Star Cops - Complete Series [1987]

Customer Reviews:

Bring this series back....NOW.......2005-07-15

Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica have both shown that a classic Sci-FI series can be 're-imagined' for a new generation and I think Star Cops is an excellent candidate for the next one.

Well conceived, intelligent, witty scripts and some excellent acting both dramatic and comic all come together to make for a very enjoyable 9 episodes. And with 3 episodes and extras (including a writer commentary) on each disk this is ideal for renting where you only get a few disks at a time.

A shame that only one series was ever made. The dwindling ratings (Monday nights in summer) and high production costs (all that floating about in weightless environments) must have guaranteed a premature end. This just makes the series feel fresh and dynamic as the relationships between the characters are in constant flux. If you like intelligent Sci-Fi you should buy or rent it now.

Smart, relevant and fresh as ever.......2005-02-12

Star Cops is ample proof if any were needed that good SF doesn't depend on special effects and alien-of-the-week makeup. This is easily the most intelligent SF drama I've seen (yes, even better than B5 and Doomwatch, which is something I never thought I'd say) and I'm delighted to find it on DVD now my tapes are getting a little battered. It's pure science: there's nothing in it that wasn't scientifically feasible in 1987 and it still holds its own today. And there aren't any aliens, unless you count the bickering international factions on various space stations. The script and storylines are so good that you don't even notice the low-budget sets. Sharp politics and even sharper dialogue, with a real feel for future bureaucracies: why the Beeb didn't go ahead with a second series is beyond me. But I live in hope.

mini-masterpiece from the 1980's!.......2004-12-18

This criminally under exposed show (I can't say 'underated' as the few who watched it loved it) stems from 1987 and was tucked away on BBC 2 at a graveyard time. After just nine episodes and 'poor' viewing figures, it was cancelled. As I say, "criminal", as STAR COPS is a superb blend of genuine science fiction and thriller that proved way ahead of it's time (too much so, it would seem!). Devised by a major talent to emerge from the DOCTOR WHO writing stable, Chris Boucher (he also wrote five of the nine episodes), STAR COPS displays all the excellent dialogue and interesting characters we've come to expect from the man who made BLAKE'S 7 so enthralling. It helps that the cast was spot-on; Of the regulars there isn't a bad appple present (Trevor Cooper as "COLIN DEVIS" is especially convincing), but David Calder as the lead "NATHAN SPRING" gives a superb performance. On the basis of this series alone he bacame one of my favourite actors and I subsequently discovered that he's as good as he is here in everything he's done. Stories use the 'futuristic' setting in just the right balance to ground them in realism and the series' single mention of 'aliens' is clever and unexpected.
As always, the show has faults. The wire work from episode one that represents zero gravity is a little embarassing and resulted in a relocation to the moon of "Star Cop" HQ. Effects are pretty respectable for the BBC of 17 years ago - Some shuttle passes are beautiful while some spacewalks are horrendous, but this series wasn't about that and they are easily forgiven. A number of guest actors tend to be a little forgetable, almost as if they subscribe to the "I'm in sci-fi so need not do my best" syndrome. Some, such as Maggie Ollerenshaw and Geofrey Bayldon, are the opposite and lend real depth to already well sketched characters. The incidental music borders on horrendous at times - It's twee & totally innapropriate (the 'comedy' cues are pathetic!) and I'm not too keen on the title song either, it must be said. However, as soon as you realise just how good the scripts and main cast are, such flaws become less evident.
After nine consitently good episodes (not a single duff instalment) the series ended on a high with the prospect of the STAR COPS moving to Mars, while the massive improvement to the production values as the show progressed is stellar - Why did it fail?

Well, the British television viewing public have no taste, but that's a given. The title itself, "Star Cops", doesn't help. The irony is that it's intended to sound cheap and tacky, but it may have worked against the show. Also of course, then as now, science fiction has a bad reputation with "proper tv" watchers and the good gets dismissed along with the bad. Idiotic and unjust of course, but you can't fight human nature! This innovative series (and DVD) comes VERY highly recommended, and is very good value too. There are plenty of extras for a 'minor' series of this age, but I was a little disappointed by the commentaries provided by Chris Boucher. For a man with so much to say in his scripts, he tends to fall silent for long periods of time during his recollections. One thing that does come across is how upset he was that the series was cancelled and on that point, I can only agree.

What a great show!!.......2004-11-15

The special effects are nothing special, but the acting and plots are outstanding. More Lecarre than Holmes, the Star Cops battle governments and corporations that try to corrupt space and space exploration. Solid characters and none of the obvious stupidity and disregard of science that you see in too much of science fiction. Too bad only nine episodes.

SPACE THE FINAL FRONTIER ?.......2004-09-02

This series first shown back in 1987 was show in between the last Colin Baker Doctor who series and Sylvester Mccoy's era. But pahaps in the real world the great Storm of 1987 in the south east was my main memory of this decade !. Anyway it was nice to see another promising Sci-fi series that might take off. Sadly only one series was made and never repeated on the BBC or any other channel. The Series revolved around Ex Detective Nathan Spring who gets sent to Moonbase as the new Commander. Of a new space police force with recruits who just want to laze about and do nothing. David Calder as ever puts in a brilliant performance as the Commander. And unlike many others I like the haunting theme tune which I think matches the series ideas just right.What lets this series down is it's slow pace and awful effects that look worse then Dr who !.On some of the weightless space station scenes you can see the high wire harness and the dodgy CSO effects. However it is also worthy to note that Nathan's personal organiser named 'BOX' was a. Hi tech mobile computer that in the series was a 'one' of it's kind that was too expensive to produce. Therefore it is worthy of comparison with the likes or 'Orac' from B7 as a mobile super computer for the 1980's. It was voiced by David Calder which i feel was a mistake as it lacked credibilty. The special features are extensive and are a real bonus for this issue. This is a must buy for a fan of sci-fi and a love of the 1980's.

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