — just like NASA's manned space program — it aimed to boldly go where few series outside "Star Trek's" sphere had ventured before.

The show is almost lost to time at this point, at least as far as modern streaming platforms are concerned. It's not available to stream, rent, or buy on any major platform (though some intrepid soul has uploaded the entire series to YouTube with some AI upscaling, if you're into that). For the original, you'll have to head over to Amazon to pick up the DVD box set (I know, DVDs in 2025, wild).