Defying Gravity (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Defying Gravity is a multi-nationally produced space travel television science fiction drama series, first aired on August 2, 2009 on ABC
and CTV
and canceled in the autumn of 2009. Set in the year 2052, the series follows eight astronauts (four women and four men) from four countries on a six-year space mission through the Solar System
, during which they are monitored from Earth via a real-time communication system. The series was pitched to networks as "Grey's Anatomy
in space". On October 29, 2009 the show's creator James Parriott revealed how the show would have progressed in response to questions in a follow up interview about the show.
miniseries Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets
, broadcast on BBC One
in 2004. The show was co-produced by the BBC
, Fox Television Studios
, and Omni Film Productions in association with Canadian broadcasters CTV Television Network
, SPACE, and German broadcaster ProSieben.
Thirteen episodes were initially ordered, and filming began on January 19, 2009 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, lasting six months. CGI effects were handled by Stargate Studios
, in collaboration with set designer Stephen Geaghan.
announced that it had ordered the program for a summer 2009 broadcast in the United States. The show began on October 21, 2009 on BBC Two
and BBC HD
in the United Kingdom, and has aired on both CTV
and SPACE in Canada, and is set to air on ProSieben in Germany. All 13 episodes aired in November / December 2009 on Arena TV in Australia.
CTV
moved the scheduled airing of the show from Sunday to Friday nights on August 26, 2009, and speculation began about the possibility of the show being canceled. On September 14, 2009, online sources noted ABC
's apparent cancellation of the series, with most having reported the eighth episode as the "series finale", while others reported it as the "season finale". The show's publicist, Nicole Marostica, issued a statement on September 14, 2009 that ABC is not in fact canceling the show but that management is deciding on a time slot to air the remaining 5 episodes of season 1.
CTV aired episode 9, Eve Ate the Apple on September 18, 2009, but did not have Defying Gravity on its schedule for the following week. The remaining four episodes were aired on SPACE, which is only available in Canada. On October 22, 2009, TV Squad reported that the sets for Defying Gravity had been destroyed and that the series had been canceled earlier this fall. On October 29, 2009, creator James Parriott revealed to CliqueClack TV how the series would have continued, had the show gone past its first season. Parriott explained that he has the first three seasons plotted out in a show "bible", along with how it would ultimately end. Also reported was that the remaining episodes that did not air in the U.S. would not be shown on television, but would appear later on Hulu
and iTunes
. The series was released to DVD on January 19, 2010. All online content regarding the show is being removed from the ABC website as of November 18, 2009, and are no longer available on Hulu
.
of spinning rotors. But in the rest of the ship artificial gravity
was created with magnetism
and the astronauts' grav suits. These suits contain nanofibers that pulled them towards the deck electromagnetically. They also used "nano-spray" on their hair and non-standard clothing to make them slightly magnetic; that's why the astronauts' hair doesn't float in the zero-g environment of the Antares. Anything aboard the ship without the nanotechnology
will float.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and canceled in the autumn of 2009. Set in the year 2052, the series follows eight astronauts (four women and four men) from four countries on a six-year space mission through the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, during which they are monitored from Earth via a real-time communication system. The series was pitched to networks as "Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
in space". On October 29, 2009 the show's creator James Parriott revealed how the show would have progressed in response to questions in a follow up interview about the show.
Premise
The program follows the adventures of eight astronauts on board the international spacecraft Antares, the next ambitious manned space mission after the Mars landing. The lives of the astronauts are being constantly recorded and broadcast back to Earth both as part of an ongoing documentary and as part of mission monitoring. In spite of a libido-suppressing device worn by each crew member, referred to as "HALO" for "Hormone Activated Libido Oppressors", romantic entanglements develop among some crew members. Further complicating their lives is a mysterious storage pod that contains something referred to as Beta, which is exerting an impact on their mission.Development
The project was inspired by the BBC mockumentaryMockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
miniseries Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets
Space Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets
Space Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets is a mockumentary about a manned voyage through the solar system. Space Odyssey premiered in 2004 and was made by the BBC...
, broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in 2004. The show was co-produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Fox Television Studios
Fox Television Studios
Fox Television Studios, Inc. is the TV production arm of the News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, as well as being the production arm of Fox and a production arm of 20th Century Fox Television, Inc., itself a division of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation...
, and Omni Film Productions in association with Canadian broadcasters CTV Television Network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, SPACE, and German broadcaster ProSieben.
Thirteen episodes were initially ordered, and filming began on January 19, 2009 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, lasting six months. CGI effects were handled by Stargate Studios
Stargate Studios
Stargate Studios was founded in 1989 by cinematographer and special visual effects supervisor Sam Nicholson.Stargate Studios is a production company offering visual effects and production services to the film and television industry....
, in collaboration with set designer Stephen Geaghan.
Scheduling
On June 30, 2009, ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
announced that it had ordered the program for a summer 2009 broadcast in the United States. The show began on October 21, 2009 on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
in the United Kingdom, and has aired on both CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and SPACE in Canada, and is set to air on ProSieben in Germany. All 13 episodes aired in November / December 2009 on Arena TV in Australia.
CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
moved the scheduled airing of the show from Sunday to Friday nights on August 26, 2009, and speculation began about the possibility of the show being canceled. On September 14, 2009, online sources noted ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's apparent cancellation of the series, with most having reported the eighth episode as the "series finale", while others reported it as the "season finale". The show's publicist, Nicole Marostica, issued a statement on September 14, 2009 that ABC is not in fact canceling the show but that management is deciding on a time slot to air the remaining 5 episodes of season 1.
CTV aired episode 9, Eve Ate the Apple on September 18, 2009, but did not have Defying Gravity on its schedule for the following week. The remaining four episodes were aired on SPACE, which is only available in Canada. On October 22, 2009, TV Squad reported that the sets for Defying Gravity had been destroyed and that the series had been canceled earlier this fall. On October 29, 2009, creator James Parriott revealed to CliqueClack TV how the series would have continued, had the show gone past its first season. Parriott explained that he has the first three seasons plotted out in a show "bible", along with how it would ultimately end. Also reported was that the remaining episodes that did not air in the U.S. would not be shown on television, but would appear later on Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. The series was released to DVD on January 19, 2010. All online content regarding the show is being removed from the ABC website as of November 18, 2009, and are no longer available on Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
.
On Antares
- Evram Mintz (Eyal PodellEyal PodellEyal Podell is an Israeli-born American actor who is known for his portrayal of Professor Adrian Korbel on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Podell recently played the role of Dr...
) is the ship's doctor and psychiatrist. He's Claire Dereux's boyfriend. Mintz is from Israel, where he served in the IDF. - Jen Crane (Christina CoxChristina CoxChristina Cox is a Canadian movie and television actress and stuntwoman.-Biography:Christina Cox was born just outside of Toronto, the youngest of three daughters. Her two sisters are named Tracey and Melissa...
) is a biologist, she's married to Rollie Crane and had a past relationship with Ted Shaw. She's from Canada. - Maddux Donner (Ron LivingstonRon LivingstonRonald Joseph "Ron" Livingston is an American film and television actor. His roles include a disaffected corporate employee in the film Office Space, a sardonic writer in a short-term relationship with Carrie Bradshaw in the TV show Sex and the City, and Captain Lewis Nixon in the miniseries...
) is the chief engineer. Sharon Lewis was his lover before she died during a mission on Mars, he's currently a friend with benefits with Nadia Schilling, and has an awkward relation with Zoe Barnes. He's from Iowa, USA. - Nadia Schilling (Florentine LahmeFlorentine LahmeFlorentine Lahme is a German actress.After she passed her Abitur, Lahme studied Japanology and English for four semesters. After that she decided to become an actress....
) is a pilot. She has a friend with benefits relationship with Maddux Donner. Nadia is from Germany. Series creator James Parriott later stated that the intention was to reveal later in the series that Nadia was actually intersexed, and the effects of the beta object were changing into the male she could have been. - Paula Morales (Paula GarcésPaula GarcésPaula Garcés is a Colombian American film and television actress, known for her appearance in films such as Clockstoppers and The Harold and Kumar Series, and on TV shows such as CSI: Miami, The Shield, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, The Sopranos, Oz and Warehouse 13.-Early life:Garcés was...
) is the payload specialistPayload SpecialistA Payload Specialist ' was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a NASA Space Shuttle mission...
, lander pilot and is responsible for an on-board documentary for kids. She's from Brownsville, Texas. - Steve Wassenfelder (Dylan TaylorDylan TaylorDylan Taylor is a Canadian actor, best known for playing Steve Wassenfelder, the ship’s out of shape theoretical physicist on the TV series Defying Gravity.-Filmography:...
) is a theoretical physicistTheoretical physicsTheoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
and a pornPORNPorn is a common short form for pornography. It may also refer to:* Progressive outer retinal necrosis, a disease of the retina* PORN, a French industrial rock band...
connoisseur. He is from the United States. - Ted Shaw (Malik YobaMalik YobaAbdul-Malik Kashie Yoba , better known by his stage name Malik Yoba, is an American actor and occasional singer. He is perhaps best known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J.C. Williams on the FOX police drama series New York Undercover or as Yul Brenner in Cool Runnings...
) is the Antares commander. He is married to Eve Weller and had a relationship with Jen Crane in the past. He's from the United States. - Zoe Barnes (Laura HarrisLaura HarrisLaura Elizabeth Harris is a Canadian actress.-Early life:Harris was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the daughter of school teachers. She began acting in radio dramas and animation series when she was five years old. As a child Harris was educated at Crofton House School and attended college...
) is a geologist. She had a one-night standOne-night standOriginally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
with Maddux Donner who is unaware that it resulted in an aborted pregnancy. She's from the United States.
On Earth
- Ajay Sharma (Zahf Paroo) was the original flight engineerFlight engineerFlight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
but after a heart problem caused by Beta he was reinstated to mission control. He's from Mumbai, India. - Claire Dereux (Maxim RoyMaxim RoyMaxim Roy is a Canadian actress from Quebec .-Career:Roy has worked in theater, film and television. Her breakthrough was the lead in a thirteen-episode TV series Au nom du Pere et du Fils. She then went on to do the sequel, Le Sorcier. She appeared in Love & Human Remains and in the television...
) is the flight surgeonFlight surgeonA flight surgeon is a military medical officer assigned to duties in the clinical field variously known as aviation medicine, aerospace medicine, or flight medicine...
and Evram Mintz's girlfriend. She is from Montreal, Canada. - Eve Weller-Shaw (Karen LeBlanc) works alongside Goss. She works for the Bertram Corporation and was in charge of crew selection. Eve is married to Ted Shaw and is from New Orleans, LA, USA as referenced in Episode 09 "Eve Ate The Apple".
- Mike Goss (Andrew AirlieAndrew AirlieAndrew Airlie is a Scottish-born Canadian actor.He has starred in television series including Breaker High and his TV credits include guest starring in popular television shows such as Monk, Smallville, Stargate SG-1 and The X-Files. He had television regular roles as Mr...
) is the mission control flight director. He was on the Mars mission. - Rollie Crane (Ty OlssonTy OlssonTyler "Ty" Olsson is a Canadian actor. He's best known for being the voice of the dragon Ord on Dragon Tales and for portraying real life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television movie Flight 93.-Life and career:...
) is the former Antares commander and currently works in mission control. He's married to Jen Crane. He is from the United States - Arnel Poe (William C Vaughan) works in mission control. He lost his leg during his training for qualification for the Antares mission. He is from the United States.
- Trevor Williams (Peter HowittPeter HowittPeter Howitt is an English actor and film director. He grew up in Eltham, London and Bromley, Kent, Peter used to be a part of the Priory Players in the Priory behind Christ Church, Eltham. He studied at the Drama Studio London. He has two children, Luke and Amy...
) is a journalist from the United Kingdom. He suspects that ISO isn't telling the truth about the Antares mission and tries to find out.
On Mars
- Sharon Lewis (Lara GilchristLara Gilchrist- Filmography :* Exes and Ohs - Gillian* The Seamstress - Dina* Bionic Woman - Carly* Battlestar Galactica - Paulla Schaffer* The Haunting of Sorority Row - Lacey Thorne* Blood Ties - Helen...
) was left behind together with Walker during a previous Mars mission. She was Donner's former lover. - Jeff Walker (Rick RavanelloRick RavanelloRick Ravanello is a Canadian actor who has appeared in several television series and movies.One of several brothers, Ravenello was raised in the Trout Brook Road area of Mira, Cape Breton, and graduated from Riverview Rural High School in 1986.-Filmography:-Guest appearances:*In Justice playing...
) was left behind on Mars with Lewis.
In-universe technology
Within the series, it was explained that onboard the Antares the crew's quarters have natural gravity caused by the centrifugal forceCentrifugal force
Centrifugal force can generally be any force directed outward relative to some origin. More particularly, in classical mechanics, the centrifugal force is an outward force which arises when describing the motion of objects in a rotating reference frame...
of spinning rotors. But in the rest of the ship artificial gravity
Artificial gravity
Artificial gravity is the varying of apparent gravity via artificial means, particularly in space, but also on the Earth...
was created with magnetism
Magnetism
Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
and the astronauts' grav suits. These suits contain nanofibers that pulled them towards the deck electromagnetically. They also used "nano-spray" on their hair and non-standard clothing to make them slightly magnetic; that's why the astronauts' hair doesn't float in the zero-g environment of the Antares. Anything aboard the ship without the nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
will float.
Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
US Nielsen ratings
| # | Episode | US air date | Rating | Share | Rating/share Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States... (18-49) |
Viewers (millions) |
Rank (week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canadian BBM ratings
| # | Episode | Canadian air date | Viewers (million) |
Rank (week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UK BARB ratings
| # | Episode | UK air date | Audience share (%) |
Viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DVD releases
| Set details | Special features | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |width="150px"|  United States  Canada North AmericaNorth America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... |width="150px"| |width="150px"| |style="padding-right: 8px" align="left" valign="top" rowspan="10"|
|
||||
|
>13 | | |
||||
| >1.78:1 | ||||
| >578 minutes | ||||
| >Dolby Digital | ||||
| >English, Spanish, French | ||||
| >4 | ||||
| >1 (NTSC) | ||||
| >NOT RATED | ||||
| > | ||||
External links
- Defying Gravity - CTV.ca (CTV)
- Defying Gravity - SPACEcast.ca (SPACE)
- Defying Gravity - BBC.co.uk (BBC Two)