Customer Reviews

Virtuality

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was actually supposed to be the pilot episode of a TV show produced for FOX. The show wasn't picked up as a series, but FOX still aired it as a TV movie.

As a TV show, this would have been spectacular. The quality of production, the exceptional performances, the character development, and the many layers of theme and story make merely watching this lone episode a telling experience about the nature of television and creativity today. If nothing else, it makes for a good case study on the problem of TV today, especially in the sci-fi arena, and a telling demonstration of what TV could be like, if TV executives were to risk making their show choices based on quality, rather than on the safety of lowest-common-denominator marketability. By the end of this movie/episode, whether you're generally a sci-fi fan or not, you'll wonder how in the hell a show like "V" got on the air, while this was passed on.

This is a quality, imaginative, original production that really sucks you in. As a stand-alone, the only problem is the untidy ending (as it was written in anticipation of more installments to come). There has been talk among fans and the actors that sufficient interest could still get the series picked up, if not by FOX then perhaps by SyFy, and a web page was even set up by the spouse of one actor to organize a letter-writing campaign to that end. I pray that it's not too late for this to happen. The wasted potential here is criminal.

If it weren't for Alan Sepinwall's blog, I would never have heard about this pilot. I am a huge fan of science fiction, and I loved "Virtuality." I'm SO disappointed that Fox burned it off on a Friday night in JUNE when no one is watching to see if it would capture an audience.

Excellent concept for a show. Loved the 'thriller' aspects of it, the cast was superb, the special effects were great. What more do you want, Fox? Why not give this show a chance to find an audience before you kill it? We need more intelligent shows on tv, and with "Battlestar Galactica" now off the air, there is a hole on tv for us science fiction fans.

Here's to hoping the SciFi Channel picks it up...please????

Overall this is an excellently produced pilot for a show that never got picked up by the Fox Network. Instead, it was simply aired as a made-for-TV movie. Because of this, literally all questions are left unanswered and can be extremely frustrating for most viewers. That being said, I still rated it 5 stars since what we actually do have here is a fantastic story that had quite a bit of potential. There is no reason to rate the actual product lower because the Fox Network, in my opinion, foolishly produced a pilot episode and then decided not to produce a full season but still wanted to air what they had (mind you, this was also originally aired on a Friday night around 8:00pm). I do not pretend to know the reasons behind network executives' decisions, but the lack of picking up Virtuality and then airing the pilot anyway is an error in my book.

(Possible Spoiler in this paragraph) In the end, you have the beginnings of a very interesting story that I don't think we will ever see resolved. If you can live with that and simply use your imagniation to figure out what is going on (most likely something to do with god/God since Ron Moore was involved) but all means pick this up.

Like BSG, (and sadly unlike Caprica), this show grabs you quickly and doesn't let go. I was shocked and truly saddended to find out that FOX would not proceed with the program. And now if Caprica fails, it may never see the light of day anywhere. Perhaps a novel? Virtuality had all the right components to make for a brilliant Space Opera, with relative unknown actors and a premise which touches on so much of what is right and wrong with the world of today. A metaphor, a criticism, an adventure and with an underlined mystery that shook me up, I have watched this pilot several times savoring it like fine wine.

Someone get your act together and make this show real! I can understand FOX not wanting to take the risk, but there are many networks out there that can and should.

Absolutely highly recommended!

Multi-layered and complex, this film blurs the lines between real and reality. The ending is unexpected, and opens the door to a very interesting concept. Too bad FOX-TV has no faith whatsoever in the American TV audience. This would have been an awesome series!

*SPOILER FREE* the potential in this show is incalculable. ignore reviews that give it 1 star because of being left hanging. its a PILOT. everyone knows this when they buy it. if they all like the pilot up intil when they are left hanging that means its pretty damn good material which is meant to grow and pay off should a full season be picked up. thats where you all come in. its never too late to buy this and give favorable reviews. below is a break down of why this show is so good.

premise

the premise is totally original and lays the foundation as a plot mechanic for a plethora of character subplots. the idea itself consists of 3 main parts: a journey to find an earth alternative, reality tv coverage of the crew, and finally their interaction with a virtual reality module whose original purpose was to keep their skills sharp. all 3 cornerstones have immense potential to develop and we get a very good taste of it in just this pilot.

as with all reality tv, there exists a colorful cast of characters. some are cliche, but thats a necessary ingredient in reality tv. its the clash [and potential clash] of their caricatured characteristics that will feed this show if by some miracle somebody wakes up and decides to back this show.

acting

one pilot is too short a time to judge harshly on any acting. i think they've all done a great job of brigning out sincere characters, each with their own flaws.

something of a villain seems to be developing as well and its incredibly interesting. and i mean something. will not describe further to avoid spoilers.

production values

the design aesthetic is the very realistic and acceptable present day look of all the world's space programs. nothign wild as to create a disconnect with the audience. it allows acceptance of a very plausible problem: the loss of earth as a place to live. the design is the beautiful white semi-hygenic look of 2001 [and the rest of 60's and 70s sci fi] and moon. still very functional looks to the design of the ship external and internally. ron moore knows to stay away from the hyper sci fi designs and glossy looks that make some sci-fi indigestible as plausible realities.

my only complaint would be to change the graphics of the tv show within the series. i mean even in this day and age we have gone past such cheap looking graphics.

sci-fi renaissance

in conclusion this show is part of what i feel is a sci fi renaissance across multiple media: movie, games, and most of all tv.

district 9, the re-imagined battlestar galactica, moon, mass effect, sunshine... this show is right up there with them. they all, this show included, allows the audience to take real life issues and look back at them from another perspective thanks to a certain mechanism or "gimmick" to put it in laymens terms.

human flaws and humanity's failings are on stage here as they were in battlestar galactica, as well as humanity's penchant for hope. i want it on.

i hope the syfy channel pick it up or maybe even HBO [who are known for taking risks with more mature cerebral shows] picks this up and i hope ron d. moore hasnt given up on it.

shoot for a miniseries with a possibility of picking it up as a full blown seaason a la BSG.

This show had me, right up to the end. Too bad it isn't going to move forward. I like the Dresden Files; gone after a season. I like Sarah Conner Chronicles; into 2nd season. I liked Firefly, a real space western and I would have watched this show until it was canceled, or the studio mangled it like Heros.

I don't care for reality shows on an island, answering questions for a chance at a million, swapping families or wives or kids or dads, I'm sick to death of the canned crime scene dramas; yet when new idea comes along, you get a pilot and a season if you're lucky. Then, studio execs try to bend it to fit the formula of reality, winning money, or crime drama. Unfortunately, the 99% of the programming is nothing but these same tired formulas. Too bad, but then it keeps me away from commercials and watching things like True Blood on HBO.

I missed this when Fox showed it on a Friday night with no advertising. Then I watched it on Hulu, and loved it. It needs to be picked up and continued by someone. I registered on both Hulu and Fox to give it a 5 star rating. Hopefully someone will take notice.

Virtuality was a huge surprise to me, as I hadn't heard anything about it until I caught it on Directv. It is intelligent and multilayered science fiction, a quality comparable to Battlestar Galactica. The fact that Fox TV didn't pick it up speaks volumes for Foxtv. I can't possibly see why this movie was not adopted as a series. Perhaps the reviewers of the pilot couldn't pull their head out in time to appreciate a fine product. Somebody should pick this one up and develop it. It would have a huge following.

It's absolutely amazing that something with this much potential (and with that much talent behind the camera) wasn't allowed even a chance.

This 'pilot' is 10x better than just about any other genre series to air in the past 5 years. The possiblities for stories are endless (given the relationships and conflicts established, the murder mystery, the reality show angle, the virtual reality concept... and I haven't even gotten to the actual mission of the ship yet).

I don't understand how Virtuality didn't at least get a 13-episode commitment, based on the strength of this pilot. TV execs are idiots...