Hyperdrive (2006 - 2007)

The 1999 SciFi-comedy, Galaxy Quest, was heralded as the flick that nailed parodying the mighty Star Trek franchise itself. As an ardent fan of all things Trek, I thoroughly enjoyed that film and was in full agreement with the aforementioned assessment of its significance.

...until I recently watched Hyperdrive.

This little Brit TV comedy show gives Galaxy Quest a run for its money.

In the tradition of the best moments of comic story telling - i.e. not the hijinks's perpetrated by Jerry Lewis and then taken to a disgustingly nauseating extreme by Jim Carrey - the cast of Hyperdrive do what the best comedic actors do: portray seemingly normal, everyday people (meaning "normal" and "everyday" within the context of the universe they're inhabiting) doing their best to cope with the circumstances that come there way - circumstances that, from the audience's point of view, are absurd.

What makes the (mis)adventures of the crew of the HMS Camden Lock such a great parody of Star Trek has nothing to do with references, obvious or otherwise (any one can do that), nor becasue of specific characterizations (anyone can do that, too). It has to do with the fact that the ship's mission is basically the same as that given to the various incarnations of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701.

...and how well they do (or don't) carry out that mission is for you to watch and decide!

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