A rogue asteroid smashes into the moon in a tremendous explosion of rock and debris. Within days, disastrous abnormalities start happening on Earth. What started as the most beautiful and the largest meteor shower in 10,000 years unexpectedly becomes the catalyst for a potential collison between the moon and planet Earth. The world's leading scientists, Alex Kittner (David James Elliott, TV's "JAG") and Maddie Rhodes (Natasha Henstridge, Species) have 39 days to stop the moon's course or the Earth - and all of mankind - will perish. Also starring James Cromwell (W. and The Green Mile). The countdown is on. Spread across two episodes and a three hour running time, Impact is a made-for-television production that sees the Earth, not for the first time, facing a massive threat with the power to wipe everyone out. In this case, it’s initiated by a meteor shower, that causes an object to strike the moon. This has further ramifications: said object destabilises the moon, and sets it on a collision course with Earth, giving the ensemble cast of boffin scientists just 40 days to come up with a way to save the planet. Fortunately, they’re up to the challenge. Appreciating the production plays havoc with the basic laws of gravity, Impact is content to weave its premise into a perfectly entertaining few hours of action and drama. Granted, the budgetary restrictions are evident from time to time, but there’s an ambition underpinning the project that’s hard to resist. And thus when the eventual launch of a lunar mission to save the planet is initiated, it’s hard not to gleam some entertainment from it. Ably played by a solid cast--including James Cromwell--Impact is a non-too-clever yet satisfying watch, which flies happily in the face of plausibility in favour of good, old-fashioned entertainment. It’s hard to knock it for that, and it comes solidly recommended, warts and all. --Jon Foster