Virtuality

This was supposed to be a new series, but Fox didn't pick it up, so they just showed the pilot to see if it would generate enough interest in the public to maybe reconsider it. Granted, not a lot can be said about a series from a pilot, but this one looked pretty promising.

The premise: a crew of 12 (all very attractive) individuals is sent on a very long trip toward our nearest neighboring star to look for other signs of life. They are about to approach the point of no return, that is the point after which they cannot turn the spaceship around and come back to Earth.

The twist: in keeping with current television trends, their whole daily existences are televised for an audience of billions back on the home planet.

The obvious: the mission is sponsored and produced by a big corporation whose own bottom line is clearly its main focus.

The hook: in order to prevent the crew from going crazy, because of the long trip holed up into a piece of metal and in daily close proximity with the same people, each member is equipped with very advanced virtual reality eye glasses that allow them to evade their constricted reality whenever they can. Unfortunately, something seems to have gone haywire in the virtual reality software.

The background story: apparently Earth is in the grip of a worldwide global warming aftermath in which millions are suffering the consequences of living in a cramped world with what are now limited resources and an unpredictable weather system. The astronauts' families, however, are supposedly looked after by the big corporation, interested in keeping the crew happy ... and under its control.

Did any of this pique your interest? It sure piqued mine, especially since the excellent cast was very engaged and the script quite captivating, promising a lot of political intrigue, sexual tensions, and misteries to be solved. It even featured an interesting gay couple, although the fact that they had to be in the closet even if the show takes place decades in the future wasn't a positive message.

I doubt the show will come back (especially given its potential price tag for the visual effects), but you never know, it's happened before.

We shall see.