Not helping matters was the fact that it was scheduled in the Sunday 7 PM EST timeslot which was typically used for family-friendly fare on ABC and NBC and that competed against ratings powerhouse 60 Minutes on CBS. When the show debuted, it immediately attracted a devoted fanbase but unfortunately it did not draw a broad enough audience to count as a ratings success. The series focuses on the United States Marine Corps Space Aviator Cavalry 58th Squadron, nicknamed the “Wildcards”, as they attempt to fight back against the advances of the alien enemy. It came from X-Files alums Glen Morgan and James Wong and it takes place in a future where humans have started to colonize the galaxy but then find themselves in an interstellar war with an alien species known as Chigs.
This space war series joined the FOX schedule at a time when that network was trying to compete with the Big Three broadcasters (ABC, CBS, and NBC) and also when spaced-based shows were performing quite well in syndication with the Star Trek spin-offs and Babylon 5. Our ongoing look back at sci fi / fantasy TV shows that were cancelled way too soon or pilots that never made it to series.
