Network: ABC
Episodes: 13 but five didn’t air (hour)
Seasons: One
TV show dates: August 2, 2009 — September 13, 2009
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Andrew Airlie, Christina Cox, Zahf Paroo, Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Karen LeBlanc, William C. Vaughan, Malik Yoba, Paula Garces, Florentine Lahme, Eyal Podell, Dylan Taylor, Ty Olsson, Maxim Roy, Peter Howitt, and Lara Gilchrist.
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TV show description:
In the not-too-distant future, eight astronauts from five countries (four women and four men) undertake a mysterious international space mission that covers billions of miles.
Years ago, Maddux Donner (Ron Livingston) and Ted Shaw (Malik Yoba) were once part of a mission to Mars. When a storm prevented their teammates from returning in time for the mission’s space module to be able to return home, Mission Commander Mike Goss (Andrew Airlie) on Earth gave the order to leave without them. Donner reluctantly agreed and sentenced the others to death on the Mars surface.
A decade later, Donner and Shaw are alternates on the Antares mission, a six-year journey to the other seven planets in the solar system. They get a second shot after the mission’s commander, Rollie Crane (Ty Olsson), and flight engineer, Ajay Sharma (Zahf Paroo), mysteriously develop heart murmurs and must be sent home. Neither is happy about the development. Rollie begrudgingly leaves behind his wife Jen (Christina Cox), a biologist who was once romantically involved with Shaw. Meanwhile, Ajay has a nervous breakdown and ruins his future prospects as an astronaut.
Despite their good fortune, things aren’t all rosey for Donner and Shaw. Donner has visions of his former girlfriend, ship’s geologist Zoe Barnes (Laura Harris), falling naked out of an airlock. Shaw learns from his wife, Mission Control scientist Eve (Karen LeBlanc), that there’s a lot more to this mission than they know.
The rest of the Antares crew includes sexy and aggressive pilot Nadia Schilling (Florentine Lahme); the alcoholic medical officer, Evram Mintz (Eyal Podell); Steve Wassenfelder (Dylan Taylor), a theoretical physicist who’s mostly interested in comics and porn; and Paula Morales (Paula Garces), a teacher who’s filming a documentary for her students on Earth.
Every aspect of the eight astronauts’ lives on the ship are being monitored and scrutinized back home by Goss and flight surgeon Claire Dereux (Maxim Roy). He’s leading the mysterious agenda and she stumbles upon the truth about the mission.
Flashbacks to the astronauts’ training days help to fill in their backgrounds and motivations. As the crew gets further and further into their mission, it becomes apparent to all of them that the mission is not what it seems. A series of strange events leaves them struggling to survive while the people of Earth watch their every move.
I don’t care how long it’s been. Bring this one back. It is the most beautiful, thought provoking and interesting sci fi series to be seen in a long time.
The network canceled this great show and kept “Cougar Town”. They keep the brainless & tasteless. The writing on “Defying Gravity” was, in my thoughts, too good. Let me explain. I know it had its sexual tensions like Gray’s Anatomy, but it also posed moral & ethical questions such as “do you blindly follow orders?” It showed we need each other’s help (H2IK). It might have made people think too much, or at least too much for those in Washington, who wants people to shut up & do what they tell us to. For those who are interested, all the… Read more »
“Lost” in space. Yawn…
Every time ABC gets a decent show they cancel it without even giving it a chance. Shows like this and Happytown require time to gather a larger audience and have much more value for a network in the long run in todays environment. Many people time shift shows these days, watch them online or actually purchase episodes. Get with the 21st century ABC. Seems like the only big three network left with even a modicum of common sense is CBS.
I missed this while it was on TV (I didn’t even know it was on) and caught it on DVD. It is too bad they cancelled it, because it really was a very good show. ABC has no patience. I have asked my friends & no one even heard about it. They need to get better at promotion.
If you want to see the final episodes get the DVD they are there
I agree with the other comments. It seems that the only shows that keep on going are the “Reality” shows. The ones like Defying Gravity that have good story lines and actors seem to get cancelled before they barely get started. I’d sure like to know how the really gather the ratings!!!
This should carry on, can we start a petition like what has been done for My own worst enemy???
It has great actors, a right mix and colourful characters, who ever has cancelled this has no imagination, how can you take it so far and leave us hanging. not fair, not right, sort it out
Defying Gravity was my new favourite show. It didn’t have a chance. Too smart without murders….
I was starting to get into this show. The sad reality is most of the shows I like get canceled. I’m thinking of giving in and just watching the same reality, cheap, garbage the rest of the country supposedly enjoys. I agree with the comment that the networks need a better way to track the ratings. Neilson hasn’t been accurate for years and is only now trying to figure out ways to track things better. I say it’s too little too late. Between my dvr and the internet, I barely see shows on the day/time that they air. But who… Read more »
I really feel bad for people who can’t see the last 5 episodes. I can watch them because it is shown on the SPACE channel which is only available in Canada. In my opinion, the series gets much better starting on episode 9 when we finally get an idea of what beta is and see how the astronauts handles it. I really loved that series. I really hope they find a way to make season 2.
Atleast post the final five episodes (if they were ever made?) We will miss you Defying Gravity.
Please can we keep one good show on TV, it would be nice to continue watching shows such as Defying Gravity. It is sad when our TV viewing consists of Reality CRAP!
The only failure related to Defying Gravity, is the marketing and advertising.
The show, the writting, and the acting were always excelent.
When will TV catch up with the changing culture? When will network executives abandon Nieilsen ratings and realize that, with internet streaming, today’s audiences watch shows on our time–not the network’s schedule. A show has much more value than it’s number of viewers on a certain night at a certain time slot! Sheesh! Definitely keep Defying Gravity!