Series / Mercy Point

Mercy Point

Short-lived UPN science fiction drama (8 episodes, only 7 aired) taking place on a Space Station medical facility in the 23rd Century staffed by, and serving, both humans and aliens.

While it could legitimately be described as "ER IN SPACE!"—the visual style, with heavy use of SteadiCams and fast-paced Walk and Talk sequences, is a direct imitation—the show was more than that. It featured intriguing characters in a setting that felt like a small part of a larger, well-developed fictional universe.

You can watch the opening credits here, the studio's sizzle reel here, and the first few minutes of the pilot episode ("New Arrivals") here. Alternatively, the whole series can be found here.

This show provides examples of:

• Bottle Episode: nearly everything seen on screen took place in the Mercy Point facility

• Do Androids Dream?: there were hints that ANI might be self-aware and have emotions

• Meaningful Name: the hospital's computer system is named "Hipp"—short for Hippocrates

• Shout-Out:
  • The title sequence imitates the early-season title sequence of a certain well-known medical drama running on another network
  • The first scene of the pilot episode is a nurse waking someone up to get him to start his shift—just like the first scene of the pilot of ER