The Pretender 2001 / The Pretender - Island of the Haunted
by Frederick King Keller
from 20th Century Fox
Pretender 2001Picking up where the television series left off Jarod reunites with two old friends and unleashes some powerful Centre revelations. This film opens with a sequence that will allow it to be enjoyed by individuals who have not yet seen the TV series.Pretender: Island of the HauntedThrough a series of bizarre circumstances Jarod and Miss Parker find themselves trapped together on a strange island in a life and death situation out of which come some of the most important revelations about their pasts.System Requirements:Run Time: 216 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 024543412168 Manufacturer No: 2241216
Seaquest DSV: Season Two
by Bill L. Norton
from Universal Studios
Adventure resurfaces with the return of the spectacular Primetime Emmy® Award-winning SeaQuest DSV. Rejoin Captain Nathan Bridger (Roy Scheider) and his dedicated crew as they serve as guardians to Earth's undersea colonies and protect world peace from all threats both above and below the water. This must-own 8-disc set is packed with all 21 thrilling Season Two episodes and features amazing guest stars Mark Hamill Dom DeLuise Kent McCord and others. Season Two of SeaQuest DSV continues the incredible imaginative epic journey into the Earth's last frontier!System Requirements:Running Time: 136 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 025195008518 Manufacturer No: 61101020
Seaquest DSV - Season One
by Bill L. Norton
from Universal Studios
An enormously ambitious television series from executive producer Steven Spielberg and series creator Rockne S. O'Bannon (Farscape, Alien Nation), seaQuest DSV made a valiant attempt to present a thoughtful and socially conscious science-fiction series on par with Star Trek to a '90s audience (which had already latched onto Star Trek: The Next Generation), but struggled with mediocre scripts and special effects for most of its three seasons (1993-96). The first season, however, embodies much of the ambition and scope its producers envisioned, starting with the two-hour television movie to introduces retired officer Cmdr. Nathan Bridger (a grim-faced Roy Scheider) to the crew of the underwater vessel seaQuest DSV. The pilot feature is well helmed by Scheider, and offers an agreeable mix of fiction and fact (oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard served as technical advisor for the series), as well as considerable action and excitement for an expensive network series. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the cast (which included Stephanie Beacham as the ship's fetching doctor and the late Jonathan Brandis as a teen science whiz), the show's momentum faltered under the weight of corny embellishments such as its talking dolphin, Darwin (a genetically engineered human with gills would join the fray in the show's second season) and episodes like "Knight of Shadows," which offered a hoary possession storyline, or "Photon Bullet," which hinges on underwater computer hackers. The series would alternate between intriguing stories (like the suspenseful "Games") and ill-advised ones for much of its remaining seasons, which also saw cast changes (most notably, the departure of Scheider) in an attempt to revive audiences' flagging interest. All 23 episodes of the first season are included on this four-disc set, as well as a decent selection of deleted scenes from nine episodes, including the pilot. -- Paul Gaita
Travel to the spectacular undersea world of seaQuest DSV as all 23 groundbreaking episodes from the epic first season surface on DVD. The amazing adventure begins in the mid-21st century, as humankind expands its undersea colonization efforts and a tenuous world peace is enforced by the United Earth Oceans (UEO). In order to protect the fledgling underwater colonies from unknown dangers and hostile invaders lurking in the depths of Earth's last frontier, the UEO recruits Captain Nathan Bridger (Roy Scheider) to command the high-tech battle submarine seaQuest and its diverse and eclectic crew. Along for the ride are a roster of stellar guest stars, including Charlton Heston, William Shatner, Seth Green, Kellie Martin and Kent McCord. Now on DVD for the first time ever, with exclusive never-before-seen footage, the Emmy® Award-winning seaQuest DSV is sure to make waves with thrill-seekers everywhere!
The Pretender - The Complete Second Season
by Steven Long Mitchell
from 20th Century Fox
According to his sleek nemesis Miss Parker (Andrea Parker), Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) is "a genius who can become anyone that he wants to be." As the second season begins, he's still on the run and her father, Mr. Parker (Harve Presnell, Fargo), is still missing. In his place, the Centre has installed the smooth Mr. Lyle (Jamie Denton, Desperate Housewives) and his associate Brigitte (Pamela Gidley, whose British accent will soon disappear). In the premiere episode ("Back From the Dead Again"), it will also be revealed that Mr. Raines (Richard Marcus, 24) survived last season's assassination attempt. A few episodes later ("Exposed"), Mr. Parker will return, but by then Miss Parker won't be so sure he's really her father. Then again, nothing on The Pretender is ever what it seems...
Throughout the 22-episode season, Jarod's "pretends" will range from firefighter ("Over the Edge") to FBI Agent ("A Stand Up Guy")--even male escort ("Gigolo Jarod"). Along the way, he'll catch up on some of the childhood staples he missed, like Jell-O and Twinkies (both of which he'll use against the bad guys). Meanwhile, Sydney (Patrick Bauchau) will reunite with his twin brother, only to lose him again ("Indy Show," featuring a cameo from Mario Andretti). Other pivotal episodes include "Bulletproof," in which Sydney meets up with another figure from his past, "Crash," in which Mr. Lyle's true identity is revealed, and double-length season finale "Bloodlines" (featuring Haley Joel Osment as a potential pretender), in which Miss Parker finds out she has a brother. Alas, it's either the psychotic Mr. Lyle or Angelo (Paul Dillon), the Centre's idiot savant or, as she calls him, "Cousin It." The second season ends with a cliffhanger as a bomb goes off in the Centre--just as Jarod is trying to make his escape. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Jarod is a Pretendera genius whose exceptionally high I.Q. allows him to master virtually any profession. Since escaping from the Centre, the secret research facility where he was brought up after being taken from his parents, Jarod has managed to stay one step ahead of his ex-captors, Miss Parker and Sydney. Although still reeling from the death of his brother, Jarod also continues to make sure that justice is done by helping innocent victims wronged by society. In the second season we are also introduced to the mysterious Mr. Lyle, played by James Denton of Desperate Housewives fame.
+++





