SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND

SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND, from Glen Morgan and James Wong, most recently the co-executive producers of FOX's hit series THE X-FILES, is a one-hour drama about a squadron of brave, first-year Marine Corps fighter pilots whose mission is to stop a race of aliens out to conquer Earth, in the year 2063.

After years of universal peace, the people of Earth have begun colonizing other planets. Suddenly, a previously unknown alien race annihilates two fledgling communities. Earth's top fighter squadrons are decimated and our group of military cadets is unexpectedly hurled onto the front lines of an intergalactic war.

Each of the brave young men and women had a different reason for enlisting. Nathan West (Morgan Weisser) trained with his girlfriend, Kylen, to be part of one of the expeditions colonizing space. West is devastated when he loses his spot in the colony to an "In Vitro," a despised race originally bred to serve in menial positions but now fighting for their rights. Kylen, meanwhile, must leave with the colony. The military offers West's only chance of going into space and reuniting with the love of his life. Fellow cadet Shane Vansen (Kristen Cloke) is a young woman with a painful past who befriends the reluctant West. Cooper Hawkes (Rodney Rowland) is an In Vitro, or "Tank," who has been unjustly sentenced to serve in the military and quickly becomes the target of scorn and prejudice.

Other cadets include Vanessa Damphousse (Lanei Chapman), a woman with a fierce spirit tempered by her soft empathy for others, and Paul Wang (Joel de la Fuente), an intellectual with an insatiable curiosity that often puts him in jeopardy.

The group's commander is the cool and mysterious Tyrus Cassius (TC) McQueen (James Morrison), once a member of the best fighting squadron in the world. He guides the unit with an iron fist while teaching his proteges the importance of friendship and bravery. Toughest of all is Sergeant Major Frank Bougus (R. Lee Ermey), whose harsh manner masks his genuine concern for his troops.

SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND is a Twentieth Century Fox Television production. Glen Morgan and James Wong, who wrote the pilot, are executive producers, and Stephen Zito ("McKenna," "The Escape Artist") is co-executive producer. David Nutter (THE X-FILES) directed the pilot.