Supercarrier (TV series)

For Information about the term "supercarrier", see Aircraft carrier § Supercarrier.

Supercarrier
Genre	Drama
Created by	Stanford Whitmore Steven E. de Souza
Based on	Supercarrier by George C. Wilson
Written by	Steven E. de Souza Stanford Whitmore Joel Wilf Michael Part
Directed by	William A. Graham Corey Allen Jackie Cooper Peter Crane
Theme music composer	Craig Safan Mark Mueller
Opening theme	"Living on the Edge"[1]
Composers	Jack Eskew (pilot ep.) Craig Safan
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producer	Steven E. deSouza
Producer	Chuck Bowman
Cinematography	Jack Beckett Robert Steadman Frank Raymond
Editors	Ronald J. Fagan Gregory F. Plotts Noel Rogers
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	Richard Maynard Productions Real Tinsel Productions Fries Entertainment
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	March 6 (1988-03-06) – May 14, 1988 (1988-05-14)[2]

Supercarrier is an American military drama television series that aired on ABC from March 6 until May 14, 1988. It features US Navy Pilots aboard the fictional aircraft carrier USS Georgetown. It suffered from low ratings against CBS's Murder, She Wrote and NBC's Family Ties, and only lasted eight episodes before being cancelled.

Cast

• Robert Hooks as Capt. Jim Coleman
• Ken Olandt as Lt Jack "Sierra" DePalma
• Paul Gleason (pilot episode)
• Cec Verrell as Lt Ruth "Bee-Bee" Ruthkowski
• John David Bland as Lt Doyle "ANZAC" Sampson
• Gerardo Mejía as Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Luis Cruz
• Michael Sharrett (pilot episode)
• Matthew Walker as Seaman Raymond Lafitte
• Tasia Valenza (pilot episode)
• Wendie Malick (pilot episode)
• Denise Nicholas (pilot episode)
• Scott Kraft (pilot episode)
• Craig Stevens (pilot episode)
• Thomas Beck (pilot episode)
• Alex Hyde-White as Lt Dave "Hat Trick" Rawley
• Dale Dye as Capt Henry K. 'Hank' Madigan
• Richard Jaeckel as Master Chief Sam Rivers
• Dennis R. "Beau" Sumner, Jr.
• Matthew Williams
• Peter Mark Richman (2nd episode)
• William Smith (3rd episode)
• Ismael 'East' Carlo (5th episode)
• Gina Gallego (5th episode)
• Harley Jane Kozak (5th episode)
• Jennifer Darling (6th episode)
• Lyman Ward (7th episode)
• Lawrence Kopp as Deadly Enemies (Pilot)

Production

The series was partly filmed on board the USS Vandegrift (FFG-48) which is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate rather than an aircraft carrier.^[3] Part of the filming was conducted on the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), between September and November 1987, while the ship was undergoing a period of upkeep.^[4]

The Department of the Navy pulled its support for the show in March 1988, with a spokesperson citing dissatisfaction with the plots of upcoming episodes in which the carrier "just becomes a backdrop" for stories unrelated to the U.S. Navy.^[5] The producer, Charles Fries, said in response that the Navy "wanted a sleepy show about life on a Supercarrier" and that he was "happy to be relieved of the cooperation because naval personnel were stifling our writers relationships and dialogue".^[6]

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Deadly Enemies"	Unknown	Unknown	March 6, 1988 (1988-03-06)
In the series pilot, the search for a downed jet fighter focuses attention on a hot-dogging flyer (Alex Hyde-White) and brings on the arrival of female forces.[7]
2	"All in the Game"	Jackie Cooper	Joel M. Wilf	March 13, 1988 (1988-03-13)
War games bring out the best and the worst: Rosie becomes an unlikely heroine, while tension escalates between pilots BeeBee and Sierra.[8]
3	"Common Ground"	Unknown	Unknown	March 20, 1988 (1988-03-20)
Anzac and Sierra get an unexpectedly friendly salute from a defecting Soviet pilot, flying a high-tech MiG 28 stealth fighter plane that both sides are after.[9]
4	"Ring of Fire"	Peter Crane	Michael Part	March 27, 1988 (1988-03-27)
Family duties may upset Sierra, and sink Cruz's Navy and boxing careers as he battles to keep his sister out of the gangs.[10]
5	"Rest and Revolution"	Peter Crane	Jim Trombetta	April 10, 1988 (1988-04-10)
BeeBee, Sierra and Anzac are staying in a small Latin nation of Val Verde training its fighter pilots, and while they're on liberty, the revolution starts without them.[11]
6	"Give Me Liberty..."	Harry Harris	Jeri Barchilon & Michele Gendelman	April 17, 1988 (1988-04-17)
Anzac and Sierra hook up with attractive but deadly arms dealers; Rivers tangles with a lawyer; Coleman's wife undergoes surgery for a lump in her breast.[12]
7	"Exodus"	Corey Allen	Paul Aratow	April 24, 1988 (1988-04-24)
Madigan evacuates China Sea villagers from impending war; and Willoughby befriends a pregnant refugee.[13]
8	"Vector"	Chuck Bowman	Unknown	May 17, 1988 (1988-05-17)
Anzac succumbs to the charms of a sassy Aussie woman, rescued from a disabled research vessel, while a mysterious plague caused by poison from a crate of Nazi gold sweeps the George.[14]

References

1. Supercarrier Theme at Copyrightencyclopedia.com
2. "TV Listings for - May 14, 1988 - TV Tango".
3. "Let Me Clear This Up". IMDb. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
4. "John F. Kennedy (CVA-67)". Naval History and Heritage Command. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
5. "'Supercarrier' Torpedoed by the U.S. Navy". Los Angeles Times. 10 March 1988. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
6. "'Torpedoing 'Supercarrier'". Los Angeles Times. 12 March 1988. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
7. Supercarrier Ep 1: Deadly Enemies
8. Supercarrier Ep 2: All in the Game
9. Supercarrier Ep 3: Common Ground
10. Supercarrier Ep 4: Ring of Fire
11. Supercarrier Ep 5: Rest and Revolution
12. Supercarrier Ep 6: Give Me Liberty
13. Supercarrier Ep 7: Exodus
14. Supercarrier Ep 8: Vector

External links

• Supercarrier at IMDb