DVD REVIEW: FlashForward Part One Season One

[JessHorsley]

The first 10 episodes of this pulse-pounding new ABC TV series hit home video...

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In 1999, Robert J. Sawyer's tale Flashforward, a story of a science experiment gone awry which caused the entire world to blackout and "flash forward" 21 years into the future, hit book stands. Thankfully, it didn't take 21 years for the book to be adapted to TV. And, while major liberties have been taken with the original source material, the amazing original idea remains...and what an amazing idea it is.

ABC's 2-disc FlashForward Part One Season One finds the first 10 episodes of the series on home video. The world has suffered and is attempting to recover from a catastrophic event in which every human on the planet has blacked out for 137 seconds. Millions are dead or injured, The event, which has become known as a "flashed forward," showed every person exactly 137 seconds of their future 6 months from the happening. Confusing for all, depressing for many, exhilarating for some, and inspiration to few, these flashforwards provide an amazing basis for a story featuring interesting characters and an even more interesting plot.

Created for the small screen by Brannon Braga (24 fame) and film writer/director David S. Goyer (Blade trilogy), FlashForward stars an all-star cast of actors and actresses, including Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Sonya Walger and Dominic Monaghan. Each brings to life their characters beautifully and, thanks to a well-paced, action-intense plot with plenty of solid dialogue, the event-driven story expands to become a character-rich experiance. Those liberties I mentioned which were taken with the original source material play a part here as the book centers more on the science of the event while the TV show centers more on the investigation of the event itself. Likewise, a change in setting and an expanded character list help make the original story more viewer-friendly.

These first 10 episodes help establish the 12 or so main characters, their individual stories, histories, and relationships with one another. These first episodes also help introduce the event itself, which obviously plays a major role. People die, people kill, and people look for ways to live in a world that's been turned upside down and inside out. Thankfully, the writing here - which could be cheesy considering the idea - is realistic. Thanks to shows like Lost and X-Files, the absurd has become commonplace on TV; FlashForward - because of its realistic writing, never pushes these boundaries and, in fact, I'd personally consider it one of the most realistic sci-fi-type shows on TV today.

For those who have yet to see this series, FlashForward Part One Season One DVD set is a great place to start. Likewise, for for those who want to relive the excitement again, this is a great place to catch-up. ABC has a total of 24 episodes ordered for this first season and new episodes begin again on March 18 and will run for an impressive 14 consecutive weeks.

While maybe not the most watched show on TV, FlashForward is no doubt one of the most original, complex, and impressive. If you're a fan of shows like Lost or X-Files and are looking for something similar with a realistic twist, you'll love the writing, characters, and story FlashForward has to offer.

FlashForward Season One Part One - which includes the first 10 episodes of the series - is available on DVD home video on February 23, 2010 wherever fine home video is sold.

- Jess C. Horsley