This series may be a little cheesy, but it had a lot of potential to be a great show. The idea of trying to colonize on a new planet, unfolding its hidden mysteries and just trying to survive was a very entertaining storyline. I really enjoyed watching this series; especially with the cast chosen for it. I wish they would have continued or at least ended the show with better closure.
Add a Review
-
AngelHonesty17 December 2019
-
Voytek_Pavlik22 January 2009I remember watching this when I was a kid, but never seen the whole season.
For the last two weeks, I've been watching the whole season from the beginning till the end, even it had some goofs in it, some holes and illogical approaches, it was still a nice and an interesting piece.
I thought The Sliders series were my favourite, but that show went just silly and stupid (except the first season, and kinda the last one was good too), and right now I know there is something better than that- Earth 2.
Although, I am a bit wondering why did they cancel it? We had so many stupid serials out there back then, but this one ended just with one season. Why? And I'm also wondering how it would go, how the events would unfold for the new colonists on this new Earth? Did they reach the New Pacifica? We will never know... -
genosajko3 December 2006Love sci-fi, esp sci-fi without all the pointless shoot 'em up for 60 minutes.
The concept/story line here was great. But the writers ruined it. There was so much they could have written for the characters to "explore" and travel the new world. Instead, they have kids doing stupid things getting them into trouble (taking the show to a attempted comedic level), and characters who acted so stupidly - not believably. Too many episodes around some dumb tw*t doing something stupid after being asked not to, thus costing time, food, supplies etc, then rescuing them.
This show could have gone places.
And the DVD? Episode 19 is the final show, you can tell by what happens. Then episodes 20 and 21 take place as if 19 never did!!!!! 20 and 21 could have been 18.1 and 18.2 and it would have been more logical! Yes the networks should have given it a chance - but maybe they too saw these flaws. When characters are this "stupid" and do "stupid things", people lose interest in them and so the show.
I still lived the show, for what it could have been, bought the DVDs, enjoyed it, but am still disappointed! Maybe if someone else took it from here, they could really tell some need stories, there is so much that could be written. -
What can I say? It's been years since this show met its untimely demise at the hands of vision-impaired network execs but it still deserves a word or two.
This is one of a number of shows from around 1995-1996 which showed incredible promise yet were mercilessly killed early. Others include "Nowhere Man" and "Space: Above and Beyond".
Earth 2 was imaginative and intelligent (rare in the current TV era). There are some parallels to the settlement of the American West, with the dangers of raw nature and the dealings with native species. In many ways it had the promise of "doing it over again" and this time hoping we get it RIGHT (no more massacres).
This show is worth a view on SciFi for its human element and ongoing plot twists. While too much time has passed to hope of a revival, we can at least enjoy it for what it was and curse the networks for keeping alive only dumbed-down versions of "Trek". -
I was tiding my room a few days ago and found out a video tape whose existence I had forgotten, which contained some of the last episodes of "Progetto Eden" (i. e., Earth 2 in Italian). After I saw the last episode again, the question that had haunted my summers of three-four years ago (when it had been broadcast a couple of times) came back: "What happened to Devon? Please someone tell me!!!!"
Apart from jokes, this series really helped me to pass some of these middle-August afternoons when there is nothing to do and I was really disappointed they cancelled it. When I see the ridiculous creatures and dumb plots of Star Trek 12345678... INFINITE, I think that they could have given a second chance to Earth 2. In fact, despite some flaws in the plot and an ingenuous approach sometimes, there's a lot to enjoy there. Mainly, the cast of characters; Debrah Farentino as Devon Adair, the loving mother and brave explorer; Clancy Brown as John Danziger (the chemistry between the two characters, made up of rivalry, friendship, adoration for their children, struggle and a touch of love is VERY enjoyable); Antonio Sabato, Jr. and Jessica Steen as a pilot and a doctor in love with each other (actually the second is perhaps the best actress in the series, also because her character is a torn one, between her duties as a doctor and as a...spy, and her love for Alonso); Rebecca Gayheart and John Gegenhuber as the selfish Martin couple; then the children who are good too.
Another thing I really like is the absolute beauty of the landscapes and sunsets, never seen before in a sci-fi series. An example among all: the beach where Devon, John and Alonso finally meet Julia in the episode of the time-machine-spiders. Breathtaking!
The "other dimension" where humans communicate with local species is well rendered and was really able to frighten me sometimes!
I would have chosen less caricatural creatures as grendlers & co., but as I said before, if Star Trek is going on...
I'm not promising a masterpiece (after all, a Tv series is NOT made to be one!), but far more than average entertainment, yes. Do you find it absurd, ridiculous? Man, it's sci-fi, not supposed to be like the world you see when you open the door in the morning! Give it a chance! And tell me if Devon will survive!!! -
baroncoco21 May 2019It's got everything you need from sci-GI: good take on what's often been tried with crappier results, good characters and actors, fanTAStic effects thanput a lot of modern shows to shame: WHAT BUNCH OF NETWORK CLOWNS-IN-SUITS CANCELED IT? And for Gods sake, Amazon, STREAM IT! You stream every crap SyFy show, try a good one!
-
us3hereinpa5 January 2008I watched this show from the moment it first premiered back in 1994, and I loved it. The concept was fresh and thought provoking. Sure it had a few flaws at first; however, the acting was spot-on and the premise was intelligent and intriguing: humans have raped the planet to the point of near inhabitability, are living in artificial environments upon space stations, and are now traversing the known Universe searching for a planet to call home. Earth2 was wrought with characters who make mistakes and often act out of self interest and scheming government imperialists who seek to control this new world at any cost. This show had so much to offer. I miss it and I am so glad this series is out on DVD, despite the fact that we got no closure. It seems to be the plight of the truly intelligent sci-fi shows to be canceled for no apparent reason; perhaps people cannot handle shows like Earth 2 (and Firefly-for anyone who has seen it) in which humanity must suffer displacement as a result of the abuse they visited upon the Earth.
-
I_saw_it_happen16 August 2010There comes a point, when you've watched all the glitzy, fancy sci-fi series that have come out in the last decade, and miss that sense of discovering an awesome new series with some good sci-fi elements that you start turning backwards, watching shows from previous decades, which begin to make more and more unrealistic projections of the next 20 yrs...
But then there's this show, this horribly-titled, 1-season show, with a pilot that begins on the wrong foot (sickly children in need of help. Awwwwwwwwww....) but... about three or four episodes in, you're hooked.
Because it's a damned good show. It relies a bit heavily on the whole 'Gaia Earth' theory, and it's a bit corny to hear characters circumventing the usual technobabble of sci-fi by insisting all oddness on the planet can be explained through 'the planet's strong metaphysical plane' (I mean, what the ****?)... But having just finished watching all of 'Deep Space Nine', I can definitely say that Earth 2's cheese quotia is far below that of anything 'Star Trek'. I'd even put it on par with some of the old Stargate SG-1.
Though there are weak episodes (mostly in the beginning). The good news is that a few of the characters who begin out the show extremely annoying eventually become quite likable, and the way in which story arcs develop is commendably good.
Beware when watching this show that you see the last few episodes in the right order. The very last episode is called 'All About Eve', even though it's often packaged earlier in the series. If you see this episode before others, you'll ruin the mildly cliff-hangery (and unresolved) ending for yourself. -
kraveheart1 April 2010With all the series being reborn (V, Bionic Woman, Battlestar Gallactica, etc), this is one series that deserves a second chance. In my opinion, the Terrains were the best so-called alien race ever created. The characters and amazing actors in the series definitely deserved additional seasons.
Today, with so few really good writers left with creative imaginations, viewers are left with new shows which were imagined by other writers. This is also true for movies and sadly, I doubt it will get better in the years to come. More and more movies and series will be redone as a result.
If you haven't seen Earth 2, I encourage you to rent or buy the DVDs. Its better than any show currently on TV or likely to be in the near future.
To producers out there, bring this one back!! -
claudg195022 January 2007I was confused reading one after another so laudatory reviews; I began thinking that I really wasn't paying attention when they aired the show. But then, I found a review from Canadian blogger Geno Sajko, who resumes EXACTLY the outstanding feature I most remember about the show: "... they have kids doing stupid things getting them into trouble (taking the show to a attempted comedic level), and characters who acted so stupidly - not believably. Too many episodes around some dumb tw*t doing something stupid after being asked not to, thus costing time, food, supplies etc, then rescuing them."
In a hostile or at least unknown environment, people acted like they were strolling through a Kentucky prairie. The Martin couple behaved like Lost in Space's Dr. Smith, always furthering their own agenda and finally creating problems for all, themselves included.
My vague -and perhaps mistaken- recollections also include an absence of visual attractions: In my mind, people are walking all the time on dirt; all around looked like brown dust, and that's all there was.
Actors were excellent (and often gorgeous), but the characters were unable to gain my sympathy. -
larry-mcfarlane12 February 2007E2 was the very first TV Series I watched religiously that was cancelled so soon. Words could not express how I felt when I read it was no longer going to be produced.
Oddly enough, one of my favorite memories of E2 was not any particular episode, but of a memorable drive to kwik shop back then. I was listening to some radio talk show (Rush Limbaugh I think) and when they introduced the next caller, the caller shouted "Save Earth 2!!! Don't cancel the series!". The caller hung up and I screamed YEEEEEAAAAAAA Baaaaaaaby!
The only other series that equaled or came close to E2 for me (In this order) were:
1. Firefly (Cancelled first season) and it's movie sequel, Serenity 2. Farscape - Went against the politically correct Sci-Fi norm that the newer Treks defined. 3. Star Trek DS9 - Even though it's Trek, I loved the fact the show went against the grain (After G. Roddenberry died) and placed the federation at war which made for an exciting last 2 years of the series. 4. Babylon5 - Almost cancelled, but the ending was reworked to keep this from happening. This kind of flubbed up the ending of the series (Kinda like X-Files). However, it was another great Sci-Fi series that went against the politically correct Sci-Fi norm of the time. They actually had to send out fighter ships to grapple floating vessels vs. pushing a button and using a tractor beam to put the things in a shuttle bay.
BTW, for those who don't know...You can get Earth 2, the complete series (Including 2 final episodes that were never aired), at Netflix. Just remember the studio messed up and placed the episodes out of order on the DVD set. You have to watch discs 1-6, 8, and 7 to view the episodes in their proper order. You also see the series on Ebay every now and then.
Battle on folks!!!!! -
makiefer-8712814 January 2024The show's aliens were very cool, the characters likeable and credible, the plots a bit monotonous (should have been a 3-parter), and the premise a bit silly. Let's start with the premise: Colonists land on the mainland of an alien planet (earth 2) to reach an ocean. For a viewer, it's a bit pointless that they didn't just land near the ocean. And even if they didn't, can we just fast forward to that point ? Second, regarding the plots, I wish they had involved more interesting discoveries. Copy some odd stories from the shows 'Twilight Zone' or 'Outer Limits.' I would have wanted an odd Earth 2 where absolutely nothing makes sense. Finally, the aliens were top notch: The rhino-like Grendlers. And very scary: A humanoid race that shoots out of the earth, at will. If the whole show was cut into 3 or 4 hours, I would rate it better.
-
ragnarok-76 October 2009I think I have a love/hate- relation ship with this series.
The show began so very promising! There was mythological mystery of the new world, a conspiracy hailing back from Earth 1, quite likable characters, a goal for the characters to reach (and thus a chance for the show (and the characters) to grow).
I think I watched every single episode of it and whenever an episode was over I thought "this show sucks", yet, I always came back. What went wrong? IMHO they focused on the wrong characters (the kids and the overprotective mother were just plain annoying) and the plot just dragged on and on(which can be said about pretty much every episode, but also on the series as a whole), without reaching satisfying peaks, without noticeable progress on the characters mission to reach "new pacifica" and without a closure that suits the promises made by the set-up of the series.
I think in this regard it's pretty comparable to ST-Voayager- While there was a "Mission" for the series and they spoke about it all the time, it never felt like they made any measurable progress.
(OK, Voyager had a crappy "wrapping up" episode and a very few amusing episodes but this didn't made it than Earth2.) -
Francis711 October 1999This was a great show -- thank you SciFi channel for saving it from oblivion. Great character development and cast. But what a cruel joke to play on the audience by ending the series with a cliff-hanger! I am so disappointed that we will never know Devin's fate or solve the mysteries of the Human/Terrian connection.
-
bartning26 January 2010I remember when this series was on the air (or on cable if you had that) back in 1994. I really liked it, but the network (one reviewer claims NBC) didn't show it consistently I remember. It's as if they wanted it to fail, and I would constantly look for new episodes to no avail.
Seeing all the episodes now on Netflix makes me wonder what was going on in the heads of network executives to cancel such a promising show besides basically hiding the series after the movie-length first episode. I'll echo others in the sentimentality of being grateful to finally see the series in its entirety, but it's another stupid marketing decision along the lines of canceling Star Trek back in '68--or worse! It was also very heart wrenching to note the all-too-soon, real-life passing of one of the youngest and most vibrant characters in 2006, and hindsight shows the relationship she had with her on-screen Earth 2 father carried over into the real world--also demonstrating the prescience of the actors in understanding the quality of the series unlike their network-executive counterparts.
I highly recommend this entertaining series, excellent, fun to watch, and meaningful to this day. Again, it was a great series, wrongfully canceled, and many reviews have the same sentiment. -
In the beginning we see the ship making an escape while undergoing a bomb search. Quite wise to do both, for those Nasty Politicos seem a very determined bunch! They just tried to kill you with a bomb, so why not leave a message (broadcast) over the whole planet to that effect? AFTER you are far enough on your way that they won't come after you... Just to make things interesting for those whose politics are 'difficult' with you leaving. A drone broadcasting on one side of Earth, and a regular broadcast on the other, just for redundance!
It only seems fair to do this, especially in view of the way the landing was botched. Seems that the Bad Folks may have sabotaged the landing craft, among other things, a VERY petty means of revenge. It is obvious that the Great Diaspora has begun, at least for this Milieu.
Oberrti, on the Outward Looking Journey -
sandybeeches22 April 2008While going through the reviews on IMDb brought a surge of nostalgia!!I was in 8th grade at that time and my best friend and i were just crazy about this series.And after every episode we would speculate whats gonna happen .It was the coolest thing on the TV at that time.Anyhow after all those yrs i cant help asking what actually happened to all those characters.Above all iv got to say this,the way those alien creatures would pop out of the ground.Wow it was so chilling ...And yea i know I'm raving ab .I think I am gonna phone my friend and recall good old days.Its too bad they stopped it just after 22 episodes or so.Though to date the taste i have for sci fi , all the credit goes to this series.
-
clairamarie12 April 2020I absolutely loved this show! I have never been able to figure out why it didn't last. If they were smart they would do a reboot.
-
vandelour10 March 2018Hard science fiction (no zombies, no vampires, no witches/warlocks etc) is hard to find. And apparently really hard for Hollywood to do well. Even with that, I had hopes for this show -- the first two episodes were interesting and well done.
And then the kids came in. And stayed. Dominated the next few episodes, along with the required weak link character, the lawyer. And the show began to lose the focus of the first two episodes and regurgitated plot lines and scenes from tv shows going back to Lost in Space.
I watched them all. Almost wore out the fast forward button.
Two characters stood out.. Danziger and the Doctor. The 'leader', Devon, was just ok. The rest looked like they knew the show was doomed and started saving money by taking the bus to and from work.
Bottom line is about 20% of any given show was worth watching and the rest was like fast-food, no value at all. -
jpetto16 June 2006One of the best TV shows I ever watched. I have been waiting for this show to return or be re-invigorated for years. When I discuss Sci-fi shows, this is always the one I put first. Why? because it gives me hope for humanity. I worry about our future & this was although 'out there' with imagination, near reality for me. I guess it was what I hope could be in our future. I also felt the plots were well organized, it kept me guessing. When I first watched it, I was left hanging week to week & nothing interrupted my viewing. A great idea, worth a look, hope some imaginative producer grabs this & does something with it. I'd love to see an ending, as I am left wanting more.
-
ultraconservative19 October 2012I did not like this series. This was supposed to be a sci-fi show but turned out to be a combination of poor acting, romance, and left-winged liberal propaganda and other new-age junk. It is no surprise to me it ended in just one season. People do not watch sci-fi for romance and the other stupidity this show offered. This show was a waste of time. Why anyone would make a science fiction show like this and then turn it into a Harlequin romance is beyond me. No one cares about the abstractness that this show offered. The leader of this group was anything but a leader. In fact she was the worst leader I have seen. The women were made up like they had just come back from Glamor Shots, including the 10 year old, a here they are out in the wilderness living in tents. Very stupid.
-
Amane24 September 1998Wonderful characters, acting and plot. One of the few Science Fiction shows to hold my interest more than 1 episode. I loved the Gaian element about environment protection. The "dramatic saga" feel to the show was a fresh approach to the Warring Spaceships that most shows use. The only horrible thing about the show was it only had 22 episodes.
-
rainysng99-835-3286062 November 2020I'm currently digitising all my old DVDs and when I transferred these I stopped to watch them through again. Excellent drama for its day, and better than I remembered it. Hell of a lot better than more recent ones like the Walking Dead.
Shame they cancelled it, it would have been great story - it was a bit choppy on the writing in some episodes, but in a first season there are always ups and downs as it finds its feet with characters and subplots. If low ratings were a problem, try a different marketing approach - I cant remember when it was scheduled to air - but it must have been bad timing. Or maybe it was just too far ahead of its time? Oh, the irony in a sci-fi show :-) -
Martyngrace11 November 2009I really liked this show. I can see this concept as a possible future for humankind. The show could have gone in so many directions, they certainly had enough material and plot ideas for many seasons. I am in the middle of writing a scifi series myself and earth 2 has been inspiring. I would have loved to see them reach new pacifica ( love the name) and the travel tunnels, what a great concept they could have explored. Their traveling and discovering the planet could have taken them on many grand adventures and many episodes of fun and intrigue. Oh well. Shame it was canceled!! I will buy the DVD set for my collection for sure and watch it again with my kids when they are a little older.