‘Andromeda’ at 25: An optimistic but flawed sci-fi romp cobbled together from the notes of ‘Star Trek’ creator Gene Roddenberry

Conceived from notes left by the late Gene Roddenberry and developed with his wife, Majel Roddenberry, and producer Robert Wolfe, “Andromeda” marks its milestone 25th anniversary today. “Andromeda” was one of the shining beacons of energetic space adventure shows of the early 21st century, not called “Star Trek“, and it’s remembered fondly by sci-fi enthusiasts for its charm, heart, ambition, and hopeful message.

“Andromeda” first hit the airwaves on October 2, 2000, as a Canadian and American production led by the dashing Systems Commonwealth starship Captain Dylan Hunt, played by Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”), who wakes up 300 years into the future after being frozen in time near a black hole.

He’s reborn into a different universe that’s been taken over by dastardly forces of the Nietzscheans and Magog after a brutal civil war. Hunt hitches himself to a band of mercenaries, and together they roam the galaxies, trying to reform the Commonwealth while dodging enemies and bringing about peace.

Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda Season 1 Opening – YouTube

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This posthumous Roddenberry project, filmed mostly in Vancouver, British Columbia was just one of a pair of enterprising shows that appeared after the “Star Trek” creator’s passing in 1991 while “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was still running, with the initial series to be resurrected being “Earth: Final Conflict,” which launched in 1997 on the Great White North’s CTV Network.

By the year 2000, when “Andromeda” took to the small screen, the competition for outer space-based entertainment was far less crowded due to the series conclusions of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” The only “Star Trek” TV show still operating at the time was “Star Trek: Voyager,” which would run out of dilithium crystals and eventually end in 2001.

“Andromeda” had a distinctly welcoming tone that evolved in different creative directions over the course of five seasons spanning a total of 110 episodes. With today’s sci-fi sagas such as Apple TV+’s “Foundation” or Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” capped at ten chapters per season, that’s equivalent to enjoying a healthy ten-year shelf life. Compared with today’s oversaturation of dystopian drudgery, “Andromeda” offered something a bit brighter.

Besides Sorbo, who’d just come off a five-year “Hercules” gig, “Andromeda’s” capable cast also included Lisa Ryder as Beka Valentine, Gordon Michael Hewitt as Seamus Zelazny Harper, Laura Bertram as Trance Gemini, Keith Hamilton Cobb as Tyr Anasazi, Brent State as Rev Bem, and Lexa Doig as the Andromeda Ascendant ship’s AI. The series boasted respectable special effects, cool early CGI spaceship design, and old-fashioned space escapades.

Despite some promising high-concept notions such as an intergalactic federation, mystic beings, parasitic species, a sentient interstellar craft, and Slipstream FTL quantum mechanics, seemingly inevitable creative differences arose as the show progressed. “Andromeda’s” writing staff and story editors shuffled around following the second season, leading to some slightly diminishing returns for faithful viewers.

What “Andromeda” might lack in big budget, cutting-edge visual effects as seen in the previous year’s “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” or 2005’s “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones,” it made up for with an easygoing idealism that emanated out of the cast chemistry and a genuine sense of goodwill generated from an honest attempt to coalesce Gene Roddenberry’s scattered notes and ideas.

It might have fallen short of an intended vision, but it was one helluva ride, and its optimistic outer space exploits still hold up today as a perfect excuse for rainy-day Saturday afternoon binge watching. You can find it on Peacock in the US and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

Even with its shortcomings, “Andromeda’s” space pirates, warlords, aliens, savages, and villains experienced as pure popcorn fare are worth a revisit for a rousing intergalactic time for all. And you have to love that opening theme music by Rush’s guitar god, Alex Lifeson!