The Andromeda Strain Revisited

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Don't mourn the end of the TV season just yet. The Big Four networks may be taking a breather after subjecting us to one of the worst debut seasons in history, but summer is the time when cable networks flex their increasingly impressive muscle. While the Fox, the Mouse, the Peacock and the Eyeball are pretty much content to loll in reruns, reality and game shows in the lazy days of summer, cable trots out significant documentaries and big budget dramas. In the process, they garner a lot of critical attention and Emmy buzz.

A&E leads the charge this year, teaming up with Ridley Scott (Bladerunner, Gladiator) and Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Top Gun) to recreate the Michael Crichton best-selling debut novel The Andromeda Strain. The four-hour TV event, directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Mikael Saloman (Backdraft, The Abyss) and starring Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack, Rick Schroder, Christa Miller and Daniel Dae Kim, will air in High Definition on Memorial Day, 26 May and Tuesday, 27 May at 9pm EST on A&E.

In The Andromeda Strain, a U.S. military satellite crashes in a small town and unleashes a deadly plague, killing all but two survivors. As the military quarantines the area, a team of highly specialized scientists is assembled to find a cure to the pathogen code-named “Andromeda,” and a reporter investigates a government conspiracy only to discover what he is chasing wants him silenced.

From the clips I've seen, this latest version of The Andromeda Strain looks to be an ideal way to cap off the Memorial Day weekend. I'll keep you posted.