The Cape

That negative Titusville comment was so ridiculous it should never been printed. -- There was more truth in those behind-the-scene episodes than he/she could imagine. It was purposely kept low-key, with most shoots off-base to MINIMIZE any impact on Launch Processing.

The only show we've seen come down the cinematic pike that did not overly romanticize the all-so-human aspects of our "Ascans" and Flight folks.

It was one HELLUVA good show and the effort to bring it back keeps on growing..

"I mean, come on.. an astronaut attempting suicide because of unrequited love of other astronaut who she slept with in 90210 fashion. Give us a break, this would never happen in the space program and this is an insult to the real NASA employees and Air Force Men and women who do there jobs with the Space program with professionalism and great respect."

In light of recent events in the astronaut corps this 7 year old comment is something the author may wish to take back...

Yes, the show could be unrealistic (well totally unrealistic at times) but it was a fun show to watch regardless. I would love to have it available on DVD at some point.

I was very surprised to see some of the negative comments expressed here. I have seen most of "The Cape" series, and I found it very entertaining.

I can easily believe that it is not entirely realistic (the confusion between KSC and JSC is so obvious I find it possible to ignore it) - but to me this series does at least give some sense of a dramatisation of the shuttle-era astronaut experience. Most of us mere mortals (and especially in the space-deprived UK) never get much closer than this. Even if you visit JSC (and I have, at least 3 times) it is fronted by the PR set-up "Space Center Houston", which, although an enjoyable experience, gives you a highly stylised view of the space programme, and leaves you with only the sketchiest idea of what manned spaceflight is all about. "The Cape" in my view does better, even if not greatly authentic. NASA seem to struggle with popularity and capturing the imagination of the ordinary person (non-space-cadet), despite needing their support. In my view, they were therefore unwise not to back this series. What does "access to space" mean for the average person? In a dramatic (and therefore fictional) sense, "The Cape" provides this.

And if you think Corbin Bernsen doesn't belong in space (perhaps his 'mature fighter jock' character play is not in keeping with the Shuttle era), then he is at least an engaging personality, and to my mind very watchable.

The age of the Shuttle cannot go on for ever, - and what better drama do we have to remember it by?

To whom it may concern - may we please have "the Cape" series on DVD - Region 2?

The Cape was a great show for those of us who lived in the same community in which it was filmed or for those who wanted to but could not. I am guessing that the drama was set to be soap opera like to show us that even astronauts were people too. It obviously was not supported by NASA as the agency can only provide footage to all interested parties not actually produce a commercial (for profit) program. For me it was exciting to see venues I recognized including Cocoa Village, Cocoa, Florida, in the grocery store shopping scene of one of the episodes. Quick spoiler: No such kind of store there in the mid 1990's or now in 2019.

Some professions lend themselves better to television than others, and that of the pilot (let's face it, astronauts are little more than uber-pilots) is one of them - unless it involves adventure, that is. If it involves straight drama, the problem is that you're challenged to be just as involving when you're grounded as when you're in flight; the only thing anyone remembers about "Spencer's Pilots" is its stirring theme music*, and "Call To Glory" was similarly forgettable.

"The Cape" was no more successful in that respect; to be fair it wasn't really a BAD show - from Corbin Bernsen onwards nobody's acting stunk up the place, and the writing was okay (plus the sight of Bobbie Phillips post-"Murder One" and pre-those "Chameleon" TV movies was never a minus) - but it never really overcame the basic problem of what to do with the characters, and it played far too much like a soap for comfort, except when it launched into space... of course, it would have been too implausible to have a crisis occur every week (in real life, thankfully, accidents in the US space programme are rare), and they didn't. But it was at the expense of making the show more attention-keeping.

Mainly notable as one of the last shows produced by MTM before Twentieth Century Fox swallowed the cat whole - a sad comedown from the days of "Rhoda" and "Hill Street Blues."