Earth Star Voyager
Encyclopedia
Earth Star Voyager is the name of a science fiction
television movie shown on the Wonderful World of Disney in 1988. The show aired as a two-part pilot, but was never picked up for a series and has not been released on DVD
, although a fan base for the pilot has grown over the years.
Writing credits
Cast (in credits order) - verified from Earth Star Voyager credit list
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
It is now six years later, in the year 2088. Command cadet Jonathan Hays, twenty-one, and his best friend Jessie 'Beanie' Bienstock, a 14-year-old computer specialist, are among the young military cadets chosen to serve as the crew of Earth*Star Voyager, the planet's newest interstellar vessel. Due to worsening ecological conditions on Earth, there is a plan in place to evacuate the planet and colonize another world. (This mission is noted on the cover of the German DVD: see image at right). Probes have been sent out six years ago via the Vanguard Explorer, and one has sent data back on Berenson's Star; she has a life-zone
planet
which has been named 'Demeter'. The mission of Earth*Star Voyager is to go to Demeter, perform a full planetary survey and return that information because if conditions on Demeter prove accurate (the probe's data indicates that human life could survive on Demeter), then the human race will colonize the world. The plan to colonize Demeter has already begun; ships are already being built to transport the population but will take forty years to complete construction of all the necessary vessels, and the trip to Demeter, with 'plasma-thrust' engines and the Bauman Drive (named for Professor Bauman, the creator) will take 26 years. That was the rationale of choosing the crew from the Academy—for their youth and intelligence. Jonathan, as second-in-command, will assume command if Forbes is shown to be unable to continue his duties due to age. It is also mentioned that a modified form of cryogenic suspension will be used by the crew during the voyage in order to slow the aging process. (Beanie mentions that he'll be forty years old upon their return to Earth, and Captain Forbes also mentions that although the process will slow their aging, they will still age.)
Among the crew members are Lani Miyori (a communications specialist) and Luz Sansone, a fellow communications tech who takes an immediate liking to Beanie. Also aboard are Dr. Sally Arthur, a 24-year-old M.D., Huxley Welles, an 18-year-old navigator, and Dr. Leland Eugene, the ship's psychiatrist.
The crew arrives aboard the Earth*Star Voyager, and are met by Captain Forbes (the commanding officer), Brody (the ship's resident physical fitness instructor - crew members are required to engage in a physical fitness program), and 'Priscilla', the sentient supercomputer
that is the primary logic circuit for the vessel - who has seemingly developed a crush upon Huxley. It is mentioned that this was a concern by the programmers; Priscilla is designed from the brain engrams of Priscilla Bauman (the daughter of Professor Bauman), and as such, she has all of memories, thoughts, feelings and desires of the real Priscilla Bauman. This is slightly annoying to Huxley.
Adm. Beasley, a war hero who fought back a criminal organization called the Outlaw Technology Zone, gave them a final pep-talk and saw them off from his flag ship, the Titan Corsair.
Not long after embarking on the mission, the ship has to pass through the junk belt. Immediately entering the belt, the auto-pilot is unable to travel the course plotted because the junk starts to move due to the ship's engines. After the shields and ship take some damage, Johnatan takes manual control and flys the ship through without taking further damage. While checking the repairs on an airlock, Captain Forbes finds himself trapped inside with the system set to open the airlock to space. Moments later, coming to check on the Captain, Jonathan finds him before the airlock opens. Before being sucked into space, the Captain tells Jonathan to keep going and to 'complete the mission'. Later, Lani mentions to Jonathan that she has suspicions of the fitness instructor and though Jonathan says he cannot go on a hunch alone, he orders the ship's psychiatrist to review the crew's profiles for any hint of psychopathology. Following this Lani is critically injured while in cryo-sleep by an apparent malfunction.
Along the way to Demeter, they pick up the long lost astronaut Capt. Jacob 'Jake' Brown, while stopping at an abandoned station to make some repairs. Brown initially paralyzes Huxley with a weapon but it is revealed that he did so to prevent Huxley from walking straight into an "anti-matter zone." Capt. Brown is accepted onboard as an advisor to Jonathan and, finding out that the crew is only armed with hand weapons, volunteers to build a rail-gun with the help of Beinstock in an airlock. Jonathan then receives evidence of the death of Capt. Forbes and Lani's coma that points Leland, the psychiatrist. When Jonathan confronts him, Priscilla calls Johnathan that suspicious activity in the rail-guns airlock. Jonathan investigates and finds Brody, the fitness instructor, is sabotaging the rail-gun, a fight ensues and the fitness instructor is jettisoned out of the airlock. A transmitter is later discovered amongst his possessions, that he was apparently using to keep in contact with a blip that intermittently appeared on the Voyager's long range scans.
The crew also explores a distress signal from a massive space station known as 'the 2020 World's Fair
', which is inhabited by warriors and researchers of the Outlaw Technology Zone. The landing party is captured by the warriors after encountering one of Captain Brown's former crew members, Willy. They discover that the mutinous Vance has also landed here and became "Top Dog" of the warriors by employing a stunner much like the one Brown used on Huxley. A warrior, named Whistlestick, who was beaten and humiliated by Vance explains that anyone may challenge the "Top Dog" at any time and Huxley demonstrates his skill at pickpocketing by getting the key for their cage. Brown offers to occupy their captors by challenging Vance while the rest escape. After a difficult fight, Brown (who taught Vance how to make such weapons long ago) is able to make Vance's weapon backfire and destroys it - but spares Vance's life (unaware that Sally was watching and afraid that he would be killed by Jake). In the ensuing ruckus the crew and their two new allies escape.
The next discovery, explaining how Vance and Willie got to the World's Fair Station in the first place was finding the wreckage of the Vanguard Explorer. Capt. Brown requests the permission to board it and retrieve his logs to prove that the loss of his ship was due to mutiny, and to see if there was anything left salvageable. He, Beinstock and the Doctor find the ship to still have some power and computer function, but also find an unwelcome guest known as a 'Shell'—a cyborg
. Brown is able to shock the Shell into unconsciousness, and Doctor Arthur insists they take him to the ship to help and examine him. In a cut-away scene it is revealed that Adm. Beasley has become aware of the Shell's presence on Voyager, but is unable to do anything about it.
Willie explains that the Shell is a cyborg created by the O.T.Z. and although it is only a drone it is probably packed with explosives. The Doctor with the help of Beinstock is able to disarm the explosives and treat his injuries, and is able to bring the Shell back to consciousness while also keeping him immobilized. They interrogate the Shell, and he mentions that his function is to help facilitate "Assembly." Data from the Vanguard indicates that several odd-looking ships passed by the Vanguard from the World's Fair over the last few years. Later analysis indicates the ships are modular. Later on, Dr. Arthur speaks to the Shell and discovers that he was abducted and turned into a cyborg when he was young. After making some small adjustments to him to ease his discomfort, Doctor Arthur and he form a brief emotional connection before his programming returns him to his drone-state. Later he regains his full movement and smashes his way through the ship, damaging Capt. Brown's jury-rigged railgun
weapon and one of Priscilla's processors. The Shell warns them that they must stop "Assembly" then deactivates himself rather than let his programming make him kill Dr. Arthur.
In another cut away scene, Vance finds himself in dire straights back on the World's Fair as the warriors now hunt him for his treatment of them. Admiral Beasley appears and demands an explanation from him. Their dialogue indicates that the mutiny on the Vanguard Explorer was part of some design of Beasley's and that Beasley is somehow connected, if not in control of, the O.T.Z. After Vance reveals he was defeated by the presumed-dead Capt, Brown Beasley leaves Vance to his fate, and returns to the Corsair. This scene is left out of some versions of the show.
Back on board Voyager the crew have made repairs and discover how their spacecraft fits into a conspiracy concocted by the Outlaw Technology Zone and Admiral Beasley, the mastermind behind the entire plot (including the construction of Earth*Star Voyager, the selection of the crew, and the creation of the 'Shell'). The O.T.Z. ships, the Assembly, were stationed in a binary solar system to use the light from the stars upcoming alignment to give them sufficient power to join together and form an even more massive and heavily armed ship. A section of the completed Assembly was designed to allow Voyager to fit in near the bow.
Beasley's ship fires warning shots at Voyager to keep them on course to the Assembly, and then he reveals why he had chosen the best and the brightest the world had to offer to crew Voyager. He intended Voyager not to be an exploratory vessel but a colony ship. Joining the Voyager to the O.T.Z. Assembly would give Beasley the Bowman Drive and Priscilla. This would enable him to choose whom else would get to be part of his new Utopia, while leaving the rest of humanity to rot back on Earth.
However, the crew outwits Admiral Beasley and escapes (after a battle in which they use jury-rigged weapons, including a 'solar laser
' (which can gather and redirect solar energies in a beam-like fashion), and the railgun
built by Jake and Beanie). During the battle, Jake nearly sacrifices himself to hold together part of the electrical circuit that allows the railgun to be fired; he is saved by Sally. Aboard the Admiral's damaged vessel, the Triton Corsair, Admiral Beasley acknowledges Johnathan's skill as a commander, and promises that he will meet up with the crew of the Earth*Star Voyager again someday. There is an alternate scene of this in the 120-minute VHS version where Beasley is revealed to be some sort of robot or cyborg (or perhaps himself a Shell), while leaving out the promise dialog.
Aboard the Earth*Star Voyager, Lani is found to be recovering from her injuries; Beanie and Luz (prodded by Priscilla) become a couple; it is strongly insinuated that Jake and Sally will become a couple; and Huxley is stunned to see that Priscilla (in human form) is a very beautiful woman. Beanie also reveals to Jonathan that he has decrypted the probe data and the crew sees that Demeter is a planet with striking similarities to Earth. The last line of the miniseries goes to Jake, who says, "You know, Captain, I think we oughta go check that place out..."
The production was shot entirely in Vancouver Canada and partially filmed inside The Soviet Pavilion built for Expo '86.
While significant numbers of notes from fans since 2002 (and many more showing up as early as 1996), from various fan sites, show up constantly and ask why this show has not been released,...Disney has not responded giving the impression it will not release the show, in a digital format, to the public.
Some fans have called various departments and levels of the Disney corporation to find out availability. While Disney executives and lawyers deny such conversations existed, fans have stated they have been told by Disney Movie Sales Associates that the only place fans should even consider hope in obtaining the show is on bootlegged media.
Of the bootleg versions available, the lesser quality media has seemed to disappear over the years, while they do occasionally pop up from time to time. Of the higher quality versions, there still seem to be two different versions available. While both contain the entire broadcast movie, one version boasts a complete movie -minus the commercials and introductions -starring the former Disney CEO, Michael Eisner. The version without the commercials seems to be one of the better quality versions, and those who find private sellers occasionally end up with the semi-rare custom DVD artwork.
The show (240 minutes in 4 series) was screened by the Ostankino 2 channel in Russia in Winter 1993 in their 'Disney film classics' series on Fridays.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television movie shown on the Wonderful World of Disney in 1988. The show aired as a two-part pilot, but was never picked up for a series and has not been released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, although a fan base for the pilot has grown over the years.
Cast and crew
Directed by- James GoldstoneJames GoldstoneJames Goldstone was an American director of both television and theatrical films during the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s....
Writing credits
- Ed Spielman
Cast (in credits order) - verified from Earth Star Voyager credit list
- Duncan RegehrDuncan RegehrDuncan Peter Regehr is a Canadian writer, multi-media artist, and film and television actor. He has also been a figure skater, an Olympic boxing contender, and a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor in his native Canada, before heading to Hollywood in 1980...
.... Jacob Dryden 'Jake' Brown (Former CDR, Vanguard Explorer) - Brian McNamaraBrian McNamaraBrian McNamara is an American actor, known for his portrayal of Dean Karny in the TV Movie Billionaire Boys Club for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a supporting role.-Biography:...
.... Capt. Jonathan Hays (Commander, Earth*Star Voyager) - Julia MontgomeryJulia MontgomeryJulia Montgomery is an American actress. She has starred in television and in films, and infomercials....
.... Dr. Sally Arthur, M.D. (Space Medicine) - Jason MichasJason MichasJason Michas is a Canadian-born voice actor, who played in animated television shows such as Sabrina, the Animated Series as Harvey Kinkle, and in Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars as the protagonist in the first four episodes...
.... Jessie 'Beanie' Bienstock (Computer Sciences) - Tom Bresnahan .... Huxley Welles (Navigation)
- Margaret LangrickMargaret LangrickMargaret Langrick is a Canadian actress. She won a 1986 Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for My American Cousin and was also nominated in the same category in 1990 for Cold Comfort. She was also nominated for a Gemini Award in 1987 for Best Guest Performance in a...
.... Luz Sansone (Communications) - Sean O'Byrne .... Lt. Vance Arthur (First Officer, Vanguard Explorer)
- Peter DonatPeter DonatPeter Donat is a Canadian-American actor known for his roles in American television.-Early life:Donat was born Pierre Collingwood Donat in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of Marie and Philip Ernst Donat, a landscape gardener. His uncle was British actor Robert Donat...
.... Adm. Beasley
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
- Dinah Gaston .... Lani Miyori (Communications)
- Andrew KavadasAndrew KavadasAndrew Kavadas is a Canadian voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has played several roles in anime, most notably Patrick Zala in Gundam Seed...
.... Brody Arnold (Physical Fitness Technician) - John "Bear" Curtis .... Whistlestick
- Stephen Dimopoulos .... The Crier
- Bruce HarwoodBruce HarwoodBruce Harwood is a Canadian actor best known for his role of John Fitzgerald Byers, one of the Lone Gunmen on the television series The X-Files. Harwood also trained for several years to be a professional figure skater before he started his acting career. His ice skating skills are on display in a...
.... Dr. Leland Eugene, M.D. (Psychiatrist) - Henry Kingi .... Shell
- Nigel Harvey .... Security Leader
- Barry Kennedy .... Lt. Matthews
- Kevin McNulty .... CDR. Gardner
- Lynette MetteyLynette MetteyLynette Mettey is an American actress who appeared frequently in the role of Nurse Able on the television show M*A*S*H and played Quincy's girlfriend, Lee Potter, on the television show Quincy, M.E....
.... Priscilla (Main Computer) - Ric Reid .... Capt. Forbes
- Frank C. Turner .... Willy
- David Paul Hewitt White .... Guard
- Jennifer Michas .... Jeannie
- Stephen E. Miller .... Lt. Krieger
- Enid Saunders .... Elderly Woman
- Mike Stack .... Crewman #1
- Sandy Tucker .... Mrs. Bienstock
- Meredith Bain Woodward .... Mrs. Hays
Plot
In the year 2082, the Earth deep-space exploration vessel, Vanguard Explorer, has suffered heavy damage, due to the efforts of Captain Jacob 'Jake' Brown trying to keep his ship out of the hands of mutineers led by his second-in-command, Vance Arthur. Feigning compliance, Jake attacks Vance and knocks him senseless long enough for him to get to an escape pod and launch into space. However, the cause of the damage on board the Vanguard Explorer is unknown.Habitable zone
In astronomy and astrobiology, a habitable zone is an umbrella term for regions that are considered favourable to life. The concept is inferred from the empirical study of conditions favourable for Life on Earth...
planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
which has been named 'Demeter'. The mission of Earth*Star Voyager is to go to Demeter, perform a full planetary survey and return that information because if conditions on Demeter prove accurate (the probe's data indicates that human life could survive on Demeter), then the human race will colonize the world. The plan to colonize Demeter has already begun; ships are already being built to transport the population but will take forty years to complete construction of all the necessary vessels, and the trip to Demeter, with 'plasma-thrust' engines and the Bauman Drive (named for Professor Bauman, the creator) will take 26 years. That was the rationale of choosing the crew from the Academy—for their youth and intelligence. Jonathan, as second-in-command, will assume command if Forbes is shown to be unable to continue his duties due to age. It is also mentioned that a modified form of cryogenic suspension will be used by the crew during the voyage in order to slow the aging process. (Beanie mentions that he'll be forty years old upon their return to Earth, and Captain Forbes also mentions that although the process will slow their aging, they will still age.)
Among the crew members are Lani Miyori (a communications specialist) and Luz Sansone, a fellow communications tech who takes an immediate liking to Beanie. Also aboard are Dr. Sally Arthur, a 24-year-old M.D., Huxley Welles, an 18-year-old navigator, and Dr. Leland Eugene, the ship's psychiatrist.
The crew arrives aboard the Earth*Star Voyager, and are met by Captain Forbes (the commanding officer), Brody (the ship's resident physical fitness instructor - crew members are required to engage in a physical fitness program), and 'Priscilla', the sentient supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
that is the primary logic circuit for the vessel - who has seemingly developed a crush upon Huxley. It is mentioned that this was a concern by the programmers; Priscilla is designed from the brain engrams of Priscilla Bauman (the daughter of Professor Bauman), and as such, she has all of memories, thoughts, feelings and desires of the real Priscilla Bauman. This is slightly annoying to Huxley.
Adm. Beasley, a war hero who fought back a criminal organization called the Outlaw Technology Zone, gave them a final pep-talk and saw them off from his flag ship, the Titan Corsair.
Not long after embarking on the mission, the ship has to pass through the junk belt. Immediately entering the belt, the auto-pilot is unable to travel the course plotted because the junk starts to move due to the ship's engines. After the shields and ship take some damage, Johnatan takes manual control and flys the ship through without taking further damage. While checking the repairs on an airlock, Captain Forbes finds himself trapped inside with the system set to open the airlock to space. Moments later, coming to check on the Captain, Jonathan finds him before the airlock opens. Before being sucked into space, the Captain tells Jonathan to keep going and to 'complete the mission'. Later, Lani mentions to Jonathan that she has suspicions of the fitness instructor and though Jonathan says he cannot go on a hunch alone, he orders the ship's psychiatrist to review the crew's profiles for any hint of psychopathology. Following this Lani is critically injured while in cryo-sleep by an apparent malfunction.
Along the way to Demeter, they pick up the long lost astronaut Capt. Jacob 'Jake' Brown, while stopping at an abandoned station to make some repairs. Brown initially paralyzes Huxley with a weapon but it is revealed that he did so to prevent Huxley from walking straight into an "anti-matter zone." Capt. Brown is accepted onboard as an advisor to Jonathan and, finding out that the crew is only armed with hand weapons, volunteers to build a rail-gun with the help of Beinstock in an airlock. Jonathan then receives evidence of the death of Capt. Forbes and Lani's coma that points Leland, the psychiatrist. When Jonathan confronts him, Priscilla calls Johnathan that suspicious activity in the rail-guns airlock. Jonathan investigates and finds Brody, the fitness instructor, is sabotaging the rail-gun, a fight ensues and the fitness instructor is jettisoned out of the airlock. A transmitter is later discovered amongst his possessions, that he was apparently using to keep in contact with a blip that intermittently appeared on the Voyager's long range scans.
The crew also explores a distress signal from a massive space station known as 'the 2020 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
', which is inhabited by warriors and researchers of the Outlaw Technology Zone. The landing party is captured by the warriors after encountering one of Captain Brown's former crew members, Willy. They discover that the mutinous Vance has also landed here and became "Top Dog" of the warriors by employing a stunner much like the one Brown used on Huxley. A warrior, named Whistlestick, who was beaten and humiliated by Vance explains that anyone may challenge the "Top Dog" at any time and Huxley demonstrates his skill at pickpocketing by getting the key for their cage. Brown offers to occupy their captors by challenging Vance while the rest escape. After a difficult fight, Brown (who taught Vance how to make such weapons long ago) is able to make Vance's weapon backfire and destroys it - but spares Vance's life (unaware that Sally was watching and afraid that he would be killed by Jake). In the ensuing ruckus the crew and their two new allies escape.
The next discovery, explaining how Vance and Willie got to the World's Fair Station in the first place was finding the wreckage of the Vanguard Explorer. Capt. Brown requests the permission to board it and retrieve his logs to prove that the loss of his ship was due to mutiny, and to see if there was anything left salvageable. He, Beinstock and the Doctor find the ship to still have some power and computer function, but also find an unwelcome guest known as a 'Shell'—a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
. Brown is able to shock the Shell into unconsciousness, and Doctor Arthur insists they take him to the ship to help and examine him. In a cut-away scene it is revealed that Adm. Beasley has become aware of the Shell's presence on Voyager, but is unable to do anything about it.
Willie explains that the Shell is a cyborg created by the O.T.Z. and although it is only a drone it is probably packed with explosives. The Doctor with the help of Beinstock is able to disarm the explosives and treat his injuries, and is able to bring the Shell back to consciousness while also keeping him immobilized. They interrogate the Shell, and he mentions that his function is to help facilitate "Assembly." Data from the Vanguard indicates that several odd-looking ships passed by the Vanguard from the World's Fair over the last few years. Later analysis indicates the ships are modular. Later on, Dr. Arthur speaks to the Shell and discovers that he was abducted and turned into a cyborg when he was young. After making some small adjustments to him to ease his discomfort, Doctor Arthur and he form a brief emotional connection before his programming returns him to his drone-state. Later he regains his full movement and smashes his way through the ship, damaging Capt. Brown's jury-rigged railgun
Railgun
A railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
weapon and one of Priscilla's processors. The Shell warns them that they must stop "Assembly" then deactivates himself rather than let his programming make him kill Dr. Arthur.
In another cut away scene, Vance finds himself in dire straights back on the World's Fair as the warriors now hunt him for his treatment of them. Admiral Beasley appears and demands an explanation from him. Their dialogue indicates that the mutiny on the Vanguard Explorer was part of some design of Beasley's and that Beasley is somehow connected, if not in control of, the O.T.Z. After Vance reveals he was defeated by the presumed-dead Capt, Brown Beasley leaves Vance to his fate, and returns to the Corsair. This scene is left out of some versions of the show.
Back on board Voyager the crew have made repairs and discover how their spacecraft fits into a conspiracy concocted by the Outlaw Technology Zone and Admiral Beasley, the mastermind behind the entire plot (including the construction of Earth*Star Voyager, the selection of the crew, and the creation of the 'Shell'). The O.T.Z. ships, the Assembly, were stationed in a binary solar system to use the light from the stars upcoming alignment to give them sufficient power to join together and form an even more massive and heavily armed ship. A section of the completed Assembly was designed to allow Voyager to fit in near the bow.
Beasley's ship fires warning shots at Voyager to keep them on course to the Assembly, and then he reveals why he had chosen the best and the brightest the world had to offer to crew Voyager. He intended Voyager not to be an exploratory vessel but a colony ship. Joining the Voyager to the O.T.Z. Assembly would give Beasley the Bowman Drive and Priscilla. This would enable him to choose whom else would get to be part of his new Utopia, while leaving the rest of humanity to rot back on Earth.
However, the crew outwits Admiral Beasley and escapes (after a battle in which they use jury-rigged weapons, including a 'solar laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
' (which can gather and redirect solar energies in a beam-like fashion), and the railgun
Railgun
A railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
built by Jake and Beanie). During the battle, Jake nearly sacrifices himself to hold together part of the electrical circuit that allows the railgun to be fired; he is saved by Sally. Aboard the Admiral's damaged vessel, the Triton Corsair, Admiral Beasley acknowledges Johnathan's skill as a commander, and promises that he will meet up with the crew of the Earth*Star Voyager again someday. There is an alternate scene of this in the 120-minute VHS version where Beasley is revealed to be some sort of robot or cyborg (or perhaps himself a Shell), while leaving out the promise dialog.
Aboard the Earth*Star Voyager, Lani is found to be recovering from her injuries; Beanie and Luz (prodded by Priscilla) become a couple; it is strongly insinuated that Jake and Sally will become a couple; and Huxley is stunned to see that Priscilla (in human form) is a very beautiful woman. Beanie also reveals to Jonathan that he has decrypted the probe data and the crew sees that Demeter is a planet with striking similarities to Earth. The last line of the miniseries goes to Jake, who says, "You know, Captain, I think we oughta go check that place out..."
Additional information
Many of the main characters (at least 6) were born in Canada.The production was shot entirely in Vancouver Canada and partially filmed inside The Soviet Pavilion built for Expo '86.
While significant numbers of notes from fans since 2002 (and many more showing up as early as 1996), from various fan sites, show up constantly and ask why this show has not been released,...Disney has not responded giving the impression it will not release the show, in a digital format, to the public.
Some fans have called various departments and levels of the Disney corporation to find out availability. While Disney executives and lawyers deny such conversations existed, fans have stated they have been told by Disney Movie Sales Associates that the only place fans should even consider hope in obtaining the show is on bootlegged media.
Of the bootleg versions available, the lesser quality media has seemed to disappear over the years, while they do occasionally pop up from time to time. Of the higher quality versions, there still seem to be two different versions available. While both contain the entire broadcast movie, one version boasts a complete movie -minus the commercials and introductions -starring the former Disney CEO, Michael Eisner. The version without the commercials seems to be one of the better quality versions, and those who find private sellers occasionally end up with the semi-rare custom DVD artwork.
The show (240 minutes in 4 series) was screened by the Ostankino 2 channel in Russia in Winter 1993 in their 'Disney film classics' series on Fridays.