from Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Forgotten in the shadow of Star Trek is Gene Roddenberry’s other sci-fi show, Earth: Final Conflictsyndicated series from the 90s that started strong and ended with a whimper. Revived after Roddenberry’s death in 1991, his wife, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, helped develop the series based on his notes and outlines in partnership with Tribune Entertainment.
Originally developed by Gene after Star Trek: The Original Series was canceled, bringing the show back to life was considered a miracle by sci-fi fans. While the first season of Earth: Final Conflict full of promise, it all fell apart due to behind-the-scenes squabbles, budget issues, and Kevin Sorbo.
Bringing alien politics to Earth
Earth: Final Conflict abandons the vastness of space for an earthly story set years after the arrival of the Taelons, calling themselves “Travellers”nd elevated Earth with the gift of advanced technology, but not everyone believes that the newcomers have good intentions. A resistance movement against the Taelons is rising, led by Jonathan Doors.
William Boone, a police officer who saves Tailon from an assassination attempt, becomes a Protector and is secretly a member of the Resistance. There are betrayals, double crosses, multiple conspiracies, and an ever-growing cast of Taelons, Earthlings, and even others aliens. All of this should make for a fascinating series focused on political intrigue, similar to Babylon 5.
Earth’s Disparity: Final Conflict
Or would have, except for the one after season 1. Kevin Kilner who was leading Earth: Final Conflict as Boone, left the series due to a contract dispute. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry then stepped down as producer.
This was the beginning of the rotating cast problems that continued until the very end of Season 5 and made it impossible for fans to stay attached to any of the characters. Replacing Boone as the show’s ostensible lead was Liam Kincaid, played by Robert Leeshock, a human/Cimmerian hybrid who rapidly ages to a middle-aged man in a version of the worst science fiction trope writers should stop using.
Needless to say, this change went over like a lead balloon. Even Majel Barret-Roddenberry commented on how bad the writing got in Season 2. Viewers left the series in droves, pushing themselves Earth: Final Conflict to cancellation when it was retooled again for the start of Season 3. More cast members were let go due to contract disputes, unhappy that each season came with a progressively smaller budget, and Tribune Entertainment quickly lost patience with the production, choosing instead to focus on their new show, Andromeda.
Abandoned for the shiny new toy
Featuring Kevin Sorbo in his first post-Hercules role Andromeda attracted media attention and so Tribune Entertainment pulled the writers and crew Earth: Final Conflict to their new syndicated jewel in the crown. The result was that Season 4 ended in a frenzy where it wasn’t clear who lived or who died, just in case any of the cast decided not to return for Season 5.
The budget for the next season was less than a quarter of the first season. The Taelon conspiracy was eliminated, the leaders changed again, and the focus was on waging a secret war against the Atavus, essentially a race of “energy vampires” who were the ancestor of the Taelons.
The show that started off so strong in Season 1 ended with a whimper after abandoning the original story outline of Gene Roddenberry and, not coincidentally, a small portion of his original fanbase.
Earth: Final Conflict is streaming free on Tubi and Pluto TV, and if nothing else, Season 1 is a compelling sci-fi tale of politics and mystery, and the truly unknowable Taelons are notable in the genre. It’s also a reminder of what could have been had it not been for corporate cost-cutting and the desire to rush results instead of letting the show grow organically and taking the time to tell its story the right way.
