Roughnecks Starship Troopers Chronicles

• Developed by Richard Raynis, Duane Capizzi, and Jeff Kline
• August 30, 1999 to April 3, 2000
• Syndication
• Based on the 1959 book Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

Earth Forces

Alpha Team a.k.a. Razak’s Roughnecks (later Rico’s Roughnecks)

• Private/Corporal/Sergeant/Lieutenant John T. “Johnny” Rico-Rino Romano
• Private Isabelle “Dizzy” Flores-Elizabeth Daily
• Lieutenant Jean Razak-Jamie Hanes
• Sergeant Francis Brutto-David DeLuise
• Corporal Richard “Doc” LeCroix-James Horan
• Corporal Jeff “Goss” Gossard-Bill Fagerbakke
• Lieutenant/Ensign Carmen Ibanez-Tish Hicks
• Lieutenant/Major Zander Barcalow-Nicholas Guest
• Special Operations Tactician Carl Jenkins-Rider Strong
• Private Robert “Paperboy” Higgins-Alexander Polinsky
• Private “Colonel” T’Phai-Steve Staley

SICON (SICO)

• Commander Marlow-Thomas Wagner
• General Miriam Redwing-Irene Bedard
• Sky Marshal Sanchez-R. Lee Ermey
• Lt. Earl Walker-Michael Harrington
• C.H.A.S. (Cybernetic Humanoid Assault System)-Ed Hopkins
• Drill Instructor/Sergeant Charlie Zim-Clancy Brown

A group of roughnecks fight tirelessly against the continually advancing arachnid threat.

I learned of Roughnecks Starship: Troopers Chronicles before I ever knew of the sequels (I think) to the original Starship Troopers. As a show it was a mix of what we got in the original Starship Troopers film and the book which gave us names and inspiration. As I recall from the book this series often leaned closer to the book but not consistently or that heavily.

This is a CGI series from the early days of CGI television. Even back in ‘99/’00 this show looked a little rough. The animation could be stiff and lacked the fluidity of the then still dominant hand drawn animation but it still looked better than Beast Wars. Time has been okay to this show but not too kind. It can look a bit flat and, well, cheap when it comes to the humans. It still holds up with the presentation of the bugs and the spacecraft. Then again both were largely though not entirely CGI in the original film and maybe that’s why I can be forgiving of them to this day. Not 100% forgiving, but much more lenient than I am elsewhere. But on to the show…

What held me were the stories. I wouldn’t call them the most sophisticated militaristic or science-fiction show. For something that was five days a week and aimed more at kids it’s certainly much more mature and in the realm of Batman: TAS than it is in that of Batman: Brave and the Bold. The show tackled themes of duty and loyalty and sacrifice in an early morning bit of early CGI television.

While each episode was a standalone episode, several episodes together would form overarching arching stories with developments that carried on to later episodes or were informed by events prior. The show was made up of The Pluto Campaign, The Hydora Campaign, The Tophet Campaign, The Tesca Campaign, The Zephyr Campaign, The Klendathu Campaign, Trackers, and The Homefront Campaign. You can even view each as a complete film unto itself.

What Roughnecks did very well was give a token ending to each arc. Though more was to come and the show was loosely connected, you felt as if you had come to the end of the story. You could draw conclusions about any unanswered remnants. This was especially helpful because prior to any physical release episodes were often shown out of order with arcs being screwed up. I remember originally watching this and not understanding the occasional abrupt location change or hearing something mentioned that had not yet aired.

We got superior overall character relationships. Being a series they could better craft elements like that. Our core cast became friends with intriguing dynamics beyond being young and attractive like in the film though I am simplifying even that. The Dizzy Flores/Johnny Rico/Carmen Ibanez situation became much more interesting. Carl Jenkins was much more sympathetic than in the film. He was less of a Nazi willing to manipulate people and more of a tragic figure with abilities he didn’t necessarily want. Razak was less a hardass and more a tough paternal figure. And so forth.

The initial set of bugs that we encountered that you encounter in this take their designs from the film but as the series went on more and different kinds of bugs were introduced. Some were variations on what was initially presented with others being unique creations. There was the implication of a level of genetic manipulation exceeding anything humanity had but they never really got into that. Nobody thought to address how these bugs produce new variations yet still be one species. It just was a thing they did.

There were themes of loyalty and finding things worth fighting for along with one or two episodes about what makes someone or something human. And it addressed bigotry by including a species from the book that never appeared in the film known as the Skinnies. In the show, they were primitive extraterrestrial race taken over by the bugs. By the time they joined in the fighting, they were free of the bugs, but being primitive had no ability to space travel. Because of their previous association with the bugs, and generally not being human they feast intolerance Left and right. He discussion of racism without being over it.

This even addresses bigotry in a science fiction setting. The earlier mentioned Skinnies joined up with the humans and must contend against bigotry because of their past deeds while under the control of the bugs. Rico is the focus of this element and though he never comes over 100%, he does learn lessons of tolerance and acceptance which bode well for the future.

Not every character was wholesome and good. They encounter their share of bad guys and inept officials though not everybody was just evil for the sake of being evil. Sometimes it was pure incompetence and arrogance. In other words, a character was wrong. And they even learned lessons.

What kept me watching aside from it being science-fiction was the stories didn’t talk down to their audience which allowed them to be enjoyed by not only children but adults (like myself) who might be interested. This was certainly aimed at appealing to a younger audience which is kind of weird, considering Starship Troopers was not a children’s movie. Then again there was a time when properties aimed at adults got the Saturday morning treatment. RoboCop even had two Saturday morning cartoons. I even remember some talk of Alien getting the same so a satire that made the humans Nazis and the bugs essentially the Jews during WWII getting converted into something for the kiddie set was not improbable.

In an era before television was meant to be bingeable this was very bingeable. I have most but not all on DVD and still can plow through each one with ease. It hooks you immediately with good and surprisingly sophisticated stories. These are not just adventure-of-the-day stories but usually have something to say. It taught a lesson to the viewer.

I’m not sure where it might be beyond random episodes on YouTube but if you can find a physical copy of it such as the ones I have I suggest you take Roughnecks Starship: Troopers Chronicles in. It’s one of those things you can watch one after another and lose track of time because it will engross you. Well worth a watch.