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Harsh Realm

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FOX (ended 2000)

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Show Summary

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Created by the military, Harsh Realm explores a virtual reality world where anything is possible. After seeing the horrors of war in Sarajevo, Lt. Thomas Hobbes is finally ready to settle down with his fiance but the military has one last assignment for him. He must test out the newest in military combat training, a top secret computer simulation code-named "Harsh Realm". However once inside the game, Hobbes immediately finds himself fighting for his life, and struggling to comprehend what is real and what is not.
Harsh Realm was filmed entirely on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.moreless

Episode Guide

S 1 : Ep 9	Camera Obscura	Aired 5/19/00
S 1 : Ep 8	Cincinnati	Aired 5/12/00
S 1 : Ep 7	Manus Domini	Aired 5/5/00
S 1 : Ep 6	Three Percenters	Aired 4/28/00
S 1 : Ep 5	Reunion	Aired 4/21/00

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Cast & Crew

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Terry O'Quinn	General Omar Santiago
Max Martini	Mel Waters
Scott Bairstow	Lt. Thomas F. Hobbes
D.B. Sweeney	Michael Pinocchio

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Fan Reviews (9)

This seems to be a returning problem

5.1

By wascher, Feb 07, 2008

The show was a pretty good show. I would actually give the show itslelf about an 8.5 the problem however lies with us the viewer and the fan getting treated like second class citizens here. How many times do we have to watch good shows just long enough to get interested in them just to have them cancelled under our feet. It pisses me off that hollywood thinks so little of what its fans want that they cant at least finish the show for us. Its just happening more and more because of hollywoods greed or unconcearn and it needs to end. I want closure from now on.moreless
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Nice sci-fi.

5.2

By da_dunker, May 03, 2007

Virtual reality, a video game in which everything and everyone seems real. The bullets, fire, even people you'd know might turn up in it and try to shut you down. That's the problem Lt. Tom Hobbes (Scott Bairstow, "Wild America", "Lonesome Dove: the Outlaw Years") has to put up with in Chris Carter's new FOX show "Harsh Realm", about a soldier whose forced to play in a dangerous VR game that acquires the title of the show!

Before watching this show, I never really was a fan of Chris Carter's shows or of Scott Bairstow. I don't like "The X-files" that much, and I thought Bairstow played weak roles prior to joining the ansemble cast of "Harsh Realm". This is a really cool show, with cool graphics, great performances (especially of Bairstow's, who really shines in this) and a nicely-woven plot. This is a great way to spend Friday nights, proving that virtual reality doesn't bite!!moreless
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The ultimate mind game...

9.6

By farscapefanuk, Mar 22, 2007

Harsh Realm told the story of the ultimate mind game, a man stuck inside a virtual reality simulation the only problem being that their is no escape from the game without completing it which is near impossible, and one other thing if you die in the game you die in real life. This show had potential which was never shown. It was created by Chris Carter (creator of the X Files). so you know you are in for some good stories. Overall i really liked this show the acting was good and the stories were original so i do not understand why it was cancelled so suddonly. Well anyeay i enjoyed it and i advise getting the DVD box set which has all of the unaired episodes.moreless
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The excellent design of the show was matched by some equally good performances. The scripts were literate and fun. It was a dimensional portal world science fiction show that had the distinct disadvantage of coming out just after The Matrix. A great showmoreless

9.5

By raypierre, Sep 04, 2005

With his work on the 1999 series Harsh Realm, Carter moved into The Matrix territory, which unfortunately for him came a shade too early to effectively attach itself to the success of the whole alternate "mind world" scenario. Much like “The X Files”, “Harsh Realm” includes all the obligatory Carter-traits: government conspiracies, technical jargon, hidden worlds, and shadowy leaders. It is the story of Lieutenant Thomas Hobbes (Scott Bairstow), a soldier who gets drawn into a top-secret military project known as Harsh Realm, which it turns out is a virtual reality game designed to, at least initially, serve as a training ground for soldiers. Hobbes is sent in to take down the villainous General Omar Santiago (Terry O'Quinn from Millennium), who wants to not only become a dictator of Harsh Realm, but who has grandiose designs to destroy the real world in the process. Teamed up with the disgruntled Mike Pinocchio (D.B. Sweeney), as well as a mute healer named Florence (Rachel Hayward), Hobbes and crew have to take on Santiago's henchmen, which also include a sexy Mata Hari with the ridiculously cool name of Inga Fossa (Sarah-Jane Redmond).

This is one of those shows where the level of acting at least seems better than the usual weekly television fare, though maybe that's a result of the strange sci-fi storyline. Carter uses Terry O'Quinn, who was excellent as the duplicitous Peter Watts on Millennium as the evil dicyotor Santiago. Though far from being the star here, he does the more outright villain role extremely well.

By being in set in a virtual world the show had the benefit of being able to contort and mutate a given episode's setting at will so that there really could not be any anchored reality. It is a high-tech premise, one that was more of a tough sell for typical television audiences to readily grasp, and the Fox network summarily axed the series after just three episodes. We've all seen this knee-jerk cancellation before, and to Carter's credit, a heady show like Harsh Realm needed time to effectively develop the Byzantine storyline and characters. But in the infinite wisdom of television executives, it was deemed a bust, though the FX network did eventually air the remaining episodes. This is inventive television that was given the bully's treatment by impetuous network executives.

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Hobbes is trapped in a computer simulation and trying to find his way home.

9.7

By Turdfurguson014, Aug 21, 2005

This show is excellent. I think that this show needs to be totally brought back. It was never given a chance. I think this is a classic show that shall go in the vault of shows that were never given a chance. Get the DVD's and see for yourself everybody!!!
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Hidden Gem
Dispite all the bad reviews i read about Harsh Realm, i bought the DVD set and was blown away. Considering that it only lasted 9 e...

By farscapefanuk, Mar 21, 2007

02/28/11

12
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Hello!!
There are no other Harsh Realm fans out there???

By Moekenna, May 03, 2006

02/28/11

8
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thought
This 'realm'- it's somewhat harsh, isn't it?

By cvjrbdjkasfi, Nov 05, 2008

02/28/11

8
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