Web Series: The Mercury Men
Original Air Date: July 25, 2011
While perusing my cable’s On Demand channel I stumbled upon a nice little series of web shorts by the Syfy network called The Mercury Men. Writer/director Christopher Preksta produced the six- to nine-minute webisodes. It’s the story of men from the planet Mercury who have come to Earth to do us harm.
The unlikely hero is a grumpy, middle-aged, bureaucrat named Edward Borman (Mark Tierno). The office building where he works is invaded by these men from Mercury. They appear to be made of light and have no trouble killing people with something that looks like lightning. Fortunately for Edward, he’s not alone. Jack Yaeger (Curt Wootton), a member of a secretive group of defenders known as The League, shows up to help Edward. Together the unlikely pair work at stopping these evil extraterrestrials and discover exactly what they are doing on Earth.
I love the style of this series. I think choosing to film entirely in black and white is a refreshing touch. What’s interesting to me is the show is filmed like a 1950s sci-fi movie but takes place during the mid-1970s. While the writing is sometimes off and the acting can be a little flat, overall this is a fun series. I’m always left wanting to see what happens next. I’m impressed that this series was filmed with a budget of around $7,000 (according to IMDb).
If you’re a sci-fi fan up for a slightly different series I recommend The Mercury Men. It may very well prove to be the Pringles of the sci-fi world. After you watch one webisode I’m sure you’ll be checking out the next one. Having seen all ten webisodes for season one I’m hoping there will be a second season.
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
About the Author
Born on Science Fiction Day, Trish was destined to be a sci-fi geek. It didn’t hurt that both her parents were huge fans of any and all sci-fi, British TV and especially sci-fi on British TV. Some of her earliest memories were watching Doctor Who with her mom. At first she was happy to watch her geeky shows on TV or at the movies. She remembers standing in line for over three hours in Chicago when Star Wars first hit theaters. Even as a kid she knew it would be worth the wait. After seeing the movie she was convinced that it was actually a documentary and that George Lucas had found a way to that galaxy far, far away.Eventually Trish discovered the joys of conventions. From exploring the sets of Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis in Vancouver to eating at Syfy’s “Café Diem” at San Diego Comic Con 2010 to attempting to break a world record at Vulcan in Tampa, there hasn’t been a convention yet that Trish hasn’t loved. Attending conventions has become her latest hobby.
Sci-fi isn’t the only genre Trish loves. She considers herself a well-rounded geek who adores superheroes, fantasy, mystery, comedy, adventure and drama with a dash of horror. After obtaining her B.A. in psychology with a minor in dance Trish settled down and had two beautiful girls. She lives with her husband and children outside Tampa, Florida and has added three furry kids as well. One passes for a dog but the other two look suspiciously like polar bears.