TV Jots » The Andromeda Strain

‘The Andromeda Strain’ Contest Results

Chandra — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:19:00 +0000

And We Have a Winner…

…whose tag name is wpbmommy1.

This entrant stated that their favorite cast member from the miniseries is Eric McCormack because he’s “such a funny actor” (I agree) and because it would be great “to see him in a role so different from the one he plays in Will and Grace” (he was fabulous, too!).

I hope everyone enjoyed A&E’s miniseries remake of The Andromeda Strain as much as I did. For being so lucky, wpbmommy1 will receive an Andromeda Strain t-shirt, The Andromeda Strain DVD collection featuring both the 2008 A&E miniseries and the Oscar-nominated 1971 film, and the Michael Crichton novel The Andromeda Strain. Wow!

Congratulations to wpbmommy1 and thanks again to everyone who took the time to participate!

The Andromeda Strain photo courtesy of A&E

Tags: A&E, Andre Braugher, Benjamin Bratt, Christa Miller, Daniel Dae Kim, Eric McCormack, giveaways, Michael Crichton, Ricky Schroder, television, The Andromeda Strain, tv, Viola Davis

The Andromeda Strain: Critics Doth Protest Too Much

Chandra — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:49:00 +0000

…And Think Too Hard

I am really glad I didn’t pay attention to any of the many, many naysayers when it came to The Andromeda Strain. The four-hour miniseries, an A&E remake of the earlier film of the same name based on Michael Crichton‘s 1969 novel, took off on Memorial Day with the first two-hour installment. Was it brilliant? Heck, no.

Was I expecting it to be, considering it’s just a TV project? Again — heck, no. If you want sophisticated and brilliant and all that other superior stuff, look towards the movie theaters that charge ten dollars or whatever a pop for a ticket.

The Andromeda Strain, the miniseries, is perfectly good TV, and the first part held my interest from beginning to end … probably because I in no way ever imagined it would reinvent the sci-fi wheel or try to outdo the original movie or book.

Sure, certain segments are annoying, such as the decontamination scene with Benjamin Bratt, Ricky Schroder, and Christa Miller‘s characters. I kept waiting for them to start jogging rhythmically in place à la Flashdance during the unnecessarily extensive shower footage, with strains of Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” whipping up in the background for atmosphere.

And, yes, the plot is convoluted and nonsensical in parts — that much I won’t deny. The miniseries would have probably worked better as a typical two-hour made-for-TV movie, but then the network wouldn’t have been able to get as much advertising and promotional mileage out of it to help recoup costs.

All in all, the latest version of The Andromeda Strain gets few complaints from this TV watcher, simply because I take TV for what it is — extremely cheap entertainment, best not thought about too intensely or taken too seriously or watched too closely. Very little on television is ever worth that effort, which is unfortunate but true. As long as I’m not put to sleep, I’m usually satisfied. Anything beyond that is a welcome but chance bonus.

The miniseries is far from the worse offender when it comes to wastes of time (check out some of these reality shows for that), and it’s actually very nicely made and acted. If someone finds it unbearable to endure, all they have to do is get a copy of the 1971 movie or the book. Me? I can’t wait until the conclusion tonight.

The Verdict: B

The Andromeda Strain concludes tonight on A&E at 9pm EST

Viola Davis, Ricky Schroder, Daniel Dae Kim, and Christa Miller/The Andromeda Strain photo courtesy of Diyah Pera/A&E

Tags: A&E, Michael Crichton, television, The Andromeda Strain, tv

The Andromeda Strain: Grand Premiere Giveaway

Chandra — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:05:00 +0000

Win Super Swag from the A&E Miniseries

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and it’s definitely not going to be a holiday for the characters on the A&E miniseries The Andromeda Strain. For one lucky person, however, the exact opposite will be true when they win a spectacular prize package in celebration of the television event.

Based on the best-selling novel from Michael Crichton, The Andromeda Strain is an original A&E miniseries that stars a slew of familiar faces, including Benjamin Bratt (E-Ring, Law & Order), Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, Lonesome Dove series), Ricky Schroder (NYPD Blue, Silver Spoons), Andre Braugher (Thief, Homicide: Life on the Street), Christa Miller (Scrubs, The Drew Carey Show), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Angel), and Viola Davis (Traveler, Jesse Stone telemovies).

The plot of the four-hour miniseries is set in motion when a U.S. military satellite crashes in a small town and unleashes a deadly plague that kills all but two survivors. As the military quarantines the area, a team of highly specialized scientists is assembled to find a cure to the pathogen code-named “Andromeda.” Soon, a reporter also begins to investigate a government conspiracy only to discover what he’s chasing wants him silenced.

Learn more about The Andromeda Strain at the official website before it airs on Monday, May 26, and Tuesday, May 27, from 9pm–11pm EST. You can also enter the giveaway hosted here at tv|jots simply by leaving a comment on this post stating which Andromeda star you like most and why.

Make sure to use a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you win, and if Blogger’s comment system makes it impossible to leave your email address without revealing it to the world, simply enter via the contact page.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, and the entry deadline is Tuesday, May 27, at 11:59pm EST. Afterwards, one winner will be randomly chosen to receive a spectacular prize package containing:

The Andromeda Strain t-shirt
The Andromeda Strain DVD collection featuring both the 2008 A&E miniseries and the Oscar-nominated 1971 film
The Andromeda Strain novel by Michael Crichton

Thanks for stopping by and good luck to all!