Virtuality was supposed to be the next big thing from Battlestar Galactica's Ronald D. Moore, but after getting the pilot wrapped up and sent away to Fox, the network didn't like what they saw and thus didn't give it a fall season pickup. Fox decided to burn the pilot off during the Friday night death slot during the summer on the off chance it might draw enough people to maybe warrant a show; it didn't work. It wasn't for a lack of trying, however, as the show's premise and constant human drama kept me glued and wanting more. I'm disheartened now that I'll never learn where this show would've gone from here.

Earth is coming to an end. A planet has been discovered, however, which could be the new home and salvation that the Earth's inhabitants desperately need. A ship called The Phaeton and its crew of twelve men and women are placed onboard as not only Earth's last hope, but as the members of a reality television show that's broadcasting back home. As The Phaeton approaches the point of no return - where the ship either must turn around or keep heading out to their destination - will the team decide to go forward or stop when a crewmember is revealed to be sick and the virtual reality program meant to keep their minds in a state of well-being suddenly becomes flawed.

Virtuality

It's easy to see from this pilot/television movie that Virtuality never had a chance in hell at succeeding as a Fox series. The show is too internal, nuanced, character driven, and experimental for it to ever succeed on network television (especially Fox). While that description would likely turnoff a number of viewers, it's the recipe for success and personal enjoyment when it comes to me. The show is a tad hard to follow early on before you learn the setup of the show, and while the show is slow at parts and deliberately paced, I still was transfixed for the entire show.

The show had a lot of potential evident by many story points that were presented in this episode. The greatest mystery was the mysterious man who was appearing in everyone's virtual programs and often killing them. Had the virtual reality program developed a mind of its own? Had it been sabotaged by one of the members of the crew? Would the doctor find his health slowly disappearing after his self-diagnosis? How would personal problems between the crew – such as the psychiatrist finding out his wife was sleeping (virtually) with the ship's captain – be resolved and lead to tension between them all. Virtuality was filled with a number of intriguing premises that were really philosophical and would've made this quite a remarkable show, similar to how Lost and Battlestar Galactica are much more about themes and philosophies than just a story. Would you consider the captain having an affair with the wife virtually a true affair? By choosing their specialized virtual programs, what do those ultimately say about the people using them?

The cast was very solid and likeable, featuring the most diverse cast of characters I've ever seen. You've got white people, black people, Asian, Hispanic, straight, gay, and handicapped people. It was easy to see, however, that many people would find reason to hate this cast; an interracial couple and homosexual men actively involved in a relationship (minus onscreen displays of affection that's not hugging) would've been the ones to get the most heat. The gay couple wasn't the most well-rounded, but it was only the pilot. I really enjoyed the second in command, who was a gruff handicapped man who went to virtual programs in order to use his legs and experience things he couldn't in real life since his disability. The whole cast was great, so it's very disappointing to never see these people again and find out what happens in their lives and see who lives to view their final destination.

I can only hope that Ronald D. Moore isn't dismayed by Fox's treatment of the show and the subsequent poor ratings the movie got, as I'd love to see Virtuality go the way of Pushing Daisies and become a comic book series. I'd gladly fork my money over to continue watching (or reading) about the adventures of The Phaeton.

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