Not one but two new half-hour, live-action, outer-space shows aimed at kids debut this weekend.
"The Hypernauts" and "Space Cases" have much in common, not the least of which is sort of a "Lost In Space" approach. But the two shows take decidely different approach to the genre."Hypernauts," which gets a prime-time preview tonight at 8:30 on Ch. 4 before moving to its regular time slot at 8 a.m. on Saturday, is a surprisingly sophisticated half hour - at least in terms of special effects. The computer-generated effects - the same sort employed by "Babylon 5" - are light years beyond what we've come to expect from kids' shows.
The plot is relatively familiar, however. Three teenage space cadets - two male, one female - who are sort of misfits are sent on what's supposed to be a relatively simple assignment. But an accident sends them to a distant part of the galaxy, where they discover an evil empire - the Triad - bent on taking over everything in sight.
The young "Hypernauts" help a female alien escape the clutches of the evil aliens, then find themselves forced to try to fend off the bad guys while looking for a way to alert Earth to the coming danger. Oh, and there's a cute alien animal that comes aboard as a mascot of sorts.
The acting here is fairly weak, and the humor isn't much. But the premise is good, the alien make-up is great, and the effects are excellent. Kids will find themselves caught up in the adventure.
Nickelodeon's "Space Cases," which debuts Saturday at 7 p.m. on the cable channel, takes a decidely more comic approach to outer space. And any similarities to "Lost In Space" may be less coincidental - the show was co-created by Billy Mumy, who starred as Will Robinson in the 1960s series and has more recently appeared in a recurring role on "Babylon 5."
"Space Cases" is, in many ways, a more traditional kids' show - complete with lots of cheesy effects and broad humor. We're not talking Noel Coward here, but it is the kind of comedy the younger set tends to like.
"I hate being from Uranus," says one of the young actors. "I'm the butt of every joke."
OK . . .
The premise finds a group of young space cadets boarding an apparently abandoned alien ship, accidentally activating it and - after an accident - ending up far from home. Oh, and along for the ride are the youngsters' teachers and a cute but dim android.
It's sort of silly, but the youngsters will find it entertaining. And that's just who Nickelodeon is aiming the show at.
GREAT NEWS: Fox has announced that the Golden Globe-winning series "Party of Five" has been picked up for next season.
Not only that, but the network has ordered a full 22 episodes for the 1996-97 season.
Hurrah!
For a show that's been hanging by a thread for much of its existence, this is great news. This show deserves to "Party" on.
Fox's announcement comes just a week after it announced that "Party of Five" would be losing its time slot at the end of the month. Following a two-hour season finale on March 27, the new series "Kindred: The Embraced" takes over on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. for a couple of months.
But the saga of the Salingers - the five siblings orphaned when their parents were killed by a drunken driver - will continue. And this is the first time the show has ever received a full-season order.
In its debut season, "Party" began with a 13-episode order that was eventually extended to 19. And even when Fox brought the show back last fall, it was with another 13-episode order with no guarantee the program would make it through the end of the season.
But Fox executives, citing the show's growth - not to mention the undeniable prestige it brings to the fourth network - have thrown caution to the wind this time.
And the real winners are the viewers.