Defying Gravity The Complete First Season   Starring: Ron Livingston, Andrew Airlie, Malik Yoba, Laura Harris, Eyal Podell, Christina Cox and Peter Howitt Medium Rare Entertainment RRP: £34.99 FHED2993 Certificate: 15 Available 25 February 2013

Defying Gravity is a gripping space drama from the producers of Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives that follows the adventures of eight astronauts on board the international spacecraft Antares as they undertake a mysterious, six year mission covering 8 billion miles. Led by veteran astronauts Ted Shaw and Maddux Donner, every action of the crew of the Antares is scrutinised and beamed back to earth. However, there is more to this mission than the crew realise: something that is altering the crew at the very basic genetic level; something that the select few who know about it are desperate to keep a secret...

Defying Gravity was originally broadcast in 2009 and was cancelled after only 13 episodes were completed. The show was a multi-nationally produced project with backing from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Germany. The biggest shame is that the series shows a lot of potential, but the final episode leaves the audience hanging in the balance.

To be honest though, one we learn Antares's true mission it becomes pretty obvious that the creators have sort of painted themselves into a bit of a corner. Sure, there is the possibility of more surprises along the way, but it soon becomes clear that each season would probably have simply dealt with the mission to the next planet on Antares's route, a little more back story, and one of the crew having to complete that planet's dangerous mission.

Set in the year 2052, the series follows the eight astronauts onboard the Antares as well as the crew down on Earth (including two of the original astronauts who were pulled from the mission after they both developed an mysterious illness). The storyline constantly flashes back to the mission training and looks at the cadets as they interact inside and outside of work.

The "mysterious" element of the mission is slowly revealed, until (we are told) that we now know as much as mission control. However, thanks to the show's early cancellation, we'll never know if that's the case or not.

Extras include Mission Accomplished - A Look at Defying Gravity (10 min, 33 sec which interviews the show's main cast and crew); Photo Slideshow (which is broken down into different production areas including set design and promotional photography); Deleted Scenes (20 min, 47 sec which includes a slightly different ending); and a text based Character Profiles).

Defying Gravity is a show that's worthy of your attention. It's a character driven show and works thanks to the fact that there is a faultless cast involved. it's just a shame that we'll never uncover more of the mystery.

8

Darren Rea