''Seven Days'', stylized as ''SEVEN 7 DAYS'', is an American
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
television series based on the premise of
time travel
Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...
. It was created by
Christopher
Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...
and Zachary Crowe,
and aired on
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that operated from 1995 to 2006. It was originally a joint venture between Chris-Craft Industries (later sold to News Corporation)'s subsidiary, United Television, ...
from October 7, 1998 to May 29, 2001.
Synopsis
The plot follows Frank B. Parker, a former
Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
and CIA operative who was drafted as a member of "Project Backstep", a secret
black-ops branch of the US
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...
stationed in a base secretly located somewhere in the desert of
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
called ''Never Never Land'' (a play on
Area 51
Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range in southern Nevada, north-northwest of Las Vegas.
A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force B ...
, or
Groom Lake Flight Test Facilities, also known as ''Dreamland'') responding specifically to national security that would otherwise endanger the safety of America and the world at large, utilizing the "Chronosphere"—an experimental
time machine reverse-engineered from alien technology found at
Roswell years ago—to avert disasters before it even starts.
The Chronosphere
The "Chronosphere", otherwise classified as the "Backstep Sphere" or simply "the Sphere", is a blue-colored 16-sided
chamfered dodecahedron time machine with a detachable vacuum-sealed hexagonal entry hatch, with its interior housing the control console and its navigation joystick, as well as much of the necessary components independently powering the device's functions. As the opening intro implies, the Chronosphere is designed to send "one human being back in time seven days" to avert disasters, referred to as a "backstep". The show's title refers to the chief limitation of the technology, namely that a "chrononaut" can only ''backstep'' seven days due to limitations imposed by the device's fuel source—a transuranic alien substance salvaged from the Roswell crash-site known as "
Element-117"—and its external reactor outside of its hangar. As the fuel source is limited, there is a strict mandate that the backstep is confined to events relating directly to national security, though it can replenish itself to a sufficient amount seven days after its usage.
The way the Chronosphere works is that, when sufficiently charged to 100%, the reactor, the gravitational field generators located outside the Chronosphere and Element-117 itself create a time-displacement field around the device before seemingly vanishes from existence in a bright flash of light as it slingshots into a wormhole in space where the
time-bending properties of space itself works in tandem with the time-displacement field to send the Chronosphere and its contents backward in time and into Earth as it crashes down for landing. In the process, past iterations of the Chronosphere and its contents fades from existence to prevent
further paradoxes as if it was never there, stating that "
two instances of the same object cannot occupy the same space".
While it is accurate in traveling through time, navigating the Chronosphere to its destination seven days into the past requires having to use the navigation joystick to maintain and center the Sphere's six gravitational axes (referred to as "flying the needles") as "backstepping" has often proven to be agonizingly painful on a physical and psychological level during its transit, sometimes leading to fatal worst-case scenarios should the chrononaut prematurely let go of the joystick before the transit is complete such as being stuck in space or phased into the ground.
However, being a reverse-engineered experimental tech based on alien technology, the Chronosphere tends to suffer from a variety of malfunctions, either due to the unpredictable properties of Element-117 or the untested nature of the device itself, as the recurring element of the show has Parker and/or Project Backstep having to prevent any given crisis under the limitations of the Sphere's unpredictable effects, ranging from causing time loops (one of which is in the vein of ''
Run Lola Run
''Run Lola Run'' (, ) is a 1998 German experimental thriller film written and directed by Tom Tykwer. The story follows a woman named Lola ( Franka Potente) who needs to obtain 100,000 Deutsche Mark in twenty minutes to save the life of her boy ...
''), intercepting a soul
on its way to the afterlife that results in the Chronosphere creating a black hole in its hull, reverting one's mind to a child-like state, being stuck in the body of a
Pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, separating one's soul from its body, transporting into a parallel universe, and splitting the chrononaut into two opposing halves, among many others.
Cast
*
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Francis "Frank" Bartholomew Parker (
Jonathan LaPaglia), a former
Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
and ex-
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
operative recruited by the program to be the project's "chrononaut". While having served with distinction, he is not the program's initial choice due to a history of emotional instability stemming from an extended period of torture while being held prisoner in
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
; however, Donovan vouches for Frank, and facilitates his release from a secret mental health facility for troubled operatives with classified knowledge. Frank's testing reveals that in addition to the determination and physical stamina necessary to succeed as a Navy SEAL, he has an exceptionally high pain tolerance, a
photographic memory
Eidetic memory ( ), also known as photographic memory and total recall, is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period of time—after seeing it only onceThe terms ''eidetic memory'' and ''photogr ...
, and a capacity for unorthodox problem-solving. In addition to his military service, several plot elements focus on his troubled youth in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, his attempts to reconcile relationships with his ex-wife and estranged son, and his attempts to use time travel for personal gain. The latter is often played for comedic effect as a series of
running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
s where his future knowledge of sports betting is rendered defunct due to changes in the timeline, and his romantic pursuit of Dr. Vukavitch succeed only to be undone when he travels through time. Throughout the series, he also clashes with the project's head of security, Nathan Ramsey, due to the restrictive nature of his service with the program. His codename in the field is "Conundrum."
* Dr. Olga Vukavitch (
Justina Vail), a
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n doctor who worked in the Russian version of the Backstep Project, which, without any technology from the Roswell crash, never reached operational level. She lost her husband in an accident. She grows to like Frank (whom she addresses formally) at times, but is almost invariably put off by some new show of his crassness or arrogance (although Frank often manages to overcome this, only to have to Backstep). Despite this, many episodes reveal that she has a hidden affection for Frank, and she always thinks of him shortly before she dies in a previous timeline.
* U.S. Navy Captain Craig Donovan (
Don Franklin),
Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
and Project Backstep's military advisor/tactical coordinator and backup chrononaut. He is an old friend of Frank's from the SEAL teams, who led the operation to rescue him in
Mogadishu
Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
. As a Chrononaut candidate, Donovan was an early lead during the testing phase, due to his excellent hand-eye coordination, physical conditioning, and psychological stability. Compared with Frank, the scientists believed that Donovan would be the better overall pilot for the chronosphere, and that his coordination would ensure less risk to the equipment; however, Talmadge eventually selects Frank due to the advantages of his pain tolerance and photographic memory, though Donovan never begrudges this and is Frank's strongest supporter. In spite of his 'backup' status, the series never depicts him taking Frank's place. He has, on occasion, assumed command of the project, its security forces, and the scientific branch during the end-of-the world situations that frequently precede a backstep as project leaders were killed or incapacitated. He is well-liked and respected by the scientific, security, and military staff and was Ramsey's preferred choice.
* Dr. Bradley Talmadge (
Alan Scarfe), director of the Backstep Project operations and a long-time member of the NSA intelligence community. Although middle-aged, he is shown several times to still have excellent combat skills.
*
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...
Agent Nathan Ramsey (
Nick Searcy
Nicholas Alan Searcy (born March 7, 1959) is an American character actor best known for portraying Chief Deputy United States Marshal Art Mullen on FX's '' Justified''. He also had a major role in the Tom Hanks–produced miniseries ''From the ...
), Backstep Project security chief. A short-tempered, highly opinionated man, he opposes Frank becoming chrononaut and is therefore made the prime target of Parker's practical jokes. Ramsey is portrayed to be conservative, and he always makes
politically incorrect
"Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...
statements supporting the use of force to quickly end problems (but the way he puts it is always funny instead of malicious). Ramsey's area of expertise is intelligence and counter-intelligence. His job is to use the information that Frank Parker gives him to avert disasters, but Frank commonly fulfills the missions himself. Ramsey is also the man the NSA sends out to retrieve Frank when the Ex-Seal makes unscheduled disappearances from the base.
* Dr. Isaac Mentnor (
Norman Lloyd
Norman Nathan Lloyd (''né'' Perlmutter; November 8, 1914 – May 11, 2021) was an American actor, producer, director, and centenarian with a career in entertainment spanning nearly a century. He worked in every major facet of the industry, inc ...
) (seasons 1–2, guest appearances in season 3), a scientist with a shadowy past that's tied into the Roswell cover-up, Dr. Mentnor was the man who initially conceived the Backstep project.
* Dr. John Ballard (
Sam Whipple
Sampson E. Whipple (September 25, 1960 – June 3, 2002) was an American actor best remembered for his role as Dr. John Ballard on the TV series '' Seven Days''.
His credits include ''The Doors'', '' Airheads'', '' This Is Spinal Tap'' and ' ...
) (seasons 1–2). The wheelchair-using resident genius on the Backstep Project. Ballard is responsible for calibrating and maintaining the Spheres and keeping them active to allow for a quick Backstep if needed. In the fourth episode of season 3, he won a tropical island in a poker match in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
and married two girls, but he's not sure whom, since he was a little drunk at the time. So he took some time off to straighten things out.
* Andrew "Hooter" Owsley (Kevin Christy) (season 3). A young
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
prodigy whom Ballard suggested as his replacement. He works with Dr. Mentnor to enhance the existing Backstep technology and has been shown occasionally to have a secret crush on Olga.
* Carrie Quigley (
Anne Marie Loder) (season 3).
Production
Three seasons of ''Seven Days'' were produced. All three seasons have been shown in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, and by the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
in the United Kingdom.
''Seven Days'' was based on an idea from
Kerry McCluggage, then-president of Paramount Television. He pitched the idea to Christopher Crowe, who mixed it with his own research on Area 51 to create the series. The show wasn't a hit with reviewers, who criticized the show's "flimsy" premise and violence.
Original cast member
Sam Whipple
Sampson E. Whipple (September 25, 1960 – June 3, 2002) was an American actor best remembered for his role as Dr. John Ballard on the TV series '' Seven Days''.
His credits include ''The Doors'', '' Airheads'', '' This Is Spinal Tap'' and ' ...
, who played Dr. John Ballard, left the series four episodes into the third season, due to diagnosis of a
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
that was eventually fatal. He was replaced by Kevin Christy as young physics prodigy Andrew "Hooter" Owsley for the rest of the season.
Justina Vail, who played Dr. Olga Vukavitch, quit the series before the end of the third season, though she agreed to film a few extra scenes to wrap-up her character's arc. Her departure and the tensions within the cast, as well as the show's low ratings, played a role in UPN's decision to not renew the series for a fourth season.
Vail's final episode was the series' penultimate episode ''Born in the USSR'' although she was seen as usual in the title sequence from the final episode ''Live: From Death Row''.
Episodes
DVD release
On November 26, 2018,
Visual Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in
Region 1 for the first time.
Awards
''Seven Days'' was nominated for six awards, winning one.
Actress
Justina Vail won a
Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
in 2000 for her performance on the show.
References
External links
*
{{UPN
1998 American television series debuts
2001 American television series endings
American time travel television series
1990s American science fiction television series
2000s American science fiction television series
2000s American time travel television series
UPN original programming
Fiction about the Roswell incident
Saturn Award–winning television series
Television series by CBS Studios
Television series created by Christopher Crowe (screenwriter)
Television shows set in Nevada
Television shows filmed in Vancouver
Television series set in the future
1990s American time travel television series