Review: Virtuality
Virtuality is a tv pilot that aired on Fox a few weeks ago as a 2 hour movie. It was co-created by Ronald D. Moore, who is known for his work on the re-imagining tv series Battlestar Galactica. I’m a huge fan of Battlestar so I thought I would give this a try.
The story is set in 2050, aboard the Phaeton, an Earth starship, on a 10 year journey to explore a distant star. The 13-person crew’s experiences are broadcast back on Earth as a popular reality show. Virtual reality modules are installed on the ship to help the crew deal with the long mission. The modules are worn as glasses as their bodies are in a dream state. Inside the virtual reality, the user can assume various identities and engage in different adventures.
The story picks up 6 months into the mission. Earth is becoming uninhabitable as the land is drying up all over the planet. Scientists estimate that Earth will become unlivable within the next hundred years. So the mission is changed to into a search for a new planet for humans to inhabit. Problems arise as various crew members experience strange glitches inside their modules. Their adventures become dangerous as a mysterious man inside the module acts against each of the users. The crew takes a vote as they reach a point in the mission where it will be impossible to turn around. They decide to continue the mission.
I thought that this pilot was pretty well done. The premise is interesting as people can have various experiences inside their modules. Word is that this was dropped by Fox and was shot as a 2 hour tv movie instead. There are rumors that it might be picked up and aired on Fridays. Fridays are usually the worst possible slot for a tv show as the ratings are usually terrible. I recommend this those of you that enjoy sci-fi tv shows.
