Chris Carter, the award-winning creator of "The X-Files" and "Millennium", steps into a new arena with another innovative, ground-breaking television event - "Harsh Realm." "Harsh Realm" explores a highly-advanced virtual reality world - where anything is possible. After seeing the horrors of war in Sarajevo, Lt. Thomas Hobbes (Scott Bairstow) is finally ready to settle down with his fiancé Sophie (Samantha Mathis). But the military has one more assignment for Hobbes: test out the newest in military combat training - a top secret computer simulation known as "Harsh Realm." Inside "Harsh Realm", Hobbes immediately finds himself fighting for his life, forming an uneasy alliance with another soldier sent into the Realm, Mike Pinnochio (D.B. Sweeney). But as he pursues his mission - beating the highest scoring player, Omar Santiago (Terry O'Quinn) - Hobbes begins to realize that Harsh Realm is more than just a game. And what's worse: he's trapped inside this world, which is one without rules and mercy.
"Harsh Realm" is loosely based on the comic book of the same name. The comic book was created by James Hudnall and Andrew Paquette and centered around Dexter Green, a private investigator in a big city set some time in the future who is sent to retrieve a boy from a "pocket universe." In this world, a corporation called Reality Worlds has created "pocket universes" which are customized to suit the person entering them ... more or less, virtual reality. Dex enters Harsh Realm, a world designed for those who enjoy fantasy role playing games. However, the only similarities between it and the Chris Carter series is the name, the concept of virtual reality, and that the dog in the televison series is named after Dexter of the comic book.
To hear Gillian Anderson's voiceover explaining the history of "Harsh Realm" from the pilot episode, click here.
"Harsh Realm" was officially cancelled on Oct. 26.