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= Mission Genesis (Deepwater Black) = Mission Genesis is a 1997 Canadian Science fiction drama television series created by Jeff Copeland and Barry Pearson and directed by George Mendeluk and Don McCutcheon. It was based off the Deepwater book series written by New Zealand writer Ken Catran. It went by the name Deepwater Black in Canada and the UK but ran as Mission Genesis in the United States. It originally aired on Canada's YTV channel, and in the United States, it aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. It is widely accepted as the first original scripted television series to run on the United States’ Sci-Fi Channel.

Premise
In 2695, the inhabitants of Earth are fighting off a devastating plague that threatens to exterminate the human species. To save the species, scientists construct a spaceship named Deepwater to carry human embryos and terraforming technologies with the hope of starting a new life for the species on another planet. Additionally, teenage clones of the spaceship’s creators are sent on board to pilot the ship. These clones are initially sent into cryostasis with their memories partially wiped when the spaceship embarks, but after some time the clones wake up. The clones can remember some of their originals’ skills but not their full memories. The series follows the six crewmates as they learn how to pilot the ship, care for the human embryos, and learn about the people they were cloned after.

Main Cast
The crew of Deepwater consists of six clones that appear in each episode as well as Gen, their onboard AI.


 * Gordon Michael Woolvet as Reb
 * Nicole DeBoer as Yuna
 * Jason Cadieux as Bren
 * Julie Khaner as Genesis DX37 or “Gen”
 * Craig Kirkwood as Zak
 * Sara Sahr as Lise
 * Kelli Taylor as Gret

Side Characters
Additionally, a handful of other characters appear as side characters.


 * David Macniven as Mentor
 * Laura Bertram as Aurora
 * Tara Sloan as Kyra
 * Cameron Graham as Kaulman
 * Cecilley Carroll as Krista at 12
 * Christina Collins as Krista at 32

Production
Production for Mission Genesis was planned to be the Sci Fi Channel’s first original programming after the channel’s first few years of running syndicated shows. Alongside its production, Sci Fi Channel also had plans for Dune, a movie remake, and Invasion America, a miniseries about a hypothetical alien invasion. Sci Fi Channel’s Vice President of Programming, Barry Schulman, said that motivation to create the show came from the need to create a franchise for the channel: “One of our goals, one of any channel’s goals, is to create that next franchise. We’d love to have a ‘Star Trek’ franchise that went for decades and brought in millions”. Jeff Copeland, one of the show’s producers, describes the show as “like The X-Files meets star trek. It’s undeniable: we’re thinking of the merchandising possibilities.”

Mission Genesis was shot and filmed in Toronto's Cinevillage. The show's budget was primarily focused on set design and in-house special effects. Constructions of elaborate set pieces were designed to be as realistic as possible for a space setting. Set pieces like the ship's command center were built to be shaken to produce believable effects. Computer generated imagery was widely used for exteriors and special effects. Production philosophy was based on putting the characters' actions, dialogue, and plot first and using the special effects to amplify the show's plot.

Reception
Mission Genesis released to mixed reviews. Variety Magazine's Tony Scott described the show as "not providing much in the way of 27th century surprises, but it's full of energy, And potential." Will Joyner's review in the New York Times described the show with a "let's-put-on-a-show appeal" while also critiquing the show's writing. People Magazine's Terry Kelleher gave the show a "C-" rating, describing the show as "Saved By The Bell in low-rent Star Trek costumes."

A common critique of the show was its similarity to Star Trek, with many people noticing the similarities between it and Star Trek: The Next Generation. An article from The Toronto Star describes the show as "Star Trek Junior," and "[Mission Genesis] borrows shamelessly from previous space shows in both look and premise." Other reviews point out the similarities between Mission Genesis and other science fiction shows like Lost in Space, Star Trek: Voyager, and Space Cases.