'Dylan Hunt' is the name of two
fictional characters created for television by
Gene Roddenberry.
Both characters are men who unwittingly move forward in time by hundreds of years, finding themselves trapped in a
post-apocalyptic "dark age". Each either begins or joins a crusade by a small force of explorer/adventurers to restore civilization.
''Genesis II'' and its sequels

Alex Cord as the original Dylan Hunt (here in suspended animation) in 1973's ''
Genesis II''.
The first Gene Roddenberry projects to feature Dylan Hunt appeared in the 1970s.
''Genesis II''
:''Main article:
Genesis II''
In the 1973 made-for-TV film ''
Genesis II'', which introduced the character and was intended as a pilot for a potential series, Hunt was played by
Alex Cord. Hunt was a
NASA scientist who became trapped in
suspended animation in 1979, only to awaken 154 years later.
CBS, the network that aired ''Genesis II'', rejected Roddenberry's proposed series in favor of the short-lived ''
Planet of the Apes'', which also involved time travel and a post-apocalyptic society.
''Planet Earth''
:''Main article:
Planet Earth''
Because CBS did not pick up "
Genesis II", Roddenbery pitched the same idea to ABC. In the 1974 ABC aired ''
Planet Earth'', a reworked sequel and second pilot as a TV movie. This time, the Hunt character was played by
John Saxon.
''Strange New World''
:''Main article:
Strange New World''

A Hunt by any other name: John Saxon as Captain Anthony Vico in ''
Strange New World''.
In 1975, Saxon starred in a third project entitled ''
Strange New World'', again aired on ABC. While this production was loosely based on Roddenberry's Dylan Hunt premise, Roddenberry himself chose not to participate. Saxon's character was named Captain Anthony Vico, but the movie shared the same "time travel to a dark age" premise of ''Genesis II'' and ''Planet Earth''.
Following this trio of productions, the Dylan Hunt concept itself went into suspended animation, to be awakened by Roddenberry's widow,
Majel Barrett Roddenberry, this time with great success, a quarter of a century later.
''Andromeda''
:''Main article:
Dylan Hunt (Andromeda)''
The most completely developed incarnation of Hunt is also the most recent. In the
television series ''
Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda'', he is the
captain of the
starship, ''
Andromeda Ascendant''. In this series he is played by
Kevin Sorbo.
External links
★
PAX Team 21, a site discussing the 1970's Dylan Hunt projects