Hypernauts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hypernauts
Created by	Ron Thornton Christy Marx
Starring	See characters
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13 (5 unaired) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Douglas Netter Ron Thornton John Copeland
Running time	About 22 min. per episode
Production company(s)	DIC Productions, L.P. Foundation Imaging Netter Digital Entertainment
Distributor	ABC Distribution Company
Release
Original release	March 1 (1996-03-01) – April 13, 1996 (1996-04-13)

Hypernauts was a cool science fiction TV show from 1996. It was made by Foundation Imaging and Netter Digital Entertainment. The creators wanted to show that the amazing computer-generated imagery (CGI) from Babylon 5 could be used in other shows too.

ABC bought 13 episodes of Hypernauts. Eight of these episodes aired on Saturday mornings in 1996. The show only ran for one season. ABC decided not to make a second season, so five episodes were never shown in the U.S. The show was created by Ron Thornton and Douglas Netter. Christy Marx was the executive story editor and wrote four episodes. She also wrote for Babylon 5. Another writer, Katherine Lawrence, was even nominated for an award for her script for the episode Ice Bound.

What is the Story of Hypernauts?

Hypernauts had a detailed story and cool designs for its technology and aliens. This was pretty special for a Saturday morning kids' show! The main idea is about three young cadets from the Academy of Galactic Exploration. They get lost in a "Hyper Bubble" (a kind of hyperspace) during a space jump.

They team up with an alien named Kulai to survive in a strange part of the galaxy. Kulai is a priestess from a planet called Pyria. Her planet was destroyed by a mean group called the Triiad. The Triiad are led by a traitor named Paiyin. The Triiad's goal is to wipe out intelligent life. They use "Makers," which are self-replicating factory ships, to build new war machines from the planets they destroy.

How Do the Hypernauts Fight the Triiad?

The Hypernauts don't have enough firepower to fight the Triiad head-on. So, they use clever tricks, stay hidden, and sometimes use their special "mech suits." Their home base is an old, hidden exploration ship called the Star Ranger. It's hidden in an asteroid field. The Star Ranger has an old AI (robot brain) named Horten.

For longer trips, they use a smaller four-person ship called the "Flapjack." The Flapjack can travel through Hyper Bubbles but only for short distances. The Star Ranger acts as their main ship. It has powerful engines and a huge database of planets. This lets them keep exploring, just like they were trained to do.

The Sphere of Interception

After meeting the Hypernauts, the Triiad set up a giant sensor net. It's called "The Sphere of Interception" and it covers the central part of the Milky Way Galaxy. This net can detect any hyperspace jump or communication going in or out of it. This means if the Hypernauts try to call or return home, the Triiad would find Earth! The Hypernauts must keep Earth's location a secret. They also need to find a way to warn Earth about the Triiad.

Meet the Hypernauts Characters

The Hypernauts and Kulai

Ace

Russell 'Ace' Antonov (played by Glenn Herman) is the team's amazing pilot. He joined Max and Sharkey on a special mission as a punishment. He had been using the Academy's flight simulator to play war games. Ace flies the team's shuttle, the "Flapjack." He is also the best pilot for the team's mech suits.

Max

Noriko 'Max' Matsuda (played by Heidi Lucas) is the team's medic. She was sent on the mission that stranded the Hypernauts because she made calls to her sister without permission. Max joined the Academy even though her family, the Caduceus Enclave, didn't want her to. Her people were very private and didn't like outsiders.

Sharkey

Ricardo 'Sharkey' Alvarez (played by Marc Brandon Daniel) is the team's engineer and computer expert. He was on the mission because he hacked into the Academy's main computer. When Sharkey was a child, he was in an accident where his parents died. Because of this, Sharkey has claustrophobia, which is a fear of small, enclosed spaces.

Gloose

Gloose is a three-legged alien. The Hypernauts found Gloose on a planet that the Triiad had destroyed. Gloose became their pet on the Star Ranger.

Horten

Horten (voiced by Lewis Arquette) is the Star Ranger's computer brain, or AI. He helps control and watch over all the ship's systems.

Kulai

Kulai (played by Carrie Dobro) is the last Chalim (a spiritual leader) from the planet Pyrus. She became a friend and mentor to the Hypernauts. She joined them after they helped her in a fight against Paiyin. Pyrans usually live about 300 years. Kulai is 342 years old, but she has a longer lifespan because she is a Chalim. She might live another 200 years!

Pyrans share a special mental connection. A Chalim like Kulai is very important for this connection. It helps their race stay strong, healthy, and able to have children. Without a Chalim, the Pyran race would struggle. No matter where she is, Kulai can feel if her people are still alive. And they can sense her too, but not as strongly.

Paiyin

Paiyin (played by Ron Campbell) is a traitor. He betrayed his own people to the Triiad and helped them destroy his home planet. Now, he works for the Triiad.

Hypernauts Episodes List

Here is a complete list of Hypernauts episodes. They are listed in the order they were first shown on ABC on Saturday mornings.

Where to Find Unaired Episodes

The episodes "Reunion," "Hole in the Sky," "New Alliances," and "The Challenge" parts one and two were never shown in the United States. However, you could find them on video in Australia, Japan, and Germany. In Japan, Hypernauts was released on VHS tapes under the name Voyager.