Category:Wing Commander Academy (TV)
Introduction
WCA is a must-have for all Wing Commander fans: the series follows the adventures of the TCS Tiger's Claw and crew through a very exciting year in Wing Commander history. The show is coming out on DVD on May 29, 2012.
Episodes
Episode List
- Episode 1: Red and Blue
- Mark Edens/Michael Edens
- Plot: Blair and Maniac are assigned to the Tiger's Claw for training.
- Episode 2: The Last One Left
- Mark Edens/Michael Edens
- Blair and Maniac encounter a Confed war hero turned renegade.
- Additional: Scary tattoos.
- Episode 3: The Most Delicate Instrument
- Mark Edens/Shari Goodhartz
- Mentally unbalanced from stellar phenomena, four cadets begin to exhibit erratic behavior.
- Additional: Excellent episode, probably best of the series.
- Episode 4: Word of Honor
- Mark Edens/Richard Mueller
- Blair and Grunt crashland on an alien world, but they're not alone...
- Aditional: Grunt has a freaky lingering disability from his days on Repleetah.
- Episode 5: Lords of the Sky
- Mark Edens/Matthew Edens
- Blair and Maniac land on an alien world where the local savages worship the dastardly "Lords of the Sky."
- Episode 6: Chain of Command
- Mark Edens/Brooks Wachtel
- Tolwyn meets an old "friend"- who just happens to outrank him now!
- Episode 7: Expendable
- Mark Edens/Ted Pederson/Francis Moss
- Blair and Payback scout an unstable jump node.
- Episode 8: Recreation
- Mark Edens/Matthew Edens
- The crew of the Claw discovers a mysterious being in suspended animation aboard a derelict space capsule.
- Additional: Guest Star- Michael Dorn
- Episode 9: Walking Wounded
- Mark Edens/Ralph Sanchez
- Maniac scores guard duty on a crippled medical ship.
- Episode 10: On Both Your Houses
- Mark Edens/Shari Goodhartz
- Blair, Maniac, and Archer pursue Kilrathi fighters to a lush tropical planet where things are not as they seem.
- Episode 11: Invisible Enemy
- Mark Edens/Richard Mueller
- The Kilrathi have a new and terrible weapon: the Stealth Fighter.
- Additional: Actually enhances the plot of WC2, instead of destroying it.
- Episode 12: Price of Victory
- Mark Edens/Steve Cuden
- Blair crashes on an ice world, where he meets an unusual Kilrathi- who just happens to have an agenda...
- Additional: Another excellent episode.
- Episode 13: Glory of Sivar
- Mark Edens/Mark Edens/Michael Edens
- Blair and Grunt land on the planet Dolos- and find themselves surrounded by fur!
Viewing Guide
Perhaps you're probably asking yourself, what order should I watch these episodes in? The question isn't as easy as it seems... as there are three distinct schools of thought!
Airdate Order
This is the order in which Academy originally aired on the USA Network in 1996. The show was run Saturday mornings at 11:30 AM (except for "Recreation", which was shown at noon) and then rerun on Sundays at the same time (the Oct. 26th showing was a rerun).
- Episode 01 - Red & Blue - Sept. 21st, 1996
- Episode 02 - The Last One Left - Sept. 28th, 1996
- Episode 03 - The Most Delicate Instrument - Oct. 5th, 1996
- Episode 04 - Word of Honor - Oct. 12th, 1996
- Episode 05 - Lords of the Sky - Oct. 19th, 1996
- Episode 06 - Chain of Command - Nov. 2th, 1996
- Episode 07 - Expendable - Nov. 9nd, 1996
- Episode 08 - Recreation - Nov. 16th, 1996
- Episode 09 - Walking Wounded - Nov. 23rd, 1996
- Episode 10 - On Both Your Houses - Nov. 30th, 1996
- Episode 11 - Invisible Enemy - Dec. 7th, 1996
- Episode 12 - Price of Victory - Dec. 14th, 1996
- Episode 13 - Glory of Sivar - Dec. 21st, 1996
Timeline Order
This is the order in which the series occurs within the context of the Wing Commander universe. It's noticably different, but probably best for watching the show in order... as, for instance, Chain of Command references the events of Expendable. Stardates are rough, and could be within a few days off in each case.
- Episode 01 - Red & Blue - 2654.072-.073
- Episode 02 - The Last One Left - 2654.094
- Episode 03 - The Most Delicate Instrument - 2654.155
- Episode 04 - Lords of the Sky - 2654.162-163
- Episode 05 - Word of Honor - 2654.169
- Episode 06 - Expendable - 2654.176
- Episode 07 - Chain of Command - 2654.177
- Episode 08 - Walking Wounded - 2654.183
- Episode 09 - Invisible Enemy - 2654.184
- Episode 10 - Recreation - 2654.185-.186
- Episode 11 - On Both Your Houses - 2654.190-.191
- Episode 12 - Price of Victory - 2654.292
- Episode 13 - Glory of Sivar - 2654.292-.293
Production Order
Last, and probably least, is the production order. There's no real reason to watch the show in the order in which it was made (as animated shows are generally produced out of order), but it's an important historical footnote!
- Episode 01 - Red & Blue
- Episode 02 - The Last One Left
- Episode 03 - The Most Delicate Instrument
- Episode 04 - Lords of the Sky
- Episode 05 - Word of Honor
- Episode 06 - Chain of Command
- Episode 07 - Expendable
- Episode 08 - Recreation
- Episode 09 - Walking Wounded
- Episode 10 - On Both Your Houses
- Episode 11 - Invisible Enemy
- Episode 12 - Price of Victory
- Episode 13 - Glory of Sivar
Extra: Saga of the Warrior King
The strangest TV crossover ever imagined! Four separate animation studios agreed to pool their efforts and have Michael Dorn travel as a space viking through their shows (Street Fighter, Savage Dragon, Mortal Kombat and Wing Commander). Find out more: Saga of the Warrior King.
2012 DVD Release
Press Kit
The following is the official information contained within the press kit that was circulated prior to the first showing of the Wing Commander Academy tv show.
Press Release
Web Press Release
Production Notes
Wing Commander History
The Computer Games That Started A Revolution
WING COMMANDER ACADEMY is rooted in the phenomenal success of a line of "Wing Commander" computer games initially launched in 1990. Available in multiple languages with sales in the millions, the "Wing Commander" award winning interactive game series for PC CD-ROM consistently defined "state-of-the-art," breaking new barriers in the blending of Hollywood filmmaking and computer entertainment.
The first title boasted finely detailed, breathtaking graphics and cinematic sequences, with high-tech starfighters engaging in action inspired by the classic space battle films such as Star Wars. Set in the 27th century, the game finds mankind locked in a grueling war with the daring pilots of the Terran Confederation fending off the Kilrathi, a vicious, militaristic alien race. In the game, the player must employ cunning tactics and expert marksmanship to battle Kilrathi aces in heated deep-space dogfights to save the future of the world.
In 1991's "Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi," rousing new adventures continue with a new generation of starfighters but, in addition to combat with the Kilrathi, a fleet of traitors have infiltrated the Confederation forces creating additional mayhem.
Selling 600,000 units on multiple gaming platforms, "Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger," released in December 1994, merged Hollywood film techniques with computer graphics for a spine-tingling cinematic and space flight experience. Four disks hold full speech, explosive sound, an interactive plot and more than three hours of adrenaline-charged live action video images, and stars Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell and Tom Wilson. Stunning synthetic sets, multiple camera angles and completely interactive player control brought space combat simulation to unparalleled levels of realism. "Wing Commander III" also received countless accolades as "Action Game of the Year and "Game of the Year".
In "Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom," released in February 1996, the bloody battle between the Kilrathi and Terrans has concluded but Colonel Christopher Blair is called back into duty when civil war brakes out on the homefront and he faces a new enemy. Translated into three languages, "Wing Commander IV" promises to uphold the legacy that has spawned a legion of fans, innovative new technology and now an animated series from Universal cartoon Studios, Inc.
Kilrathi History
TALKING PAPERS ON THE KILRATHI
An unsavory, savage feline race, the Kilrathi descended from the predators that roamed the savannas of the planet Kilrah in the distant past. Aside from despicable hairy looks and thorny demeanors, their ancestors passed on a ruthless sense of cunning and aggressiveness. The whole Kilrathi history is an extended chronicle of civil wars so brutal that those in human history pale by comparison. The race remains a predatory species, only now they operate on a galactic level, claiming their prey in the far reaches of space and taking by force those who do not bow to their claim. Their entire culture is based on a sense of war and aggression, elevated to religious levels.
They Kilrathi warriors live by a three-tiered code of honor -- personal honor, the honor of their clan, and the honor of the Emperor. This code of honor is more important to the Kilrathi warrior than his own life.
Kilrathi technological and aesthetic ideals reflect their cultural focus on aggressions. Their starships are designed to resemble ornate cutting weapons, with sharp, blade-like wings swept toward to lethal-looking points.
Females control all religious factions on Kilrah and direct all offering and religious ceremonies. The Kilrathi are polytheistic, with the war-god Sivar being the most important deity.
The homeworld of the Kilrathi is the planet Kilrah, a semi-arid world of rolling savannas pierced by the smoldering cones of giant volcanoes. Huge rift valleys, reminders of the planet's even more active seismic blast, form the "continental" boundries. There are no oceans, but almost all of the rift valleys contain long and relatively narrow brackish lakes, which help define the perimeters of the ancient clan homelands.
All in all, a terrifying terrain for a frightening race.
Glossary
Character Bios
Talent Bios
Biography: Susan Blu
Biography: Larry Latham
Slides
EXTRAS
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