A Look Back at SEVEN DAYS (1998 - 2001)

It is easy to forget most of the series that aired on UPN, but the science fiction series SEVEN DAYS was one of the better dramas the network aired in it's short 11+ year history.

THE PLOT:
A government agency, The US National Security Agency, has developed a time travel machine, based on alien technology that was acquired from Roswell, Nevada. With the technology, the agency could travel back in time, but for only seven days. The machine, The Backstep Sphere, can only go traveback in time, by seven days, because of the reactor and fuel imitations.

The USNSA will "backstep" to the past to correct events of national security. The team working on the project are stationed on a secret base, somewhere in Nevada, in a place they call "Never Never Land."

THE CAST:
The series had a pretty robust cast over it's three seasons. It was led by Jonathon LaPaglia, brother of Anthony LaPaglia of WITHOUT A TRACE, who plays U.S. Navy Lieutenant Francis "Frank" Bartholomew Parke. Parke is the project's lead chrononaut (trained time traveler).

Justina Vail playes Russian scientest Dr. Olga Vukavitch. She previously worked on the Russian version of Backstep and has romantic feeling for Frank.

U.S. Navy Captain Craig Donovan is played by Don Franklin. Donovan is the project's military advisor/tactical coordinator and number two chrononaut. He is a former friend of Frank, when they were both in the Navy SEALS.

Dr. Bradley Talmadge, played by Alan Scarfe, is the director of Backstep operations and a long-time member of the NSA intelligence community.

Nick Searcy plyes NSA Agent Nathan Ramsey , the security chief. A short-tempered, highly opinionated man, he opposes Frank becoming chrononaut.

Dr. Isaac Mentnor, in oly the first two seasons, is played by Norman Lloyd. Mentor is a scientist that's tied into the Roswell cover-up and conceived the Backstep project.

Dr. John Ballard, played by Sam Whipple, is the wheelchair-bound resident genius and is responsible for calibrating and maintaining the Spheres

In the last season, the character of Andrew "Hooter" Owsley, played byKevin Christy, is introduced. He is a young physics prodigy who works with Dr. Mentnor to enhance the existing Backstep technology.

THE RUN:
As we mentioned earlier, SEVEN DAYS ran for three years, from October 7, 1998 to May 29, 2001. A total of 66 episodes ran, on UPN, but the BBC, in England, only ran the first season's 21 episodes. In the US, it ran all three season on Wednesday nights, at 8 p.m.

Like most UPN series, ratings were low and SEVEN DAYS was not exception.