I'm the Bucketeer!

Have I mentioned what a huge fan of Defying Gravity I am?

If you've missed my frequent lamenting and bemoaning the demise of this great SFR TV series, lucky you (yes, I said SFR--it definitely had a compelling, if unusual, romance involved). Suffice it to say it was another network fumble of the first order (curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, ABC!) much like another SF series that millions still mourn--Firefly.

But Defying Gravity still has a loyal and dedicated fan base who intermittently comb the internet for anything DG-related. Yup, I'm one of those. And no longer just a mere fan now, mind you. I'm the Bucketeer.

What the heck is a Bucketeer? Oh, I'm so glad you asked. :)

The main characters of this series are two astronauts--Zoe Barnes (Laura Harris) and Maddux Donner (Ron Livingston). They meet during training. He's already an astronaut, one of the survivors of an earlier mission to Mars who had to make a tragic decision to leave two comrades behind (of course, there's more to that story). And she's a geologist, a young hopeful among hundreds with her whole future riding on being one of those selected for the Antares expedition, "a grand tour of the solar system." There's instant attraction between them. And when Zoe vehemently, and a little too loudly, denies her attraction to Donner to a peer during the first day of training, she's selected to be the first "volunteer" on the centrifuge.

The result isn't pretty.

And Zoe's reward for her humiliating reaction to the headspinning, multiple G experience? A little bucket on a chain. Given to her by Donner. Who explains that it's a status symbol to be worn by the first lucky trainee to upchuck in the line of duty. But, alas, after all her training, Zoe doesn't make the cut for the mission.

Fast forward five years. The newly selected crew of the Antares--including Zoe, who was selected for the crew after all (more to that story, too)--are celebrating at their favorite watering hole in Houston, Major Tom's. Donner--who was not selected--comes to congratulate the crew. From across the room, Zoe waves and holds up the Bucket, which she still wears on the chain around her neck.

For Zoe, the Bucket has evolved into a symbol of overcoming improbable odds, facing personal demons and a talisman of the close friendship that formed between herself and Donner during training (yup, there's a WHOLE LOT more to that story).

Zoe is the Keeper of the Bucket.

Fast forward one year. The show has now been cancelled, the actors released, and the set dismantled. There will be no season two, no follow up movie, no continuing saga of this amazing series. *sob*

And the Bucket has now been passed on to a new keeper. Yours truly!

YES! I won the actual Bucket in a (frantic) auction on eBay in mid-November, after losing out on Zoe's flight suit, Donner's flight suit, and various props and set peices that I would have loved to have snagged for my personal collection.

But it's okay, because I am now the new Keeper of the Bucket and all that it stands for. I am the Bucketeer. And owning this little piece of SFR and television history has made me one very happy space cadet.

Laurie Green, Bucketeer. Has kind of a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Well, if you've read this far, I have a surprise for you. Enter a comment below and you'll be entered in a random drawing for a DVD set of the complete first (and only) season of Defying Gravity. Why? Well, because I'm looking to convert more lamentees to the Defying Gravity bandwag--er...booster rocket...and gifting this excellent series to interested parties is a great way to do that. But also because it's the holidays and this is a Spacefreighters Lounge thank you to our readers. (I'm sorry to say I can't ship internationally, but I will substitute a $20 Amazon gift certificate if the random winner lives overseas.)

Happy Holidays. And may the Bucket be with you!

~*~

Score!

Not so long ago, I wrote a lament on this blog about the demise of the Defying Gravity television series--an imaginative science fiction program with a nice dose of romance.  DG built a fast and loyal fanbase during its short-lived time on network televsion, only to be canceled just as it was being discovered by many fans.  (Maybe it should have been named Defying Logic?)  But all is not lost.  The complete first (and only) season of Defying Gravity became available on Amazon just this week.  Sold!  

I can't wait to start all over again from the beginning and re-experience the episodes I enjoyed so much, leading up to the five or so shows that never aired on American television.

Yup, this one goes on my DVD rack in the honored spot right next to Firefly and Serenity.  I'm a happy camper. 

And the Thunder Rolls...

Frustration and anger from viewers over the cancellation of the SF series Defying Gravity is mounting and has been gaining momentum in recent days as fans realize the next episode will not be aired after ending in a monumental cliffhanger last Sunday.

Will the backlash grow to Firefly proportions? Will the networks ever learn the care and feeding of a promosing new SF series? Will they make amends to disgruntled viewers and give it another shot? Or will it eventually resurface on SyFy where it will have the benefit of a healthy following from the SF community?

TVSquad is just one of dozens of television commentary sites and blogs receiving feedback about the cancellation of DG. A TVSquad article entitled Defying Gravity We Hardly Knew Ye had well over 200 comments at last count, almost all in support of the show. Similar backlash is being received on other TV commentary sites.

I wonder if the network is listening, or if it will turn a deaf ear to disgruntled fans?

And, most important of all to us Skiffy Rommers, what does this mean, if anything, for the SF/SFR book market?

Defying Gravity Links

Yes, I'm on a mission.

My blog campaign continues to try to get the word out on this new SFR television series about a mysterious mission in space and its crew (of great characters with many a romantic twist).

Don't know anything about the show? Want to learn more?

Check out these links to interviews and critiques of the new SFR TV show and tune in tonight on ABC to see what all the excitement is about.

Bureau42.com: TV Review of Defying Gravity
Rated the effects and production 6 out of 6, acting and story 4 out of 6, but didn't have a lot of love for the originality or emotional response (which I think many would disagree with, because this series is all about emotion and characters) which both scored a 3 out of 6. Still the overall rating of 32/40 is not too shabby compared to other television offerings.

SciFiandTVTalk's Blog: Defying Gravity's Andrew Airlie--In Control
Interview with the actor playing the mission flight director, who is painted as a bit of a bad guy in the opener.

EW.com: Interview with Defying Gravity star Ron Livingston (who plays Maddux Donner)

Defying Gravity on Hulu

Have I piqued your interest yet?

A Call to the SFR Troops

I want to go on a little pro-Defying Gravity campaign. Defying Gravity is a Science Fiction Romance series that had a two hour debut on ABC last Sunday night, to a dismal 3.5 million viewers and a few pan reviews. I was especially dismayed by a scoffing review from a Tor columnists. If SF and SFR writers and readers don't support their own genre-related fair, who else is going to?

Personally, I liked the show, and I liked it much better after watching it a second time. Yes, the show had some questionable SF elements. But what SF story--movie, TV, book or otherwise--hasn't?

This show, like SFR, is as much about the characters and their relationships as it is the hardware. And it has some very promising characters with intriguing backstories (including the MC who had to leave two crew members behind on Mars in an earlier mission), a space opera setting and a big mystery, plus as icing on the cake, the grandness of space itself as a backdrop. But let's face it, like Firefly, and most of the good SF before it, Defying Gravity is in jeopardy of being canceled before it even has a chance to develop a fan base. It needs to attract a lot more viewers (and better reviews).

OK, fellow SFR Brigade...this would be a good time to support your cause.

If you missed the debut, here's a summary from Airlock Alpha to get you up to speed.

Defying Gravity is on Sunday nights on ABC. Watch it, and if you like it, talk about it on your blogs, websites and talk to your friends who may also be interested. Let's not let Defying Gravity fall to the same fate as Firefly--bad network decisions and the predetermined failure of innovative SF shows.

Besides, if fans don't support more ground-breaking original series, they're going to get exactly what they deserve--more mindless reality shows.

Are you with me now? :)

Beyond Enthused!

What a great upcoming week for SFR! First, the debut of Defying Gravity on August 2, a new television series about space exploration from the folks who brought us the hit series Grey's Anatomy. See earlier post and video.

Then, just two days later, the debut of BEYOND THE RAIN on August 4, an exciting new Science Fiction Romance novel by author Jess Granger. Read on and prepare to be swept up in this fascinating world.

In a universe torn apart by civil war, a warrior and a slave must fight for their freedom, for their lives, and for a love that may destroy them both…

After five years behind enemy lines, Captain Cyani is ready to retire to her homeworld of Azra as one of the Elite — the celibate warrior sisterhood that rules the planet. But first she must complete one final mission to rescue her fellow Union soldiers. The last thing she expects to find is a prisoner, chained and beaten — but radiating feral power and an unbroken spirit…

Soren is a Byralen, an enigmatic people who possess a unique hormone that they use to bond with their mates — and that is sold as a sexual narcotic in the shadow trade. For years, he has endured torture at the hands of his captors as they leeched his very essence. The last thing he expects is to be freed from slavery by a beautiful warrior woman with radiant blue eyes.

Driven by her rigid sense of honor, Cyani frees Soren even though her life hinges upon the success of her mission. But after so many years in bondage, his hormones are so unbalanced that he will die if he does not bond with a woman. Can the lovely but distant warrior be the woman he needs to survive, or will the forbidden bond destroy them?

Here's what the reviews are saying:

Beyond the Rain is a sensual, action-packed debut by a bright new voice in futuristic romance!

–Susan Grant, bestselling author of The Warlord’s Daughter


“Granger’s incredibly original and entertaining tale delivers passion, compassion and personal destiny…it’s a touching story about two people finding each other under unusual circumstances and changing their lives forever.”

—RT Book Reviews

Information used by permission of author Jess Granger. Website

At Last!

It's official! Defying Gravity, the new ABC television series premiering Sunday night, August 2, is Science Fiction Romance.

Four men, four women, and a six-year mystery mission in space...

Click here to read more about Defying Gravity.

SFR Coming to Television?

This could be very big news for the Science Fiction Romance market, if it turns out to be anywhere near the hit Grey's Anatomy is. Is this the breakthrough we've been waiting for? Fasten your crash harnesses and get ready for the premier of Defying Gravity (reportedly debuting on August 2).



On a personal level, I have some concerns about this series, since it hits very close to home on the premise of my current WIP. But we shall see...

Meanwhile, if you want to read more about Defying Gravity, check out this article from Blog Critis Video, which says, "Set 50 years in the future, Defying Gravity has been called Grey's Anatomy in space. It may also be Lost in space. But it's definitely not Lost In Space."