Anik Matern

''Space Cases'' is a Canadian science fiction television series that aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons. Created by Peter David and Bill Mumy, it premiered on March 2, 1996, and ended on January 27, 1997, with reruns until 1998. ''Space Cases'' aired for a time on Nickelodeon's Saturday night block of shows known as SNICK, and on Nickelodeon UK, with reruns on Family and TVOntario in Canada.

A Space Cases episode aired on TeenNick in the US as part of its '' The '90s Are All That'' block on the night of October 14, 2011, for the block's U Pick with Stick line-up, and again on December 27, 2011, for Party Like It's the '90s. Space Cases returned once again on the night of January 1, 2016, on TeenNick during the new The Splat programming block but has not aired since; the first four episodes of Season One were aired.

The show's premise revolves around a group of misfit students and two adults who are stranded far from home aboard an alien ship. Their attempts at journeying back see many dangerous adventures and controversies, with some occasionally more mature themes.

History

While writing the 1990 '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' tie-in novel ''A Rock and a Hard Place'', Peter David considered several titles for the book, including ''Space Case''. David, Peter. "Author's Notes, Dedications, and Assorted Ramblings." '' Star Trek: The Next Generation: A Rock and a Hard Place'', Pocket Books, 1990, vii. Within the novel, the descriptor of "space case" was given to the aloof First Officer Quintin Stone. David, Peter. "Chapter Two." '' Star Trek: The Next Generation: A Rock and a Hard Place'', Pocket Books, 1990, 10.

In 1993, Nickelodeon approached David's manager Susan Dietz about creating a kids' science fiction series. Dietz also represented actor Bill Mumy, and David and Mumy worked together to develop the program that ultimately became ''Space Cases''. David recycled the name from his working title for ''A Rock and a Hard Place'', although Nickelodeon initially thought that it sounded too juvenile. The two developers expanded the show's premise from Nickelodeon's idea of kids at a space academy, as David "shuddered at the notion of a weekly show about an entire class of Wesley Crushers." Their idea was a group of academy students trying to get home aboard a mysterious ship, which David characterized as, in Hollywood terms, "kind of ''No Exit'' meets ''Summer School''."

The series was shot in Montreal, Quebec. Because of budget constraints, props from ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' and other Nickelodeon programs were used in the series. In other episodes, more mundane props were used, as in the episode "Homeward Bound", the character Suzee is sitting in a chair with compact discs pasted to either side. During the first season, electronic games such as '' Lights Out'' were used as control panels on walls.

Season One's original theme song was orchestra-based, with an announcer voiceover giving a preamble. A vocal song telling the story of the Space Cases was used as the closing. For Season Two, this song was moved to the front and re-recorded to accommodate the removal of Catalina, the addition of Suzee, and some re-arranging to how the characters were presented. At some point after the series ended, Nickelodeon had the song re-recorded once more, using the same character arrangement as Season Two, but removing Suzee and adding Catalina back in, and created a new opening for the Season One episodes with this song.

The series features a multitude of celebrity guest stars throughout its run, including George Takei, Mark Hamill, Bill Mumy, Katey Sagal, Michelle Trachtenberg, Danny Tamberelli and Robin Leach.

Characters

Main cast

* Walter Emanuel Jones as Harlan Band
*Jewel Staite as Catalina (season 1)
* Rahi Azizi as Bova
* Kristian Ayre as Radu
*Paige Christina as Rosie Ianni
*Anik Matern as THELMA (Techno Human EmuLating MAchine)
*Paul Boretski as Commander Seth Goddard
*Cary Lawrence as TJ Davenport
*Rebecca Herbst as Suzee (season 2)

Recurring cast

*George Takei as Warlord Shank
*Katie Emme McIninch as Elmira

Synopsis

In the first episode of the series, a small group of misfits are kept behind from a Space Academy field trip. Nearby, an odd bird-like alien ship appears, and Harlan Band decides to sneak onto it; the other students, all of whom are younger and much less troublesome, follow Harlan onto the ship. During their exploration of the ship's interior, the organic ship bonds to each student when each touches a bulkhead.

TJ Davenport, their teacher and principal, and Commander Seth Goddard go after them and, in a series of unfortunate events, become separated throughout the vessel. One of the students accidentally charges the engines, hurtling the ship off into a spatial rift. By the time everyone figures out that only the children who bonded to the ship can actually control it, the ship has stopped several light years away from the academy. They set off on a return trip which would take them at least seven years, four months, and twenty-two days at maximum speeds.

Episodes

Pilot

Season 1 (1996)

Season 2 (1996–97)

Legacy

Peter David's '' Star Trek: New Frontier'' novel series, which launched in 1997, contained a number of references to ''Space Cases''. The opening book of the series, ''House of Cards'', included a Commander Seth Goddard of Starfleet, as well as a Lieutenant Kristian Ayre serving on the bridge of the USS ''Enterprise''. Further references in the series included the husband-and-wife characters Cary and Boretskee, named after ''Space Cases'' actors Cary Lawrence and Paul Boretski, as well as a Catalina City on the moon of Titan—on ''Space Cases'', Titan was Cadet Catalina's homeworld. Most notably, the curse word "Grozit," often used by Catalina on ''Space Cases'', was frequently uttered by ''New Frontier'' main character Mackenzie Calhoun.

See also

* '' Star Trek: Prodigy'' - an animated series set in the ''Star Trek'' universe which uses a similar premise.

References

External links

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{{Former Nickelodeon original series

1990s Canadian science fiction television series
1990s Nickelodeon original programming
1996 Canadian television series debuts
1997 Canadian television series endings
Canadian children's science fiction television series
Canadian English-language television shows
Space adventure television series
Canadian television series about teenagers
Television series by Cookie Jar Entertainment
Television shows filmed in Montreal
Works by Peter David