SeaQuest DSV is often thought of as "that other sci-fi show" or "Sea Trek." However, after watching "Such Great Patience" for the first time in over a year, I came to a realization. SeaQuest had something that most sci-fi shows, and most shows in general, lack. Fully thought out, fully fledged, realistic characters. Kreig was fascinated by the paranormal from the beginning. Chief Crocker's fear of the unknown and bouts of nervousness were there the entire time. Tim O'Neill's deeply held moral beliefs were a staple of the character. Captain Bridger's intense scientific curiosity never wavered, never flagged. Commander Ford's desire to protect the ship was central to his character. Unlike many other shows, notably Voyager, these characters didn't suddenly develop major interests. They didn't suffer huge changes in personality or sudden, inexplicable changes in belief either. They were a cast of good actors portraying believable characters in a believeable environment. I also realized that I think of the show as being three seperate tv shows, partly because of the huge changes between seasons, but mainly because of the huge decreases in quality. The first was "SeaQuest DSV." The second was "SeaQuest DSV: The Younger Generation." The third, of course, even had a different official title, "SeaQuest: 2032." I lament the fact that "SeaQuest DSV" only lasted one season, and believe that had it remained true to its original format and values, it could have been a show whose quality and fan devotion ranked up there with "Babylon 5" and "StarGate SG-1."

SeaQuest started out ultra-realistic and could have done the same thing for marine exploration that Star Trek did for outer space exploration. The problem is that after the first season, almost all of the realistic aspects of the show were dropped for cheap sci-fi action. If the show had kept the same formula from the first season, it might even STILL BE ON TODAY!!!

Same goes for other shows too, like Dark Angel or SLIDERS.

This was a fine looking series with its visual fx,lavish looking sets & a good cast.But it was a hit & miss proposition as to the scripts.While there were some wonderful stories,too many were only mediocre,or poor.To be fair though,the premise of doing a weekly TV show based underseas is a tough one as compared to all of outer space.And don't kid yourself,SQ was compared to series which took place on board space ships.The universe offers an enormous canvas to paint adventures upon.Earth's oceans simply do not,even if you set the show in the future.The reality of our seas is incredible,but it is a limiting premise for any weekly series set there.Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea encountered these same problems when it was shot in the '60's.If anyone ever attempts undertaking another show about a futuristic submarine my recommendation is this:Set it in the oceans of an alien planet for a change.Have Earth men & woman boldly exploring an unknown planet's seas.That way the writers won't have to be as constrained as to what types of stories that they want to tell.

One of the best concepts to come out of SeaQuest DSV was their Hyper-Reality Vehicle.This was an unmanned probe which could be sent out from the submarine in order to investigate & gather intelligence on situations deemed too dangerous for humnas.An operator on board the SQ controlled the HRV via a pair of high-tech gloves,while a pair of goggles they wore allowed them to see exactly what the HRV was observing.Having such a device like the HRV always made enourmous sense to me,plus it looked really cool! I have always found it absurd that in many of the sf TV series which take place on board a star ship,none of them utilize robots for ANYTHING! When you consider that right now in the present we have scientists developing robots at M.I.T & Cal-Tech,to name only a few institutions involved in robotic research,does it make any sense to you that star ships set centuries from now will have no robots on them?They would be used to maintain/repair/upgrade a space ship both inside & out.Investigate stellar phenomena,new planets,other space vessels.Not to include them in the many TV shows that featured space exploration has been ludicrous & an enourmous oversight.

Well, TNG did have probe with a VR interface in one episode ("Interface"). . .in its seventh season, just as SeaQuest was getting started.

There have been some indications that a few SF TV shows are incorporating robots into the day-to-day operation of a star ship.The sensational show Farscape had DRDs,Lost In Space had their robot,Crusade had hovering drone devices,& Andromeda,a series I loathed,had humanoid 'bots.But it still seems that the chances that a new SF TV series involving a space ship premise or space station without including robots is still far too common.