SeaQuest, police des mers

Sci-fi shows are often unappreciated in their time because the subject matter is too foreign for the general public to accept. Only years later do we realize that an innovative show has gone before its time. With the recent re-runs of DSV on sci-fi I realized how much potential the show had. Exploring the oceans is as exciting as exploring space. I especially enjoyed the episode where they uncovered an air pocket which preserved much of our ancient history only to have nations fight over who owned the artifacts. I've read opinions of people who thought the acting was sub-par and the plots stupid. Let me counter by stating that even the most successful sitcom is absurd in its premise and if the laugh tracks were not in place I doubt many people would even realize something funny was going on. Sci-fi makes you think. It tries to broaden your horizons. I realize that the masses prefer being spoon fed entertainment that they can watch while chasing the kids or cleaning the house but if you take a few minutes to watch these episodes perhaps you will see the value of such entertainment. As for me, I enjoy science fiction and this show was definitely worth my time.

I had to chime in here. I had the greatest expectation for this show when it came out. While the first season needed a bit of help in the writing department... most do. But, while the principal reviewer credited the show with improved writing over the prevailing seasons... I most certainly do not. They forced too much change each season and the writing just continually got worse. I would love to go back to the end of the first season and redirect it on the same path it was on. I would push for better writing, but keep it on the same path. This series could have been a new "Star Trek," but instead it became a joke.

I was 12 when SeaQuest premiered on a Sunday night in 1993. I was so excited because Steven Spielberg was one of the producers, Roy Scheider (Jaws!!) was the captain and Jonathan Brandis was so cool thanks to Ladybugs and the Neverending Story 2.

I absolutely loved the first season. Recently rewatching it has filled me with warm feelings of nostalgia. It was such a great show.

Like so many others have said, everything went downhill with season 2. I completely understand why Scheider left. The stories were horrendous and the writing laughable and cringe-inducing. The worst part is that I had invested a year with the first crew and was very fond of them. For a 12 year old with not a lot of friends, I enjoyed seeing and depending on these characters to be there every Sunday night.

This was, and will always be, one of the best original series that ever aired on TV. It came from future and of course, it confused many people. But to sit and really watch it, you can appreacite the work put into it.

The first season was the all time best season it could ever been. The scripts were well written and the acting was the best. By the second season, many people started to drifed from it. I guess the crew was half there and really wanted the old crew. This season as someelse said here was really comical but the plots got to be werid. A underwater adventure turned to a space adventure. The ending of season two was great but it brought out season three. Season three was the point where everything changed. The series tried to get back on track, for what seaQuest was all about- the sea. Like i said they tried. The characters changed overnight and the followers of the second season started to drift from the new cast. Some of the old favorites where still there but they have changed too fast. The character, Lucas, was one of the favorites that kind of kept the series togethor. But by season three, he was not a hyper teen we loved, he changed to a serious moody adult. And the change of captins did not help eihter.

I am not bagging on this series, it is one of my favorites but the writters could have done a better job.

It's always the same thing. No matter how good or bad a show is, the ratings alone decide it's faith. With good ratings a show is renewed every season and nobody will make changes to it's format. With bad ratings a show is canceled after (or during) it's first season.

But what if the ratings are not good enough to have the show renewed for another season, but not bad enough to have the show canceled either. Then they always make a second season that is so different from the first one that the few fans it had will stop watching and no new viewers will tune in. Will they ever learn it's better to cancel a show than to dramatically change it? Changing it will only make you lose the audience it has. It will not bring in new viewers! And that is what happened to SeaQuest DSV. It was a great show in the beginning. But the changes they made to the format didn't just scare the few fans it had away, it even scared it's lead (Roy Scheider) away!