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Special Features
- All nine episodes, including six that never aired on TV
- Commentary by Chris Carter and director Dan Sackheim on the pilot
- Inside the Harsh Realm: making-of featurette
- Creating the logo and title sequence
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The dark and fantastic Harsh Realm, a science fiction series about a war fought by flesh-and-blood humans trapped inside virtual reality, was launched by The X-Files creator Chris Carter in 1999 and died a regrettable, premature death on the Fox channel after three episodes. The remaining six shows found sanctuary on the FX network, and then Harsh Realm slipped into history, its wild story, based on a comic book, far from resolved. Perhaps Harsh Realm's ratings failure had something to do with its broad similarities to the hugely popular The Matrix, released only a few months before, or, for that matter, David Cronenberg's 1999 eXistenZ, in which characters fight for their lives inside a video game. Whatever the reason, enough time has passed to take an objective look at Harsh Realm, and there is a lot to be admired in its high level of imagination, complex plotting, and cutting-edge production values.
Scott Bairstow stars as U.S. Army Lieutenant Tom Hobbes, a decorated hero who risked his life rescuing a buddy, Major Mel Waters (Max Martini), during a peacekeeping mission in the former Yugoslavia. Set to return to civilian life and marry his fiancée, Sophie (Samantha Mathis), Hobbes is summoned by a mysterious superior (Lance Henriksen) and asked to test-run Harsh Realm, a virtual reality war game devised by the Pentagon. Once he begins, however, Hobbes is mentally imprisoned in the dangerous game (his body, along with those of hundreds of other "volunteers," is cared for in a secret military hospital), where he is identified by other, desperate captives as the savior they've been awaiting. D.B. Sweeney is very good as another soldier, Mike Pinocchio, whose sense of mission is re-awakened by Hobbes and who becomes a partner in an endless effort to defeat a madman named Santiago (Terry O'Quinn), who rules Harsh Realm from within. As with The X-Files, the nine episodes in this boxed set are each very striking on their own terms, with post-apocalyptic sets, constant surprises, and that special Chris Carter touch (fans of his Millennium will like Harsh Realm, too) that makes every story look and feel like a collision of a nightmare and a crisis of faith. --Tom Keogh
Product Description
The virtual world becomes a dangerous reality in Chris Carter's Harsh Realm. It's the ultimate mind game when a soldier testing a military war game discovers that the only way out… is to kill the top player! The complete series debuts on DVD in August, including killer extras and 6 additional episodes that never aired on network TV!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Harsh Realm" was meant to be Fox's Great White Hope for the 1999 season. Created by "The X-Files" Chris Carter, the show borrowed pages from "The X-Files" and "The Matrix. General Santiago (O'Quinn) has taken over a virtual reality program named Harsh Realm. Originally developed by the military to give a realistic simulation of how the world would react to a terrorist strike, the military has sent in a number of operatives to take out the elusive Santiago but none have returned. Lt. Hobbes (Bairstow) plans on leaving the military in a month after serving for five years in war torn areas around the world. A hero for saving a friend at the expense of his own life, Hobbes is asked by his C.O. (Henriksen) to go into the game and beat Santiago bringing it to an end. He's told nothing else about Harsh Realm or about the "occupants" that exist there. What he finds is a virtual reality simulation of the real world. With the help of Mike Pinnochio (D. B. Sweeney) Hobbes must try and complete his mission and find a way out of Harsh Realm to his fiancé (Samantha Mathis) and the life he left behind.
Critically drubbed and abandoned by its audience within the first week of its premiere, "Harsh Realm" was a rare failure for Carter as it was cancelled after only airing three episodes. Carter and Fox also faced legal action when James D. Hudnall and Andrew Paquette the creators of the comic book series "Harsh Realm" sued Fox and won recognition that their work was the basis for Carter's series. While the basic premise and title were similar enough to suggest that Carter had been influenced by the comic book series, "Harsh Realm" the TV series departed radically from the initial premise of Hudnall and Paquette's creation.
It's sad, really, as the show has its moments and the supporting performances of D. B. Sweeney and Terry O'Quinn make even the weakest episode shine. Carter's initial premise had as much promise as another abandoned Fox show ("Sliders") in that it would have allowed him to examine many different issues in an "alternate" reality. "Harsh Realm" doesn't pick up steam or break any new ground like "The X-Files" or even "Millennium" did but the story potential for the series was great.
Although grainy newsreel like style used in "Black Hawk Down" bookends the first episode, the transfer is far from "harsh". The solid blacks and vivid colors are brilliantly realized and provide a sharp contrast to the gloomy scenes set in the virtual reality world. Although the box says the series is presented in 1.33:1 full screen mode, it's actually in what appears to be a 1.76:1 widescreen mode. It's evident how expensive the series was from the very first frame of footage. The stark sequences set in the former Sarevjo have epic big screen production values and the fine detail set in the destroyed city looks terrific. The 5.1 soundtrack, unlike most shows from the same time frame, uses the format pretty effectively. The result is that you feel like ducking whenever a helicopter swings by or someone shoots off a machine gun. The sound has considerable presence and depth as well.
The three disc set features all nine episodes of the series so, needless to say, there's not a whole lot in the way of extra features. On the other hand, Fox has priced this boxed set accordingly. The two featurettes mimic those of the "Millennium" set. We get a standard behind-the-scenes featurette about the creation and production of the series. I got the impression that Fox produced this while the series was shooting in anticipation of eventually releasing it to DVD. There's also a clever, well thought out featurette on the creation of the show's main titles much like a similar featurette for "Millennium".
Chris Carter and director Sackheim provide a single commentary track on the pilot. It's rather interesting as Carter discusses some of his casting decisions in the commentary track as well as the inspiration of the series (while avoiding the painful topic of the lawsuit he and Fox faced). While supposedly the lawsuit had no bearing on the cancellation of the series, I'm sure that it helped contributed to tension between Carter and Fox thus hasting the untimely demise of the show. Unfortunately, none of these issues is discussed (although its understandable as to why). It's too bad that there's no commentary track by writers/producers John Shiban and Frank Spotniz. Like Carter, both are veterans of "The X-Files" and "Millennium" and their episodes are, like Carter's initial ones, real gems that offered much promise for this critically attacked series.
Although it certainly couldn't live up to "The X-Files" (or, for that matter, "Millennium") due to its short life, "Harsh Realm" demonstrates that a great premise isn't necessarily the best springboard for well written television. The episodes included here indicated that "Harsh Realm" had developed an interesting story arc. "Homicide: Life on the Street" and even "NYPD Blue" didn't offer much originality in the "premise" department. It was the striking writing and character development that made those series so memorable. The same could have occurred with "Harsh Realm". I'd suggest giving the series a chance despite the fact that the cliff ending ninth episode leaves the series unfinished and hanging.
Critically drubbed and abandoned by its audience within the first week of its premiere, "Harsh Realm" was a rare failure for Carter as it was cancelled after only airing three episodes. Carter and Fox also faced legal action when James D. Hudnall and Andrew Paquette the creators of the comic book series "Harsh Realm" sued Fox and won recognition that their work was the basis for Carter's series. While the basic premise and title were similar enough to suggest that Carter had been influenced by the comic book series, "Harsh Realm" the TV series departed radically from the initial premise of Hudnall and Paquette's creation.
It's sad, really, as the show has its moments and the supporting performances of D. B. Sweeney and Terry O'Quinn make even the weakest episode shine. Carter's initial premise had as much promise as another abandoned Fox show ("Sliders") in that it would have allowed him to examine many different issues in an "alternate" reality. "Harsh Realm" doesn't pick up steam or break any new ground like "The X-Files" or even "Millennium" did but the story potential for the series was great.
Although grainy newsreel like style used in "Black Hawk Down" bookends the first episode, the transfer is far from "harsh". The solid blacks and vivid colors are brilliantly realized and provide a sharp contrast to the gloomy scenes set in the virtual reality world. Although the box says the series is presented in 1.33:1 full screen mode, it's actually in what appears to be a 1.76:1 widescreen mode. It's evident how expensive the series was from the very first frame of footage. The stark sequences set in the former Sarevjo have epic big screen production values and the fine detail set in the destroyed city looks terrific. The 5.1 soundtrack, unlike most shows from the same time frame, uses the format pretty effectively. The result is that you feel like ducking whenever a helicopter swings by or someone shoots off a machine gun. The sound has considerable presence and depth as well.
The three disc set features all nine episodes of the series so, needless to say, there's not a whole lot in the way of extra features. On the other hand, Fox has priced this boxed set accordingly. The two featurettes mimic those of the "Millennium" set. We get a standard behind-the-scenes featurette about the creation and production of the series. I got the impression that Fox produced this while the series was shooting in anticipation of eventually releasing it to DVD. There's also a clever, well thought out featurette on the creation of the show's main titles much like a similar featurette for "Millennium".
Chris Carter and director Sackheim provide a single commentary track on the pilot. It's rather interesting as Carter discusses some of his casting decisions in the commentary track as well as the inspiration of the series (while avoiding the painful topic of the lawsuit he and Fox faced). While supposedly the lawsuit had no bearing on the cancellation of the series, I'm sure that it helped contributed to tension between Carter and Fox thus hasting the untimely demise of the show. Unfortunately, none of these issues is discussed (although its understandable as to why). It's too bad that there's no commentary track by writers/producers John Shiban and Frank Spotniz. Like Carter, both are veterans of "The X-Files" and "Millennium" and their episodes are, like Carter's initial ones, real gems that offered much promise for this critically attacked series.
Although it certainly couldn't live up to "The X-Files" (or, for that matter, "Millennium") due to its short life, "Harsh Realm" demonstrates that a great premise isn't necessarily the best springboard for well written television. The episodes included here indicated that "Harsh Realm" had developed an interesting story arc. "Homicide: Life on the Street" and even "NYPD Blue" didn't offer much originality in the "premise" department. It was the striking writing and character development that made those series so memorable. The same could have occurred with "Harsh Realm". I'd suggest giving the series a chance despite the fact that the cliff ending ninth episode leaves the series unfinished and hanging.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Harsh Realm, created by X-Files and Milennium creator Chris Carter, was just one of many prime time sci-fi dramas that died a quick death on Fox. Three episodes were aired when it originally premiered in 1999, with the other six episodes aired on Fox's FX cable network the following year. The sad part about Harsh Realm, is that there was plenty of promise and potential, but none of it ever got to get off the ground thanks to yet another brilliant idea from the bigwigs at Fox. The story revolves around Army Lieutenant Tom Hobbes (Scott Bairstow), called back into action to supposedly test run a virtual reality war game called Harsh Realm. He becomes trapped inside, with hundreds of others who identify him as the "savior" they have been awaiting. Plenty of comparisons to the Matrix (which was released earlier that year) could be a turn off to some, but Harsh Realm was never given the chance to take off like it could have. The rest of the cast includes D.B Sweeney as a fellow trapped soldier, Milennium alumnus Terry O'Quinn as deranged Harsh Realm dictator Santiago, and Samantha Mathis as Tom's estranged fiance. Now that Harsh Realm is on DVD, it's worth checking out, and we can thank Fox once again for squandering good potential (Firefly anyone?).
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By shadowdoc
Format:DVD
Chris Carter's third show was never allowed to develop from its short appearance due to a miserable marketing campaign on the part of the Fox network. I am a fan of Chris Carter's work, and had been eagerly awaiting the premiere of this show. Surprisingly, I had a difficult time trying to find out when the show would be premiering, since Fox was not promoting it. By accident, I tuned in on the night of the series premiere, and caught the tail end of the prologue. Fox claims that the numbers weren't there for the premiere, and cancelled the show after just three episodes. It's unrealistic to think that viewers would tune in when there's no advertisement for the show. As such Harsh Realm suffered from the harsh realities of marketing gone wrong.
I think Harsh Realm had another thing going against it: it was the replacement of Chris Carter's second series Millennium, which had started to develop a loyal fan base. Millennium was and still is a remarkable show, and I believe a lot of the fans, including myself, expected an equally remarkable show as a successor. So, at the beginning, Harsh Realm had big shoes to fill.
The series pilot was not the best of Chris Carter's work (except for the final scene of the episode, when the viewer realizes how widespread the problem is), though the story had only just started. The two subsequent episodes continued to reveal the plot that was introduced in the pilot. Only after the third episode "Inga Fossa" is there enough told to proceed to the first stand-alone episode. Unfortunately, until the FX cable network debuted these episodes a year later did anyone get the chance to see the remaining 6 episodes of the series.
I have seen some of the remaining six episodes that aired later on FX. They are very good in production quality, and the plot device of a virtual reality landscape allows the writers a lot of creative freedom to place the characters in very unusual circumstances. Perhaps, the best of them is the eighth episode "Cinncinnati", where the audience finally gets a real taste for how evil and committed the series' villain, Omar Santiago, is. His quest for supreme domination and the establishment of his fascist society shows its true colors.
The two main characters: Hobbes (Scott Bairstow) and Pinnochio (D.B. Sweeney) are essentially polar opposites. Hobbes is the good all-American soldier, which for the most part makes him a caricature of sorts, though he does have some shining moments. Pinnochio is not a bad guy, he's honorable, but he's also jaded and his loyalties are questionable at times. This makes him a much more interesting character than Hobbes, and it is a shame we didn't get the chance to see his character develop. As for the other players: Florence (the mute healer/soldier), Sophie (Hobbe's fiance), Inga Fossa (the duplicitous informant), Waters (Hobbes former friend turned enemy) and Omar Santiago (a Hitler-esque fascist dictator)...they make their contributions here and there, but we never got to learn too much about them. The only real exception being Santiago who gets fleshed out very well in "Cinncinnati".
This was not one Chris Carter's finest moments, but it may have developed into something special if given the time. Millennium, too, had a rocky start, but found it's loyal viewers. Perhaps, on DVD, it will be given the opportunity to shine for the first time. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing these episodes on DVD, and the various extras provided within the boxset.
"It's just a game..."
I think Harsh Realm had another thing going against it: it was the replacement of Chris Carter's second series Millennium, which had started to develop a loyal fan base. Millennium was and still is a remarkable show, and I believe a lot of the fans, including myself, expected an equally remarkable show as a successor. So, at the beginning, Harsh Realm had big shoes to fill.
The series pilot was not the best of Chris Carter's work (except for the final scene of the episode, when the viewer realizes how widespread the problem is), though the story had only just started. The two subsequent episodes continued to reveal the plot that was introduced in the pilot. Only after the third episode "Inga Fossa" is there enough told to proceed to the first stand-alone episode. Unfortunately, until the FX cable network debuted these episodes a year later did anyone get the chance to see the remaining 6 episodes of the series.
I have seen some of the remaining six episodes that aired later on FX. They are very good in production quality, and the plot device of a virtual reality landscape allows the writers a lot of creative freedom to place the characters in very unusual circumstances. Perhaps, the best of them is the eighth episode "Cinncinnati", where the audience finally gets a real taste for how evil and committed the series' villain, Omar Santiago, is. His quest for supreme domination and the establishment of his fascist society shows its true colors.
The two main characters: Hobbes (Scott Bairstow) and Pinnochio (D.B. Sweeney) are essentially polar opposites. Hobbes is the good all-American soldier, which for the most part makes him a caricature of sorts, though he does have some shining moments. Pinnochio is not a bad guy, he's honorable, but he's also jaded and his loyalties are questionable at times. This makes him a much more interesting character than Hobbes, and it is a shame we didn't get the chance to see his character develop. As for the other players: Florence (the mute healer/soldier), Sophie (Hobbe's fiance), Inga Fossa (the duplicitous informant), Waters (Hobbes former friend turned enemy) and Omar Santiago (a Hitler-esque fascist dictator)...they make their contributions here and there, but we never got to learn too much about them. The only real exception being Santiago who gets fleshed out very well in "Cinncinnati".
This was not one Chris Carter's finest moments, but it may have developed into something special if given the time. Millennium, too, had a rocky start, but found it's loyal viewers. Perhaps, on DVD, it will be given the opportunity to shine for the first time. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing these episodes on DVD, and the various extras provided within the boxset.
"It's just a game..."
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Box set
Received promptly in perfect condition.
The TV series was really fun and I wish it wouldn't have ended. Read more
The TV series was really fun and I wish it wouldn't have ended. Read more
Published 13 months ago by ne1scott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Greatest show ever
This was one of the best TV shows ever, I remember seeing the few they had on TV. I just wish they could have had a better ending but given what they had to work with I can... Read more
Published on August 2, 2010 by Glowplug
5.0 out of 5 stars
Harsh Realm Showed Us TV's Potential
Unlike many here, I'm reviewing the product, a three-disc DVD box set, that I actually purchased and watched. Read more
Published on February 5, 2010 by Travis W. Mckee
3.0 out of 5 stars
Chris Carter is not Joss Whedon
Average to below average TV fair. Granted I've only gone through Disc 1, but as much as he probably wants to be, Chris Carter doesn't have the ingenuity (he had to rip off the... Read more
Published on December 21, 2009 by JC
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cancelled,eh? Welcome to HARSH REALM.
After seeing the most recent X-Files movie, I heard an audience member mention that one character, Inga Fossa, had the same name in the TV show Harsh Realm. Read more
Published on August 3, 2008 by The Matrix Fan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing Harsh about this show
There's just no excuse for this show being canceled. It was a brilliant concept that had limitless possibilities for several seasons worth of interesting story lines. Read more
Published on May 5, 2008 by Griffen
3.0 out of 5 stars
Missed Potential
Chris Carter's Harsh Realm only lasted three episodes on television but the potential was there for much more. Read more
Published on May 3, 2008 by Bryan A. Pfleeger
3.0 out of 5 stars
The last half of the series gets 4 1/2 stars...
Harsh Realm. It's hard to really dig into as it was canceled prematurely. As most reviewers state this was canned before it really got it's feet wet, however the potential of... Read more
Published on December 24, 2007 by Bret
3.0 out of 5 stars
One of the rare canceled programs that probably deserved it
Before watching Harsh Realm on DVD I was under the solid impression that any canceled series (e.g. Firefly, Wonderfalls, Deadwood, Huff, Dead Like Me, Miracles, Veronica Mars - you... Read more
Published on December 20, 2007 by Traveler
4.0 out of 5 stars
sustainable? Perhaps not, but watchable
I'm not sure how long this series could have gone on, set as it was in mostly a virtual world of alternate reality. Read more
Published on September 25, 2007 by Viva
