Earth Star Voyager

Infobox Television
show_name = Earth*Star Voyager


caption = Earth Star Voyager USA custom DVD cover
format = Science fiction, Action, Adventure
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 96 min (without commercials) (per half)
creator = Ed Spielman
developer =
producer = Howard P. Alston
Dennis E. Doty
executive_producer =
director = James Goldstone
starring = Duncan Regehr
Brian McNamara
Julia Montgomery
Jason Michas
Tom Bresnahan
Margaret Langrick
Sean O'Byrne
Peter Donat
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer = Lalo Schifrin
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = USA
location =
language = English
network =
first_aired = 15 January, 1988
last_aired = 24 January, 1988
num_series =
num_episodes = 2 (aired)
list_episodes =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website =
imdb_id = 0095077
tv_com_id =

Earth*Star Voyager is the name of a science fiction television movie shown on the Wonderful World of Disney in 1988. The show aired as a two-part pilot, but was never picked up for a series and has not been released on DVD, although a fan base for the pilot has grown over the years.

Cast and crew

Directed by
*James Goldstone

Writing credits
*Ed Spielman

Cast (in credits order)
*Duncan Regehr .... Jacob 'Jake' Brown (Former CDR, Vanguard Explorer)
*Brian McNamara .... Capt. Jonathan Hays
*Julia Montgomery .... Dr. Sally Arthur
*Jason Michas .... Jessie 'Beanie' Bienstock
*Tom Bresnahan .... Huxley Welles
*Margaret Langrick .... Luz Sansone
*Sean O'Byrne .... Vance Arthur
*Peter Donat .... Adm. Beasley rest of cast listed alphabetically:
*Dinah Gaston .... Lani Miyori
*Bruce Harwood .... Dr. Leland Eugene
*Henry Kingi .... Shell
*Lynette Mettey .... Priscilla
*Ric Reid .... Capt. Forbes
*Frank C. Turner .... Willy
*David Paul Hewitt White ... Guard

Plot

In the year 2082, the Earth deep-space exploration "Vanguard Explorer" has suffered heavy damage, due to the efforts of Captain Jacob 'Jake' Brown trying to keep his ship out of the hands of mutineers led by his second-in-command, Vance Arthur. Feigning compliance, Jake attacks Vance and knocks him senseless - long enough for him to get to an escape pod and launch into space.

It is now six years later, in the year 2088. Command cadet Jonathan Hays, twenty-one, and his best friend Jessie 'Beanie' Bienstock, a 14-year-old computer specialist, are among the young military cadets chosen to serve as the crew of "Earth*Star Voyager", the planet's newest interstellar vessel. Due to worsening ecological conditions on Earth, there is a plan in place to evacuate the planet and colonize another world. (This mission is noted on the cover of the German DVD: "see image at right"). Probes have been sent out six years ago via the "Vanguard Explorer", and one has sent data back on Barnard's Star; she has a life-zone planet which has been named 'Demeter'. The mission of "Earth*Star Voyager" is to go to Demeter, perform a full planetary survey and return that information... because if conditions on Demeter prove accurate (the probe's data indicates that human life could survive on Demeter), then the human race will colonize the world. The plan to colonize Demeter has already begun; ships are already being built to transport the population (but will take forty years to complete construction of all the necessary vessels, and the trip to Demeter, with 'plasma-thrust' engines and the Balman Drive (named for Professor Balman, the creator) will take 26 years. That was the rationale of choosing the crew from the Academy - for their youth and intelligence - and Jonathan, as second-in-command, will assume command if Forbes is shown to be unable to continue his duties due to age. (It is also mentioned that a modified form of cryogenic suspension will be used by the crew during the voyage, effectively retarding the aging process.

Among the crew members are Lani Miyori (a communications specialist) and Luz Sansone, a fellow communications tech... who also takes an immediate liking to Beanie. Also aboard are Dr. Sally Arthur, a 24-year-old M.D., Huxley Welles, an 18-year-old navigator, and Dr. Leland Eugene, the ship's psychiatrist.

The crew arrives aboard the "Earth*Star Voyager", and are met by Captain Forbes, the ship's resident physical fitness instructor (crewmembers are required to engage in a physical fitness program), and 'Priscilla', the sentient supercomputer that is the primary logic circuit for the vessel... and who has seemingly developed a crush upon Huxley. It is mentioned that this was a concern by the programmers; Priscilla is designed from the brain engrams of Priscilla Balman (the daughter of Professor Balman), and as such, she has all of memories, thoughts, feelings and desires of the real Priscilla Balman. This is slightly annoying to Huxley...

While checking the repairs on an airlock, Captain Forbes finds himself trapped inside with the system set to open the airlock to space; moments later, coming to check on the Captain, Jonathan finds him before the airlock opens - and before being sucked into space, tells Jonathan to keep going and to 'complete the mission'. Later, Lani is critically injured while in cryo-sleep; Jonathan finds that the physical instructor is responsible for the problems, who is accidentally killed trying to murder him.

Along the way to Demeter, they pick up the long lost astronaut Jacob 'Jake' Brown, as well as a 'Shell' - a cyborg warrior that damages the ship before self-destructing in order not to harm Dr. Arthur. The crew also explores a massive space station known as 'the World Fair', which is inhabited by warriors and researchers of the Outlaw Technology Zone, and discover how their spacecraft fits into a conspiracy concocted by the Outlaw Technology Zone and Admiral Beasley - the mastermind behind the entire plot (including the construction of "Earth*Star Voyager", the selection of the crew, and the creation of the 'Shell'). However, the crew outwits Admiral Beasley and escapes (after a battle in which they use jury-rigged weapons, including a 'solar laser', and a railgun built by Jake and Beanie). Aboard the Admiral's damaged vessel, the "Triton Corsair", Admiral Beasley promises that he will meet up with the crew of the "Earth*Star Voyager" again - someday...

Aboard the "Earth*Star Voyager", Lani is found to be recovering from her injuries; Beanie and Luz (prodded by Priscilla) become a couple, it is strongly insinuated that Jake and Sally will become a couple, and Huxley is stunned to see that Priscilla (in human form) is a very beautiful woman. Beanie also reveals to Jonathan that he has decrypted the probe data - and the crew sees that Demeter is a planet with striking similarities to Earth. The last line of the miniseries goes to Jake, who says, "You know, Captain - I think we oughta go check that place out..."

External links

*
*
*