Editing SeaQuest DSV (section)

==Overview==

===Season 1===
[[Image:season1cast.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The first season cast]]
The series follows the adventures of the high-tech submarine ''seaQuest'' DSV 4600, a [[deep-submergence vehicle]] operated by the United Earth Oceans Organization (UEO), a global coalition of up-world countries and undersea confederations, similar to the United Nations. The UEO was created following a major showdown of nations and confederations at the Livingston Trench in the [[North Atlantic Ocean]] that occurred circa 2018 as depicted in the pilot episode, "To Be Or Not to Be", and it remained a recurring element for the duration of the series.

The ''seaQuest'' was designed by retired naval captain Nathan Bridger and built by NORPAC (a military organization mentioned in the pilot) and given as a loan to the UEO after its creation. The storyline begins in the year 2018, after mankind has exhausted almost all [[natural resources]], except for the ones on the [[ocean floor]]. Many new colonies have been established there and it is the mission of the ''seaQuest'' and its crew to protect them from hostile nonaligned nations and to aid in mediating disputes as well as engage in undersea research, much of which was still in the preliminary stages when the show began production in 1993.

Bridger, though originally reluctant due to a promise he made with his wife after their son, Robert, was killed in a naval military action before her death, is convinced to return to the navy, under the auspices of the UEO, and assume command of the ''seaQuest''. The first season's storylines primarily dealt with plausible oceanographic research, environmental issues, political machinations of the world and the interpersonal relationships of the crew.

===Season 2===
[[Image:season2cropped.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The season two cast]]
In the [[Higher Power (seaQuest DSV)|first-season finale]], Bridger sacrifices the ''seaQuest'' to prevent an [[ecological disaster]] and for a short time it was not known if the show would be renewed for another season.<ref>{{cite news|title= Seaquest Mission: Find Safe Harbor|work= Orlando Sentinel|url= https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/09/17/seaquest-mission-find-safe-harbor/|access-date= 2010-10-16|archive-date= September 5, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120905124038/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-09-17/lifestyle/9409160412_1_roy-scheider-seaquest-hasburgh|url-status= live}}</ref> The series had suffered in the ratings, as it was pitted against ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' on [[CBS]] and ''[[Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. When it was decided the show would return, NBC and [[Universal Studios Television|Universal]] used this opportunity to change the show's format, beginning by relocating the show's production from [[Los Angeles]] to [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]].

Several cast changes were also made as both [[Royce D. Applegate]] ([[Manilow Crocker|Chief Petty Officer Manilow Crocker]]) and [[John D'Aquino]] (Krieg) were released by NBC as the network wanted a younger cast for the second season. D'Aquino returned for a guest appearance in the third season. [[Stacy Haiduk]] (Hitchcock) informed producers that she did not wish to relocate to Orlando for the second season, having just returned to Los Angeles after spending four years in Florida during the production of ''[[Superboy (TV series)|The Adventures of Superboy]]''.<ref>"I didn't decide to leave the show... it was just mutual... I didn't really want to go to Florida... I spent three and a half years doing ''Superboy.''"—Stacy Haiduk interview, October 2012</ref> Stephanie Beacham, who as Dr. Westphalen was one of the first season's strongest characters, was also hesitant to relocate to Florida.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.simplystephaniebeacham.com/Articles/OK/1995/ok8-95.html |title=Welcome Home, Stephanie |publisher=simplystephanie.com (originally OK! Magazine) |date=August 1995 |access-date=2007-12-11 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928101538/http://www.simplystephaniebeacham.com/Articles/OK/1995/ok8-95.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Beacham also blamed continued disputes between the network and the show's producers as a major reason why she did not return.

Joining the series for season two were [[Edward Kerr]] as [[Lieutenant James Brody]], ''seaQuest''{{'}}s weapons officer; [[Kathy Evison]] as [[Lonnie Henderson|Lieutenant Lonnie Henderson]], ship's helmsman; [[Rosalind Allen]] as [[Dr. Wendy Smith]], the boat's new chief medical officer; [[Michael DeLuise]] as [[Tony Piccolo (seaQuest DSV)|Seaman Anthony Piccolo]], an ex-convict who has [[genetically engineered]] [[gill]]s and [[Peter DeLuise]] as [[Dagwood (seaQuest DSV)|Dagwood]], a prototype genetically engineered life form (G.E.L.F. or "dagger"—a racial slur) who serves as ''seaQuest'''s custodian. As the ''seaQuest'' itself was rebuilt in the storyline, it allowed for the sets to be redesigned for the new Florida location and a shortened version of the [[Emmy award]] winning main title theme was instituted as the series returned to the airwaves on September 18, 1994 with the two-hour [[television movie]] season premiere, "[[Daggers (seaQuest DSV)|Daggers]]".

NBC and the show's producers also decided they wanted more traditionally science-fiction oriented episodes this season, a direction that was explored toward the end of the first season when ''seaQuest'' discovered a million-year-old alien ship entombed in the ocean floor in the episode "Such Great Patience". The second season explored heavy science-fiction concepts such as genetic engineering, aliens, [[parapsychology]], [[time travel]] and various "[[monsters of the week]]" (including killer plants, a giant fire-breathing worm, a prehistoric crocodile and an ancient demon.)

Roy Scheider was vocal in his anger at the show's new direction. In an interview given during the second season, Scheider averred: "It's childish trash... I am very bitter about it. I feel betrayed... It's (the new season) not even good fantasy. I mean, ''Star Trek'' does this stuff much better than we can do it. To me the show is now ''[[21 Jump Street]]'' meets ''Star Dreck''."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/09/13/seaquest-star-calls-series-junk/ |title=seaQuest Star Calls Series "Junk" |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |date=September 1994 |access-date=2011-08-13 |archive-date=June 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612113204/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-09-13/news/9409130211_1_scheider-junk-seaquest |url-status=live }}</ref> Scheider felt the series had strayed too far away from its premise, and that he "became more of a combat commander than a scientific commander and I hadn't signed up for that."<ref>{{cite book |first=Diane C.|last=Kachmar |title=Roy Scheider: A Film Biography |publisher=McFarland |date=November 21, 2008 |page=162 |isbn=978-0786440597}}</ref>

Scheider added that after moving production to Florida, the show was "going to present human beings who had a life on land as well as on the boat... we've had one script that has done that (the episode '[[Vapors (seaQuest DSV)|Vapors]]')," Scheider said. "The other shows are Saturday afternoon 4 o'clock junk for children. Just junk—old, tired, time-warp robot crap," making reference to the much maligned episode "Playtime."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1994-09-14/lifestyle/9409140527_1_childish-trash-dsv-seaquest |title='seaQuest' Star Harpoons His Show |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |date=September 1994 |access-date=2012-05-23 |archive-date=May 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529051406/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1994-09-14/lifestyle/9409140527_1_childish-trash-dsv-seaquest |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As Scheider explained, "I don't do this kind of stuff... I said (to the production executives), 'If I wanted to do the fourth generation of ''Star Trek'', I would have signed up for it. I wouldn't have done ''seaQuest''. You guys have changed it from handball into field hockey and never even bothered to talk to me.'"<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/09/17/seaquest-mission-find-safe-harbor/ |title='seaQuest' Mission: Find Safe Harbor |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |date=September 1994 |access-date=2013-05-12 |archive-date=September 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905124049/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-09-17/lifestyle/9409160412_1_roy-scheider-seaquest-hasburgh/2 |url-status=live }}</ref> Scheider's comments left him in trouble with some of the executive producers, including [[Patrick Hasburgh]] who, in reply, had strong words for Scheider as well: "I'm sorry he is such a sad and angry man. ''seaQuest'' is going to be a terrific show, and he is lucky to be part of it."<ref>TOTAL TV, October 1–7, 1994, Vol. 5, No. 36, p. A120.</ref>

By the end of season two, ''seaQuest DSV'' was again suffering, partly attributed to a perceived decrease in the quality of the writing as well as preemptions by NBC due to [[NBC Sports|sports coverage]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.firsttvdrama.com/neverf/never5.php3 |title=Never Forget! The Questor Tapes to Sliders |publisher=First TV Drama.com |access-date=2007-12-11 |archive-date=June 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613022148/http://www.firsttvdrama.com/neverf/never5.php3 |url-status=live }}</ref> The possibility of cancellation appeared likely but NBC kept the show in production after plans for a new series titled ''Rolling Thunder'' to replace ''seaQuest DSV'' were canceled. Producer [[Lee Goldberg]] claimed the new series was canceled because the premise was "awful."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.mediavillage.com/retro/archives/2005/10/lost_at_seaques.html |title=Herbie J's Retro Watercooler TV: Why Seaquest Sunk|author=Herbie J Pilato |authorlink=Herbie J Pilato |date=October 13, 2005 |access-date=2007-12-11 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071015233824/http://blogs.mediavillage.com/retro/archives/2005/10/lost_at_seaques.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = October 15, 2007}}</ref> The season finale, written as a possible series finale, involved the ''seaQuest'' and its crew being abducted by aliens and forced into a civil war on an alien world where the ship appeared to be destroyed and the crew presumed dead.

===Season 3===
{{quote box|align=right|width=30em|The world is not a nice place, it's not comfortable...corporate entities have grown to the point where they rival and sometimes are more powerful than actual national governments. UEO is not the big kid on the block anymore, ''seaQuest'' is no longer state of the art; it's a boat and it's a military vehicle and I'm going to take it places it has never been before|[[Michael Ironside]], in an interview promoting season three}}
Blaming continued disputes with producers and abandonment of the show's original premise, Roy Scheider requested to be released from his contract with NBC. However, the network only partially agreed and demanded that Bridger would make several appearances throughout the third season. Edward Kerr had been very frustrated with the episode entitled "Alone" (Reportedly, Kerr hated the script so much that he left the set. Brody is absent from that episode)<ref name="sweb.cz">{{Cite web |url=http://www.edward-kerr.com/ed-kerr-faq.html#43 |title=Edward Kerr – FAQ |access-date=February 17, 2012 |archive-date=January 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131024939/http://www.edward-kerr.com/ed-kerr-faq.html#43 |url-status=live }}</ref> and also wished to exit the series in the third season, which is why his character was critically injured in the season finale, "[[Splashdown (seaQuest DSV)|Splashdown]]".<ref name="sweb.cz"/>

NBC would only agree to release him from his contract if he continued to play Brody for a few episodes in the third season so his character could be killed off for more dramatic impact in the episode "SpinDrift".<ref name="sweb.cz"/> Because of rescheduling, the episode "Brainlock", with Brody still alive, aired after the character's death. [[Rosalind Allen]] was released as Dr. Smith proved to be unpopular with the audience and because producers felt that her character's telepathic abilities would not fit with the more serious tone planned for the new season.

[[Marco Sanchez]] ([[Miguel Ortiz (seaQuest DSV)|Chief Petty Officer Miguel Ortiz]]), who had requested to remain with the series, was also released after NBC decided it wanted the principal cast number dropped from ten to nine, leaving [[Jonathan Brandis]] ([[Lucas Wolenczak]]), [[Don Franklin]] ([[Commander Jonathan Ford]]), and [[Ted Raimi]] ([[Tim O'Neill (seaQuest)|Lieutenant Tim O'Neill]]) as the only three cast members who remained with the show since the first episode. The marine trivia presentations at the end of the show, formerly hosted by [[oceanographer]] [[Bob Ballard|Dr. Bob Ballard]] in the season one and the main cast excluding Scheider in season two, were dropped entirely. The show itself was renamed to ''seaQuest 2032'', with the storyline pushed ahead ten years after the end of season two.

[[Image:season3cropped.jpg|thumb|The season three cast]]
In [[Brave New World (seaQuest 2032)|the season premiere]], the ''seaQuest'' reappears on Earth, its crew mostly intact, ten years after their abduction at the end of season two. Captain Bridger retires to raise his new grandson and [[Michael Ironside]] joins the cast as the more militaristic [[Oliver Hudson (seaQuest 2032)|Captain Oliver Hudson]]. Originally, Ironside refused to take over from Scheider as star of the series. "I saw so many problems that I couldn't see where I'd be able to do the work I wanted to do." claimed Ironside.<ref>{{cite news|title= Michael Ironside takes helm of reborn 'seaQuest 2032'|work= [[The Associated Press]]|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1960&dat=19951011&id=oqVGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2OgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1156,2799867|access-date= 2012-07-16|archive-date= December 20, 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221220235219/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1960&dat=19951011&id=oqVGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2OgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1156,2799867|url-status= live}}</ref>  Also considered for the lead of the series was actor [[Jonathan Banks]], who had previously appeared in the first season episode "Whale Songs" as radical environmentalist Maximilian Scully.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.mediavillage.com/retro/archives/2005/10/lost_at_seaques.html |title=Herbie J's Retro Watercooler TV: Why Seaquest Sunk|author=Herbie J Pilato |date=October 13, 2005 |access-date=2007-12-11 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071015233824/http://blogs.mediavillage.com/retro/archives/2005/10/lost_at_seaques.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = October 15, 2007}}</ref>

After weeks of negotiations where Ironside offered producers a number of changes to the storytelling structure of the series, which were agreed upon, he finally signed on. "You won't see me fighting any man-eating glowworms, rubber plants, 40-foot crocodiles and I don't talk to Darwin." he said. Though not cast as the new lead of the series, Jonathan Banks reprised his character of Scully in the third season. Also joining the cast was [[Elise Neal]] as [[J.J. Fredericks|Lieutenant J.J. Fredericks]], who served as ''seaQuest'''s sub-fighter pilot.<ref name="Orlando Sentinel">{{cite news|title= After Long, Steady Dive In Ratings, 'Seaquest' Is Deep-sixed By Nbc|work= Orlando Sentinel|url= https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1995/11/17/after-long-steady-dive-in-ratings-seaquest-is-deep-sixed-by-nbc/|access-date= 2010-10-16|archive-date= September 5, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120905123821/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1995-11-17/news/9511171002_1_seaquest-2032-florida-crew-central-florida|url-status= live}}</ref>

Steering story lines back towards more reality-based themes, the third season attempted to blend the sense of the first season with some of the unique elements of the second season, while at the same time, pushing forward in an entirely new direction altogether as the UEO faces the threat of the Macronesian Alliance and the ever growing corporate conglomerate Deon International. The series was perceived as becoming much darker than it was in the previous two seasons, focusing less on science (as it had in the first season) and science fiction (as it had in the second season) and more on international politics. While these changes were met with mostly positive reactions, ratings continued to decline and NBC canceled the series after thirteen episodes.<ref name="Orlando Sentinel"/>  The 57th and final network airing of ''seaQuest 2032'' took place on June 9, 1996.