E.A.R.T.H. Force

Last updated

E.A.R.T.H. Force
Genre Action adventure
Written byBill Dial
Starring
Theme music composer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6 (3 unaired)
Production
Executive producers
  • Richard Chapman
  • Bill Dial
Production locations Queensland, Australia
Running time45 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseSeptember 16 (1990-09-16) –
September 29, 1990 (1990-09-29)

E.A.R.T.H. Force is an American action adventure television series starring Gil Gerard. The series aired 3 episodes on CBS from September 16 to September 29, 1990, before being canceled due to low ratings, as part of CBS' programming realignment that also involves the switch of The Flash , the delay of Sons and Daughters , and the hiatus of the sitcom Lenny . [1] [2] However all episodes (including the ones skipped by CBS) were aired by some non-English TV stations (like TVP in Poland as an example).

Contents

Premise

The series is about an elite group, the Earth Alert Research Tactical Headquarters (E.A.R.T.H.), that was brought together by a dying millionaire to prevent environmental disasters around the world.

Cast

Production

E.A.R.T.H. Force was filmed in Queensland, Australia. [3] [4] Working titles for the series include The Elite (the title under which it aired internationally) and The Green Machine. [5] According to the show's producer Richard Chapman, he described the show as "an adventure show focusing on a group of environmental experts who unite to serve as local troubleshooters, combating environmental crime and dealing with natural disasters." [6]

Episodes

NºTitleDirected by:Written by:Air date
1"E.A.R.T.H. Force" Bill Corcoran Richard Chapman & Bill DialSeptember 16, 1990 (1990-09-16)
2
2-hour pilot: [7] When sabotage at a nuclear power plant triggers an alert, industrialist Frederick Mayer assembles a team to combat the crisis.
3"Not So Wild Kingdom"Bill CorcoranRichard Chapman & Bill DialSeptember 22, 1990 (1990-09-22)
Animals from a refuge/preserve are being sold.
4"Not in My Back Yard" Rod Hardy Richard Chapman & Bill DialSeptember 29, 1990 (1990-09-29)
A widow whose son is dying of toxicity asks the team to a Kansas town that's possibly being poisoned by a big developer's landfill.
5"Oil Spill Story"TBDTBDN/A
6"They Shoot Trees, Don't They?"TBDTBDN/A
7"Club Dead"TBDTBDN/A

Reception

Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times gave the "forgettable" series the "Big Greenback Award", "for foisting formulaic cretinous TV on viewers under the guise of environmentalist drama". [8] Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret News called the show an "absolute stinker". "Bad writing. Bad acting. Bad directing. E.A.R.T.H. Force has it all." [9] Ray Richmond of the Orange County Register said the series is "painfully banal" and that it "resemble a kind of socially conscious knockoff of The A-Team . The acting is stiff, the plot contrived". Richmond also speculated that CBS was never confident in the series to begin with since they only ordered six episodes, rather than the usual 13, and they scheduled the premiere against the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards. CBS also scheduled the series on Saturday nights, a near certain death sentence. [3] John Martin of The Providence Journal called the series "pretentious" while noting the obvious conflict between the message and its medium. Martin said "saving the environment can only be accomplished by changing the habits of consumption". "In television, encouraging consumption is Job One". "Don't look for a TV series to point the finger at its advertisers". [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Frasier</i> American television sitcom (1993–2004)

Frasier is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It aired from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee, in association with Grammnet (2004) and Paramount Network Television.

<i>ER</i> (TV series) American medical drama television series (1994–2009)

ER is an American medical drama television series created by Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994, to April 2, 2009, with a total of 331 episodes spanning 15 seasons. It was produced by Constant C Productions and Amblin Television, in association with Warner Bros. Television. ER follows the inner life of the emergency room (ER) of Cook County General Hospital in Chicago, and various critical issues faced by the department's physicians and staff.

Chicago Hope is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

<i>Dream On</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (1990–1996)

Dream On is an American sitcom television series created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane. It follows the family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor played by Brian Benben. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black-and-white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts. It ran for six seasons on HBO between July 8, 1990, and March 27, 1996.

<i>Captain Planet and the Planeteers</i> American animated television series

Captain Planet and the Planeteers, commonly referred to as simply Captain Planet, is an American animated environmentalist superhero television series created by Barbara Pyle and Ted Turner and developed by Pyle, Nicholas Boxer, Thom Beers, Andy Heyward, Robby London, Bob Forward and Cassandra Schafausen. The series was produced by Turner Program Services and DIC Enterprises and broadcast on TBS and in syndication from September 15, 1990, to December 5, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gil Gerard</span> American actor (born 1943)

Gil Gerard is an American actor, whose roles include Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979–81 television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSL-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City

KSL-TV is a television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Bonneville International, the for-profit broadcasting arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is sister to KSL radio. The three stations share studios at the Broadcast House building in Salt Lake City's Triad Center; KSL-TV's transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City. The station has a large network of broadcast translators that extend its over-the-air coverage throughout Utah, as well as portions of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Harmon</span> American actor (born 1951)

Thomas Mark Harmon is an American actor and former football player. He is perhaps best known for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. He has appeared in a wide variety of television roles since the early 1970s, including Dr. Robert Caldwell on St. Elsewhere, Detective Dicky Cobb on Reasonable Doubts, and Dr. Jack McNeil on Chicago Hope. He also starred in such films as Summer School, Prince of Bel Air, Stealing Home, Wyatt Earp, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Freaky Friday, and Chasing Liberty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Begley Jr.</span> American actor (b. 1949)

Edward James Begley Jr. is an American actor. He has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988). The role earned him six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. He also co-hosted, along with wife Rachelle Carson, the green living reality show titled Living with Ed (2007–2010).

<i>The Fugitive</i> (1963 TV series) American drama series (1963–1967)

The Fugitive is an American crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television. It aired on ABC from September 17, 1963 to August 29, 1967. David Janssen starred as Dr. Richard Kimble, a physician who is wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder and sentenced to death. En route to death row, Dr. Kimble's train derails over a switch, allowing him to escape and begin a cross-country search for the real killer, a "one-armed man". At the same time, Richard Kimble is hounded by the authorities, most notably by Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard.

<i>Christy</i> (TV series) American period drama series

Christy is an American period drama series that aired on CBS from April 1994 to August 1995 for twenty episodes.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between October 11, 1990, and July 11, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an "F". Another episode, "Blood Feud", aired during the summer after the official season finale. The executive producers for the second production season were Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon, who had also been executive producers for the previous season. It was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The DVD box set was released on August 6, 2002, in Region 1, July 8, 2002 in Region 2 and in September 2002 in Region 4. The episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, and was also nominated in the "Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special" category.

<i>Head over Heels</i> (American TV series) 1997 American TV series

Head over Heels is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin that aired on United Paramount Network (UPN) from August 26 to October 28, 1997. It is set in the eponymous video dating agency based in Miami Beach, Florida, run by brothers Jack and Warren Baldwin. The remainder of the cast consists of their employees, played by Eva LaRue, Patrick Bristow, and Cindy Ambuehl. Connie Stevens was initially cast as the Baldwins' mother, but never appeared in the show after the pilot was rewritten. Andrew Gottlieb was a co-producer, and Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio were consulting producers.

<i>All Souls</i> (TV series) American paranormal medical drama television series

All Souls is an American paranormal hospital drama television series created by Stuart Gillard and Stephen Tolkin and inspired by Lars von Trier's miniseries The Kingdom. It originally aired for one season on UPN from April 17, 2001, to August 31, 2001. The series follows the medical staff of the haunted teaching hospital All Souls. While working as a medical intern, protagonist Dr. Mitchell Grace encounters various spirits, and discovers that the doctors are running unethical experiments on their patients. The executive producers included Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, and Mark Frost.

<i>The Burning Zone</i> American television show

The Burning Zone is an American science fiction drama television series created by Coleman Luck that originally aired for one season on United Paramount Network (UPN) from September 3, 1996 to May 20, 1997. The series follows a government task force assigned to investigate chemical and biological threats. Initially, the program focused on the virologist Edward Marcase and Dr. Kimberly Shiroma. In response to the show's low ratings, Marcase and Shiroma were removed in the middle of the season. Dr. Daniel Cassian became the lead character, and a new character, Dr. Brian Taft, joined the task force. The Burning Zone initially incorporated supernatural and religious elements, but shifted towards more action-oriented storylines.

<i>Swift Justice</i> US television program

Swift Justice is an American detective drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Richard Albarino. It aired for one season on United Paramount Network (UPN) from March 13 to July 17, 1996. It follows former Navy SEAL Mac Swift, a private investigator who was fired from the New York City Police Department. He receives support from his former partner Detective Randall Patterson and his father Al Swift. Completed on a limited budget, episodes were filmed on location in New York.

The Mentalist is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show follows former "psychic" Patrick Jane, who is a consultant to the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and his boss, senior agent Teresa Lisbon, using the highly developed observational skills he previously employed to "read" people's minds.

Bagdad Cafe is an American television sitcom starring Whoopi Goldberg and Jean Stapleton that aired on CBS. The series premiered March 30, 1990, and ran two seasons before being cancelled in winter 1990. The last two episodes aired in July 1991. The show is based on the 1987 Percy Adlon film Bagdad Cafe.

NCIS is an American military police procedural television series and the first installment in the NCIS media franchise. The series revolves around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, combining elements of the military drama and police procedural genres with comedy. The concept and characters were initially introduced in two episodes of the CBS series JAG. A spin-off from JAG, the series premiered on September 23, 2003, on CBS. To date, it has entered into the 20th full season and has gone into broadcast syndication on the USA Network. Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill are co-creators and executive producers of the premiere member of the NCIS franchise. As of 2022, NCIS is the third-longest-running scripted, live-action U.S. prime-time TV series currently airing, surpassed only by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–present) and Law & Order ; it is the seventh-longest-running scripted U.S. prime-time TV series overall.

References

  1. ↑ Du Brow, Rick (October 5, 1990). "CBS Makes Season's First Changes". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  2. ↑ "If at first you don't succeed...new season cancellations and reshufflings began" (PDF). Broadcasting . October 8, 1990. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Richmond, Ray (September 14, 1990). "Maybe this show should be called 'E.A.R.T.H. Farce'". Orange County Register . p. 41.
  4. 1 2 Martin, John (September 14, 1990). "'E.A.R.T.H. Force' pollutes prime time Channel 10 wins primary coverage; Rush Limbaugh replaces Jefferds at WPRO". The Providence Journal . pp. D-15.
  5. ↑ Harris, Mark; Benjamin Svetkey (August 17, 1990). "News & Notes". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Ready for Prime Time Players, Part II" (PDF). Broadcasting . June 25, 1990. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Weekend TV - Parade of Celebrations, Premieres". Los Angeles Times. September 15, 1990. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  8. ↑ Rosenberg, Howard (June 9, 1991). "Cover Story". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  9. ↑ Pierce, Scott D. (September 16, 1990). "Worst Show of Season is 'E.A.R.T.H. Force'". Deseret News . Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.