Syfy Tackles Comedy in 'Outer Space Astronauts'

Science Fiction is an interesting genre and one that I admit I live and die by.  Over the years sci-fi has branched out into a variety of directions on the big and small screens.  From hard core science fiction dramas like Battlestar Galactica to more subtle science fiction like Lost and FlashForward.  But on December 8 Syfy will take us on a new science fiction adventure, but it's not one you might expect.  Syfy announced yesterday a new series called Outer Space Astronauts that will mix live-action and 3D animation to produce a unique comedy about eight vaguely courageous military-misfit astronauts who explore the galaxy.

The new series has five episodes planned and will follow the adventures of the crew of the O.S.S. Oklahoma on their missions of exploration and adventure across the galaxy.  Creator and producer Russell Barrett (who also stars in the series) developed and edited everything in his basement and used childhood friends for several of the characters.

Semi-animated comedy sci-fi series such as this one certainly aren't the norm.  I applaud Syfy for taking a chance on this and creator Russell Barrett for giving us something new, original, and hopefully very funny.  I realize that there will be sci-fi fans out there that will reject and complain about this series.  They'll use Outer Space Astronauts as an excuse to further attack the Syfy network, and that's fine.  I don't blame Syfy for wanting to branch out and increase their audience anymore than I blame them for the massive amounts of crap tv-movies they produce.  There's no doubt in any science fiction fanatics mind that Syfy (and SciFi Channel before that) hasn't exactly lived up to the potential in their name.  But they have had hits, and they have surprised us.  Look at Battlestar Galactica.  I never would have dreamed they could have produced such a fantastic show.  And Stargate Universe might not have wide acceptance, but I love it.  And Warehouse 13 has been an entertaining and fun series that I hardly ever miss.  Is it ground-breaking sci-fi?  No.  But it's not trying to be.  Outer Space Astronauts is supposed to make you laugh.  Its supposed to be entertaining.  It's supposed to be fun.  And regardless of what your initial impressions of the screenshots in this article might be, its going to be visually innovative.  Hell, just the images alone make me want to laugh.

So is Outer Space Astronaut's going to be a huge hit? Who knows.  But I'm not going to let some preconceived notions of what other people think sci-fi ought to be make my decisions for me.  On December 8, I'll be tuning into Syfy and watching Outer Space Astronauts, and most likely laughing my ass off.  I'll have an open mind, and then I'll judge it on its merits.  So whether you're a sci-fi fan or not, just give the show a chance, already.  It just might surprise you.

Below is the full press release from Syfy about the upcoming show.

SYFY TEST-DRIVES A NEW APPROACH TO ANIMATION WITH OUTER SPACE ASTRONAUTS

SERIES PREMIERES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8 AT 9:30 P.M. (ET/PT)

The Five-Episode, Half-Hour Series is Executive Produced By Russell Barrett, Scott Puckett and David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees)

Premiere Episode Follows Season Finale of Hit Reality Series, Scare Tactics

New York, NY – November 12, 2009 – Syfy continues to expand its horizons with the premiere of new irreverent half-hour comedy series, Outer Space Astronauts.  Using the latest in computer graphics technology to meld live-action and 3D animation, the visually innovative five-episode series premieres on Syfy on Tuesday, December 8 at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) following the season finale of the hit reality series, Scare Tactics at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). Outer Space Astronauts will continue to roll out every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

Series creator and executive producer, Russell Barrett took a complete do-it-yourself / hands-on approach to the creation of the show by developing, executing and editing the series right in his very home.  He also enlisted childhood and hometown friends as series stars including, Adam Clinton (Commander Dick Amos), Stephanie Clinton (Lieutenant Sunny Hunkle), Jay Wendorff (voice of Kyle 14) and Dana Kirk (Operations Officer Donna Kennedy).

”Syfy fans have never seen animation quite like this before! The graphics may be basic and simple, but combining them with live-action elements has never been done in a series before. To say that it was a grassroots endeavor is an understatement. Russell literally produced this in his basement for more than a year, and that allowed him to create a unique series with a sharp, sly sense of humor.” said Mark Stern, EVP Original Content Syfy & Co-Head Universal Cable Productions.

Outer Space Astronauts is a futuristic comedy series about eight vaguely courageous, highly distractable military personnel who journey to the far reaches of the galaxy, seeking knowledge, adventure and whatever else they can come up with.  On board the O.S.S. Oklahoma, this legion of misfits are led by a lackluster captain who would rather be planning the next “margarita Monday” than leading a mission against evil, much to exasperation of his by-the-book second-in-command.  Regardless of being a comedy of errors, this team will surprise even themselves as they navigate their way around the solar system.

“Russell Barrett is a very dry, very funny guy who created his own part animated, part live-action space ship world in a series of episodes using his own style and vision of animation,” said David O. Russell, Executive Producer.  “What more needs to be said about outer space astronauts who are in outer space working as astronauts, in outer space?”

Outer Space Astronauts was created by Russell Barrett, and is executive produced by Barrett, Scott Puckett and David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees).

Meet the series characters:

Captain Bruce Ripley (Russell Barrett) is the worst captain in the fleet with the best reputation.  He’s uninterested, bored and sloppy, yet manages to always get the job done.

Commander Dick Amos (Adam Clinton) should be the leader of the ship since he holds the most credentials than anyone, but even with his top performance record, Dick is always stuck behind the eight ball.

Lieutenant Sunny Hunkle (Stephanie Clinton) With a name that equally matches her ‘sunny’ disposition, the sweetest girl in the galaxy gets along with everyone.  She doesn’t mind that her ‘secret relationship’ with Dick should remain a secret, she’s cool, calm and easy going.

Intern Jimmy Peck (Peter Burns) has been Captain Ripley’s right-hand man since their college days.  A bit simple-minded, or just eternally naïve, Jimmy has a way of coming through just when you thought  he was completely useless.

Pilot Johnny Boothe (Benjamin Nurick) shouldn’t be flying or driving anything as he holds the most citations for reckless piloting out of anyone (a record he states proudly!).  Boothe’s disregard for safety and his addiction to speed however has saved many a day on board the O.S.S. Oklahoma.

Kyle 14 (voice: Jay Wendorff) is one of the first artificial humans to be given a post on an OSA ship.  He’s the most state-of-the-art android in existence and “waaaay better than the Kyle 13 model.”

Chief Weapons Officer Andy Matheson (Laura Valdivia) has saved the life of every crewman on the ship more times than they can count.  His enormous stature and history of big time whuppin’ sometimes intimidates his fellow crewman except for Brimley.

Weapons Officer Chad Brimley (Tony Bravo) likes to find other’s weak spots and poke at it with a stick.  He has excellent skills, and is highly intelligent in weapons development and ammunition science, but his motivation for work isn’t always top notch.

Operations Officer Donna Kennedy (Dana Kirk) and technology don’t mix.  She tries in vain to hide her ‘fear of all things that plug in and beep’ from the crew, but on a ship which functions solely from the latest technology, her technophobia gets the best of her.

Chief Mechanic Pinto (Steve Millunzi) is a human monkey wrench.  If something is broken, Pinto can fix it – which is great, because things tend to break quite frequently!

Ka’ak (Jacey Margolis) is from another planet and skilled in all areas of space travel. Despite her super-model looks, her mangled use of English is a good tip-off to her alien roots; not to mention her blood-red skin!