Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
1990s submarine military drama is laughable.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
SeaQuest DSV
What's the Story?
A sci-fi drama from the early 1990s, SEAQUEST DMV is set in an ocean floor mining compound where members of the United Earths Oceans Confederation fight for control. Roy Scheider (Jaws) plays Captain Nathan Bridger, designer and commander of the SeaQuest submarine, and Jonathan Brandis (Kid 90) portrays Lucas Wolenczak, a teenaged computer genius placed aboard the submarine by his father.
Is It Any Good?
A 1990s drama that thrives on intense fighting scenes filled with cheesy one-liners. SeaQuest DSV often feels like a spoof, intentionally playing on the tropes of popular sci-fi franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars. The costumes and melodramatic acting, replete with eye-twitching staring contests, come across as laughable by contemporary standards. The inclusion of (clearly fake) dolphins capable of "air motion communication" with humans adds another layer of peculiarity. While the show may hold some nostalgic appeal, today's audiences will find it hard to make it through a single 45-minute episode.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how drama series have changed in the past 30 years. How are they different now? How are they the same?
Talk about the diversity of the cast in SeaQuest DSV and how it was commonplace to have just one character of color on shows during this time.
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 12, 1993
- Cast : Jonathan Brandis , Roy Scheider
- Network : Peacock
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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