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Editorial Reviews
From sci-fi legend Gerry Anderson (Space 1999, Thunderbirds, UFO), this special-effects-filled series chronicles the adventures of two cops from Earth battling a rogue’s gallery of alien criminals in the year 2040. Transferred from the mean-streets of New York City to a teeming alien planet halfway across the galaxy, veteran police detective Patrick Brogan (Ted Shackelford, Dallas) and his rookie partner (Rob Youngblood, NYPD Blue, Sliders) struggle to adapt to their exotic new beat. Tangling with otherworldly outlaws in one deadly close encounter after another, the officers fight to bring intergalactic law and order to a mind-bending realm where the bad guy’s aren’t just bad… they aren’t even human! Episodes: Protect and Survive, Enforcer, Body and Soul, Double Duty, The Snake, Time to Kill, Deadline, Seek and Destroy, The Power, Illegal, Divided We Stand, Two against the Rock, Takeover, Predator and Prey, The Witness, Hate Street, Friends, Smelter Skelter, Flash, The Fire Within: Part 1, The Fire Within: Part 2, The Forever Beetle, Deathwatch: Part 1, Deathwatch: Part 2
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Space Precinct is a show that inspires me to capslock and squee and flail. It has everything a good cheesy cop show should have: the gruff boss who lets them get away with everything, the "I heard everything you said" CPR moments, the waiting by the radio to hear if so-and-so really bought it in that explosion, the car chases, the embarrassing afterschool special-style morals about drugs, the undercover missions that involve very little clothing, or joining a cult, or possibly being BRAINWASHED AND EVIL OH NO! *ahem*
But it's not just a cop show, it's a cop show IN SPACE, and the sci-fi elements are used better than I've ever seen in this genre. The aliens, in particular, actually look alien. There are some of the so-called "nose aliens" a la Star Trek, but the main races have their facial features done with puppetry, which makes them fabulously non-human looking while still being fully expressive. (Surprisingly, given the subject matter and the level of cheesiness, Space Precinct rarely descends into Men In Rubber Suits territory.)
And the alien location is used for maximum comedic effect: alien pizzas with horrible toppings delivered by parodic alien delivery guys on flying bikes, alien blind dates with unexpected biology, flying cop cars that look suspiciously like they were lifted from a 1980s US cop show, the bellowing Ethnic Stereotype boss who's neither Irish nor black but instead a googly-eyed alien, godawful intentionlally absurd Future Slang, wacky alien reproductive processes and childrearing techniques...
The main human characters are cops who've transfered from New York to an alien planet known for its tough streets. For the two of them, the show cast genuine Americans with genuine American accents, which was a very good idea. For all of the other characters, including various other people who were supposed to be from New York, it cast locals: Brits and Europeans. Hilariously, this turned out to be an even better idea. The "Brooklyn" accent of one old flame who shows up must be heard to be believed! The foreign fascination with, cluelessness about, and humorous critique of American cop shows and American culture as seen on tv is evident throughout.
Though it only lasted a season, Space Precinct doesn't feel unfinished to me. There is a surprising amount of character development for what's primarily a silly, fluffy show. One of the main characters is married, and his wife and children are interesting and well-portrayed. (Don't let the threat of child actors scare you off!) Their Space!Barbecues in their Space!Back Yard are adorable. The other main character carries on an obnoxious but endearing flirtation with a coworker that progresses and is eventually resolved. The female characters are generally fairly three-dimensional despite a certain amount of the sexism that's endemic to old cop shows and sci-fi.
I highly recommend Space Precinct to anyone who likes very campy near-future sci-fi. The show reminds me of Futurama except that nearly everything in Space Precinct is played DEADLY SERIOUS... Which just makes it that much funnier.
(Parents should note that the plots tend to be about people murdering hookers or how alien!crack destroys the lives of the downtrodden in alien!slums. It's certainly absurd, but it's not intended for kids any more than the equally-absurd Miami Vice, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, etc. were.)
But it's not just a cop show, it's a cop show IN SPACE, and the sci-fi elements are used better than I've ever seen in this genre. The aliens, in particular, actually look alien. There are some of the so-called "nose aliens" a la Star Trek, but the main races have their facial features done with puppetry, which makes them fabulously non-human looking while still being fully expressive. (Surprisingly, given the subject matter and the level of cheesiness, Space Precinct rarely descends into Men In Rubber Suits territory.)
And the alien location is used for maximum comedic effect: alien pizzas with horrible toppings delivered by parodic alien delivery guys on flying bikes, alien blind dates with unexpected biology, flying cop cars that look suspiciously like they were lifted from a 1980s US cop show, the bellowing Ethnic Stereotype boss who's neither Irish nor black but instead a googly-eyed alien, godawful intentionlally absurd Future Slang, wacky alien reproductive processes and childrearing techniques...
The main human characters are cops who've transfered from New York to an alien planet known for its tough streets. For the two of them, the show cast genuine Americans with genuine American accents, which was a very good idea. For all of the other characters, including various other people who were supposed to be from New York, it cast locals: Brits and Europeans. Hilariously, this turned out to be an even better idea. The "Brooklyn" accent of one old flame who shows up must be heard to be believed! The foreign fascination with, cluelessness about, and humorous critique of American cop shows and American culture as seen on tv is evident throughout.
Though it only lasted a season, Space Precinct doesn't feel unfinished to me. There is a surprising amount of character development for what's primarily a silly, fluffy show. One of the main characters is married, and his wife and children are interesting and well-portrayed. (Don't let the threat of child actors scare you off!) Their Space!Barbecues in their Space!Back Yard are adorable. The other main character carries on an obnoxious but endearing flirtation with a coworker that progresses and is eventually resolved. The female characters are generally fairly three-dimensional despite a certain amount of the sexism that's endemic to old cop shows and sci-fi.
I highly recommend Space Precinct to anyone who likes very campy near-future sci-fi. The show reminds me of Futurama except that nearly everything in Space Precinct is played DEADLY SERIOUS... Which just makes it that much funnier.
(Parents should note that the plots tend to be about people murdering hookers or how alien!crack destroys the lives of the downtrodden in alien!slums. It's certainly absurd, but it's not intended for kids any more than the equally-absurd Miami Vice, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, etc. were.)
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great to have this series on DVD but I wish there were special features...PQ does show its age...
December 14, 2010
When it comes to Gerry Anderson's classic hits such as "Thunderbirds" and "Space: 1999", for 40 years, fans have followed every Anderson-related release and in the 1990's, there was a resurgence of interest towards Anderson's work and in1994-1995, the British sci-fi series "Space Precinct" was shown on BBC Two and later syndicated in North America and the SyFy Channel. The series originally had a pilot (starring different characters) back in 1983 known as "Space Police".
The series takes place in 2040 and stars Ted Shackelford ("Knots Landing", "Another World") as Patrick Brogan, a former NYPD detective who joins the Demeter City Police force (Precinct 88) in the planet Altor. As the new lieutenant, Brogan balances his life as a husband and father to his family while adjusting to his new life in another planet and working alongside his partner Jack Haldane (played by Rob Youngblood) and Officer Jane Castle (played by Simone Bendix) investigating various crimes.
While the primary characters are human, many of the other characters are aliens who are part of the police force or are part of organized crime. In planet Altor, humans and aliens co-exist.
Here is a basic synopsis of each episode featured in this DVD set:
DISC 1:
* EPISODE 1: Protect and Survive - Brogan and Haldane must protect a crooked business executive named Armand loyster.
* EPISODE 2: Enforcer - Someone is killing people in Demeter City with their hearts shredded but no single mark on their bodies.
* EPISODE 3: Body and Soul - Brogan and his son visit a space probe lost in space and find a dead body.
* EPISODE 4: Double Duty - A drug war is taking place in Demeter City and an assassin is killing the competition.
* EPISODE 5: The Snake - The officers of Space Precinct 2040 must stop an alien extortionist and explosives expert known as the Snake.
DISC 2:
* EPISODE 6: Time To Kill - The officers of Precinct 88 are attacked by a cyborg.
* EPISODE 7: Deadline - Brogan and Haldane discover a capsule and inside, the body of a Tarn.
* EPISODE 8: Seek and Destroy - As Aladine-50 has been discovered, the vaccine fights against Creon fever and thus allowing the legalization of dogs in Demeter City. But when three executives working for Demeter Dogs, Inc. are killed, Brogan investigates.
* EPISODE 9: The Power - Jane and Took are assigned to protect a shipment of Luxorian Ice, which is important to the new Solartek solar power system.
* EPISODE 10: Illegal - An illegal immigrant saves Brogan's life and with the immigrants young son being held, Brogan does all he can to help him.
DISC 3:
* EPISODE 11: Divided We Stand - Brogan and Haldane must protect an underworld crime boss.
* EPISODE 12: Two Against the Rock - Haldane and Jane must escort the most notorious escape artist, Houdini to asteroid A5.
* EPISODE 13: Takeover - Brogan and Haldane are accused of murdering Naxus Simi and evidence that Jane finds may hurt their innocence plea.
* EPISODE 14: Predator and Prey - With the death of an officer from Precinct 79, Brogan and Haldane join the search for a serial killer.
* EPISODE 15: The Witness - Small time crooks in Demeter City are turning up dead and the officers search for a prime suspect.
DISC 4:
* EPISODE 16: Hate Street - Race riots and hate crimes against Xyronite immigrants are being coordinated by Burl Flak. Now the officers do what they can to stop him.
* EPISODE 17: Friends - A computer hacker named Reeve Pataki is taken into custody and his friends try to break him out.
* EPISODE 18: Smelter Skelter - Brogan's wife and daughter are violently threatened during an armed robbery at the Jewellery Centre.
* EPISODE 19: Flash - A drug known as HE-11 (Flash) is hitting the streets of Demeter and those who use it are spontaneously combusting.
DISC 5:
* EPISODE 20: The Fire Within (Part One) - Pyrist priest Tendall Kalike combusts during a ceremony and the officers continue to investigate if it was a homicide.
* EPISODE 21: The Fire Within (Part Two) - Haldane resigns from the police force to join with the Pyrists.
* EPISODE 22: The Forever Beetle - A rare beetle capable of cell regeneration is stolen from a laboratory. Brogan and Haldane are assigned to the case.
* EPISODE 23: Deathwatch (Part One) - When a meteor fragment arrives on Altor, strange events take place.
* EPISODE 24: Deathwatch (Part Two) - More and more people are being possessed by the alien meteor. Will life be destroyed on planet Altor?
VIDEO, AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
"Space Precinct 2040" is presented in 1:33:1. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. Considering the age of this series and it was an older syndicated show from the '90s the truth is a lot of syndicated series form that time does show its age. Mostly in costume and visual effects which was good for 1994-1995. So, it all comes down to the viewer and if they mind (or don't mind) the series and costume design.
Some sets with the space craft flying through the city has a "Thunderbirds" feel to it. As for the costume design, in today's standards, some people may have a hard time with the costumes looking like rubberized costumes. But considering when they were made, I actually thought they looked pretty good back then. As for picture quality, you can see combing during the action sequences and although not a pristine print, this is probably the best we are going to see of the series for now.
As for audio, audio is clear and understandable. But if I had one problem is how the aliens similar to humans, have accents. Especially those who have a New York accents. But for the most part, the series audio is fine as it is front-channel driven.
There are no subtitles included.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Space Precinct 2040 - The Complete Series" comes with no special features.
JUDGMENT CALL:
Back in 1994, I used to watch a lot of sci-fi syndication and still watch a little bit of it today. And when I was younger, I used to tape a lot of the series and figured, one day, I would watch them all over again and see how they would hold up. For the most part, series such as "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Babylon 5" have held up pretty well.
As for "Space Precinct 2040", in many ways, watching it today... while some aspects of the series hold up, the series does look its age and also, I can see how the series confused broadcasters as it was shown very late at night (or early morning). In one hand, scenes with Brogan and his son or his family, you would think that the series has its family time moments. But then you see aliens getting killed by other aliens and blood splattered on them (of course, watching it today, it doesn't look that grisly. More like red ketchup on rubberized aliens) or watching Brogan and his wife smooching in the bedroom and seeing the more mature lingo between the two, you realize that the series is not exactly a family sci-fi series.
But still, "Space Precinct 2040" had its fun and entertaining moments, especially if you are able to watch it with open eyes and enjoy it for what is. I liked the concept of humans in other planets, co-existing with aliens and humans and aliens working together to take down criminals. But although you get a serious actor like Tedd Shackleford starring in a series, then you have some alien extra or character just really demonstrating terrible acting and not-so-well written lines. As mentioned earlier, aliens speaking with a New York accent? It just didn't seem right. But I suppose the bad acting at times could be source for laughter and added to the enjoyment of the series.
As for the DVD, the PQ does show its age and I wish there were special features included. I would have figured the cast or even Gerry Anderson would be revisited to talk about the series. Also, I know others love the series passionately but for me, there are other Gerry Anderson series that I enjoyed far more than "Space Precinct".
Again, the series may look its age when it comes to visual effects and costume design on a budget but if you're used to kitschy sci-fi series (and I watched everything from "Space Precinct" to "TekWar", "TimeTrax", "VR.5" back then) and have a nostalgia to watch older sci-fi series, "Space Precinct 2040 - The Complete Series" is for you!
The series takes place in 2040 and stars Ted Shackelford ("Knots Landing", "Another World") as Patrick Brogan, a former NYPD detective who joins the Demeter City Police force (Precinct 88) in the planet Altor. As the new lieutenant, Brogan balances his life as a husband and father to his family while adjusting to his new life in another planet and working alongside his partner Jack Haldane (played by Rob Youngblood) and Officer Jane Castle (played by Simone Bendix) investigating various crimes.
While the primary characters are human, many of the other characters are aliens who are part of the police force or are part of organized crime. In planet Altor, humans and aliens co-exist.
Here is a basic synopsis of each episode featured in this DVD set:
DISC 1:
* EPISODE 1: Protect and Survive - Brogan and Haldane must protect a crooked business executive named Armand loyster.
* EPISODE 2: Enforcer - Someone is killing people in Demeter City with their hearts shredded but no single mark on their bodies.
* EPISODE 3: Body and Soul - Brogan and his son visit a space probe lost in space and find a dead body.
* EPISODE 4: Double Duty - A drug war is taking place in Demeter City and an assassin is killing the competition.
* EPISODE 5: The Snake - The officers of Space Precinct 2040 must stop an alien extortionist and explosives expert known as the Snake.
DISC 2:
* EPISODE 6: Time To Kill - The officers of Precinct 88 are attacked by a cyborg.
* EPISODE 7: Deadline - Brogan and Haldane discover a capsule and inside, the body of a Tarn.
* EPISODE 8: Seek and Destroy - As Aladine-50 has been discovered, the vaccine fights against Creon fever and thus allowing the legalization of dogs in Demeter City. But when three executives working for Demeter Dogs, Inc. are killed, Brogan investigates.
* EPISODE 9: The Power - Jane and Took are assigned to protect a shipment of Luxorian Ice, which is important to the new Solartek solar power system.
* EPISODE 10: Illegal - An illegal immigrant saves Brogan's life and with the immigrants young son being held, Brogan does all he can to help him.
DISC 3:
* EPISODE 11: Divided We Stand - Brogan and Haldane must protect an underworld crime boss.
* EPISODE 12: Two Against the Rock - Haldane and Jane must escort the most notorious escape artist, Houdini to asteroid A5.
* EPISODE 13: Takeover - Brogan and Haldane are accused of murdering Naxus Simi and evidence that Jane finds may hurt their innocence plea.
* EPISODE 14: Predator and Prey - With the death of an officer from Precinct 79, Brogan and Haldane join the search for a serial killer.
* EPISODE 15: The Witness - Small time crooks in Demeter City are turning up dead and the officers search for a prime suspect.
DISC 4:
* EPISODE 16: Hate Street - Race riots and hate crimes against Xyronite immigrants are being coordinated by Burl Flak. Now the officers do what they can to stop him.
* EPISODE 17: Friends - A computer hacker named Reeve Pataki is taken into custody and his friends try to break him out.
* EPISODE 18: Smelter Skelter - Brogan's wife and daughter are violently threatened during an armed robbery at the Jewellery Centre.
* EPISODE 19: Flash - A drug known as HE-11 (Flash) is hitting the streets of Demeter and those who use it are spontaneously combusting.
DISC 5:
* EPISODE 20: The Fire Within (Part One) - Pyrist priest Tendall Kalike combusts during a ceremony and the officers continue to investigate if it was a homicide.
* EPISODE 21: The Fire Within (Part Two) - Haldane resigns from the police force to join with the Pyrists.
* EPISODE 22: The Forever Beetle - A rare beetle capable of cell regeneration is stolen from a laboratory. Brogan and Haldane are assigned to the case.
* EPISODE 23: Deathwatch (Part One) - When a meteor fragment arrives on Altor, strange events take place.
* EPISODE 24: Deathwatch (Part Two) - More and more people are being possessed by the alien meteor. Will life be destroyed on planet Altor?
VIDEO, AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
"Space Precinct 2040" is presented in 1:33:1. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. Considering the age of this series and it was an older syndicated show from the '90s the truth is a lot of syndicated series form that time does show its age. Mostly in costume and visual effects which was good for 1994-1995. So, it all comes down to the viewer and if they mind (or don't mind) the series and costume design.
Some sets with the space craft flying through the city has a "Thunderbirds" feel to it. As for the costume design, in today's standards, some people may have a hard time with the costumes looking like rubberized costumes. But considering when they were made, I actually thought they looked pretty good back then. As for picture quality, you can see combing during the action sequences and although not a pristine print, this is probably the best we are going to see of the series for now.
As for audio, audio is clear and understandable. But if I had one problem is how the aliens similar to humans, have accents. Especially those who have a New York accents. But for the most part, the series audio is fine as it is front-channel driven.
There are no subtitles included.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Space Precinct 2040 - The Complete Series" comes with no special features.
JUDGMENT CALL:
Back in 1994, I used to watch a lot of sci-fi syndication and still watch a little bit of it today. And when I was younger, I used to tape a lot of the series and figured, one day, I would watch them all over again and see how they would hold up. For the most part, series such as "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Babylon 5" have held up pretty well.
As for "Space Precinct 2040", in many ways, watching it today... while some aspects of the series hold up, the series does look its age and also, I can see how the series confused broadcasters as it was shown very late at night (or early morning). In one hand, scenes with Brogan and his son or his family, you would think that the series has its family time moments. But then you see aliens getting killed by other aliens and blood splattered on them (of course, watching it today, it doesn't look that grisly. More like red ketchup on rubberized aliens) or watching Brogan and his wife smooching in the bedroom and seeing the more mature lingo between the two, you realize that the series is not exactly a family sci-fi series.
But still, "Space Precinct 2040" had its fun and entertaining moments, especially if you are able to watch it with open eyes and enjoy it for what is. I liked the concept of humans in other planets, co-existing with aliens and humans and aliens working together to take down criminals. But although you get a serious actor like Tedd Shackleford starring in a series, then you have some alien extra or character just really demonstrating terrible acting and not-so-well written lines. As mentioned earlier, aliens speaking with a New York accent? It just didn't seem right. But I suppose the bad acting at times could be source for laughter and added to the enjoyment of the series.
As for the DVD, the PQ does show its age and I wish there were special features included. I would have figured the cast or even Gerry Anderson would be revisited to talk about the series. Also, I know others love the series passionately but for me, there are other Gerry Anderson series that I enjoyed far more than "Space Precinct".
Again, the series may look its age when it comes to visual effects and costume design on a budget but if you're used to kitschy sci-fi series (and I watched everything from "Space Precinct" to "TekWar", "TimeTrax", "VR.5" back then) and have a nostalgia to watch older sci-fi series, "Space Precinct 2040 - The Complete Series" is for you!
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
I remember staying up some weekends just to make sure the show was coming on. It got bounced around the scehdule on one of the independent stations here in New York City. I did manage to videotape a few episodes. It's fluffy, with elements of camp but the characters are great and fleshed out which you usually don't get in a show like this. There are those nice elements here that you have in the tv Alien Nation show with the aliens having completely different anatomical elements that the humans haven't learned yet and of course the aliens eat foods we wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole--which adds to the veracity of the show. I highly recommend this show and I'm waaay past the age the show was created for--kids. Adult sci-fi fans will really like it. I missed the first dvd set they had put out some years back and I'm glad they brought it back again!!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
space precinct
enjoyed it when it was on the air and disapointed when it went off.
fun rewatching the series, considering when it was made..you have to love the special effects.
fun rewatching the series, considering when it was made..you have to love the special effects.
Published 23 hours ago by L. A. Schultz
3.0 out of 5 stars
Space Pecinct
OK, not that much of a punch. A little quirky and not to bad for a offbeat program. More of a B movie type experience. Still beats most of the pograms today.
Published 1 month ago by Ronald J. Snider
4.0 out of 5 stars
Space Precinct
Better quality than I expected. Good blending of live-action & miniatures. Stories & Acting better than average. Good Value for the Money.
Published 1 month ago by DavidLillard
3.0 out of 5 stars
as expected
as good cartoony sci-fi, the aliens are interesting and then there is the "usual" cop stuff, a good family series
Published 2 months ago by Al Fanucchi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Space police series
This series is set in the future where a cop is posted on a police precinct that floats in space and is orbiting the planet Altor. Read more
Published 2 months ago by rdaaamg
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoying The Fantasy
I really enjoyed the movies. If you are a person who enjoys fantasy, and movies of long ago, you will like these movies.
Published 4 months ago by dorothy wagne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creative entertainment
I loved this show from the first time I saw it on late-night TV more than ten years ago. It is far from the usual derivative, bloodthirsty and formulaic schlock that we get in so... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Robert Giuffrida Jr.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Silly but good scifi
This is your stereotypical cheesy 80's scifi ultra low budget tv series. Some of it is downright corney, but when you are a sci fi nerd, geek, buff, well - you know; it is one of... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Rob
2.0 out of 5 stars
Moronic, not worth the time nor the money.
I had never heard of this TV show even though I've been a major sci-fi fan since childhood. I can see now why... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Business Teacher
5.0 out of 5 stars
Total cheese, but I like it!
This show is cheesy beyond belief, but I still like it. The kids talk in crazy lingo, and aren't great actors, but hey, its cheesy, campy fun. Read more
Published 9 months ago by earthcell2004
