Anyone else remember Hypernauts?

[Daemion]

It's a show that aired on Fox back in the 90s, for me, anyway.  Only got to see the first episode or two, and then lost track of it.  At the time, being a fan of Exo Squad and having freshly discovered BattleTech, the fact that it had Mechs in it as part of the core plot device had me interested. 

I also forgot the name of the show until Secret Galaxy brought up that it was one of the few CG shows put together by the same folks that had a hand in Babylon 5 in their video on Voltron: Beyond the 3rd Dimension.

I was able to find the series on YouTube. 

[Sapphirus]

Oh my god!  I remember Hypernauts!  Only the ABC version unfortunately which is pretty much the same as the one on FOX... is it?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

It was actually a proof-of-concept for the special effects and CGI being made for Babylon 5.  ABC purchased the broadcast rights to it, but only aired 8 of the total of 13 episodes filmed.  I never heard anything about FOX getting it, my local FOX station never broadcast it that I'm aware of.

[idea weenie]

I only saw the first three episodes (ending where the Hypernauts had actual weapons on their mecha and fight against a few of the Triad drones)

For those that want to remember the opening, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8z1pwt-_f8

[beachhead1985]

Ho-lee-cow...

YES I REMEMBER THIS SHOW!

...I did not remember the title, but the show? Yes. I remember thinking it was pretty okay for the time. I only caught it a few times, but I *think* that was actually on YTV, up in Canada? Could have been ABC as well, but I think it was YTV.

[Daemion]

It is too bad that it didn't get more optioned out of it.  Having watched it all the way through, now, it is much better and less hokey than Power Rangers of the time.  And there is a great Mech battle during the first half of the two-part finale.

[SteelRaven]

Remember it, it was hokey but no where near as hokey as the other shows if tv. Actually did a few things better than other more serious shows at the time.

[Luciora]

Hypernauts just got a mention in this video about Voltron the 3rd dimension.

https://youtu.be/ob656NHzKrE?si=9XxNWqIgTVua2Yna

[Prospernia]

I vaguely remember them; we were into Battletech, still, at that time, but, I was working at a cowboy gun-company and was a little detached from it all(like, busy working). I think my friends and I watched it, maybe.

[garhkal]

Didn't even know this tv show existed.  Looking though, at some of its pics on imdb, i think i'll give it a pass.

[SteelRaven]

Didn't even know this tv show existed.  Looking though, at some of its pics on imdb, i think i'll give it a pass.

It's a kids show from the 90's, it was competing with Power Rangers. If you want to to a 90s show with higher expectations but didn't age well, look up Space Rangers.

[beachhead1985]

It's a kids show from the 90's, it was competing with Power Rangers. If you want to to a 90s show with higher expectations but didn't age well, look up Space Rangers.

Big Bad Beetle Borgs...

Super Samurai Cyber Squad (may have messed up the name...)

How many others?

But, of course I also grew up in Canada, so the airwaves were dominated by some truly heinous nonsense, most of it YTV locally-produced teen-dramas and the rest with a distinct leaning to younger viewers (5-10 or less). ANYTHING more suitable for the 11-14 and up age range that didn't star the same people you saw in everything else was a TREAT.

The Adventures of Sinbad was a TREASURE, for instance and that did star the usual suspects.

Someone put effort, money and innovation into Hypernauts. It's criminal it didn't spend more time in syndication.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Yeah, as I stated before it was intended as a proof-of-concept show for the special effects that had been made for Babylon 5 could work elsewhere, so it was never going to run long.  Was annoying that ABC decided not to broadcast the whole series, though.

[garhkal]

It's a kids show from the 90's, it was competing with Power Rangers. If you want to to a 90s show with higher expectations but didn't age well, look up Space Rangers.

During the 90s, i mostly watched things like Stargate, TNG/DS9/Voyager.  not kids shows..
That might explain why i don't know it.

[SulliMike23]

I remember it. It was a show I wanted to see continue after the first season. I had hoped that we would eventually see our heroes return to Earth in time to prevent an invasion.

[SteelRaven]

During the 90s, i mostly watched things like Stargate, TNG/DS9/Voyager.  not kids shows..
That might explain why i don't know it.

Space Rangers wasn't a kids show, it was just forgettable and now comically dated. Space Rangers premiered in 1993 on CBS, most likely overshadowed by both Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and later Babylon 5 that was shopped around the prior year. The production value was similar to that of SeaQeust DSV that premiered later that year on NBC to much more fan fair though now just as forgotten and as dated today.

I only bring it up because I thought it was hilarious that what little I saw of a kids show did some things better than a prime time network broadcast aimed at a more mature audience much earlier... then again, the 3 year difference in affordable CGI and practical effects probably helped.

Both Hypernauts and Star Rangers are forgotten for a reason, the only reason I remember those two artifacts was because I just absorbed almost anything Sci-fi as a kid in the 90's. I even remember Mann and Machine (92) ... which is terrible even for a kid with low standards ... honestly, it makes Almost Human (2013) look like ****** Blade Runner in comparison. Oh, and don't get me started on TekWars (94), that series aged like cream cheese, expiration: do open after February 19th, 1996. 

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

You know, I don't think my local CBS station even broadcast Space Rangers.  I certainly don't recall ever seeing it advertised.

[Daemion]

During the 90s, i mostly watched things like Stargate, TNG/DS9/Voyager.  not kids shows..
That might explain why i don't know it.

I had a period where my mom went on a 'No Television, it's evil' kick.  So, I missed out on a lot of things like ExoSquad Season Two, Gargoyles season 2 and 3, among many, many other things.  That changed a couple years later, but by then, it was too late.  When I had the chance, I watched anything fantastic that I could, including Xena and Hercules, in addition to the ones you mentioned.  Some really interesting midnight level tv out there like Cleopatra 2525 and so on.

[Wrangler]

Very good sci-fi  show .  I like they were doing a lot things with their show on the Flatjack flying the around and using a Mechs.

[beachhead1985]

Oh, and don't get me started on TekWars (94), that series aged like cream cheese, expiration: do open after February 19th, 1996.

Oof, how about Earth, Final Conflict? YEESH.

Or, how about MILLENNIUM? Talk about a product of it's time.

90s TV was a whole 'nother thing...

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

For some real 90s schlock, how about Nightman?

[SteelRaven]

For some real 90s schlock, how about Nightman?

"We have a Batman at home."



... and this to was aimed at adults, not children.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I'm pretty sure that the "show" was actually just a series of 20 minute long advertisements for the Plymouth Prowler.

[SteelRaven]

I'm pretty sure that the "show" was actually just a series of 20 minute long advertisements for the Plymouth Prowler.

The we have talk about the show Viper, aka "we have Knight Rider at home."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwRXGfPKqYU

But to be fair, Walker Texas Ranger was 25-50% a Dodge commercial. Apparently a Dodge Ram 1500 is impervious to small arms fire.   

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The bullets were afraid of getting too close to Chuck Norris.

[beachhead1985]

For some real 90s schlock, how about Nightman?

Why didn't I remember that one? Oh yeah. Brutal repression.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

And yet its production value was still higher than Beastmaster: The Series.

[idea weenie]

"We have a Batman at home."



... and this to was aimed at adults, not children.

I remember one superhero movie, where the main character had a fiber-optic disguise costume.  One time during the movie the hero wears the costume to a costume ball (and he doesn't stick out), and shows off its ability to change colors to the female protagonist.  A butler nearby tries to identify him and has to keep rephrasing as the color changes.  "The guy in the red outfit.  No, the green outfit."  "Will you make up your mind."  The hero-car could also change colors, had internal semi-AI systems that could evaluate threats, and some weapons.  This color-changing is used to temporarily lose the pursuers by changing color inside a tunnel (so the pursuing helicopter never sees).

Thought it was Nightman based on the camouflage cape, but I was wrong.

Wish I could remember its name.

[ANS Kamas P81]

I've seen the show you're talking about; I remember those moments.  I can't for the life of me remember the name of it.

[beachhead1985]

And yet its production value was still higher than Beastmaster: The Series.

Oh, man...That memory hurts...