 In addition to being set in the early part of the first half of the 21st century, the worldwide devastation of mankind is the result of a pandemic for which the crew must find a cure and not the result of nuclear warfare between superpowers.The pilot was filmed at a number of locations across San Diego including aboard the , which stood in for the show's fictional USS "Nathan James".The former Atlantic liner RMS "Queen Mary", now berthed at Long Beach, was also used extensively.