Yes, there really are a lot of sci-fi cliches here and many plot lines that seem very familiar, but in many ways that's the charm of the series. If you're a sci-fi pureist then you should look elsewhere for a series with plots that have a few less holes. Cleo is the writing of Xena in a sci-fi context - if you expect that and not a intricately planned story arc a la Babylon 5 or Star Trek, then you won't be disappointed. Unfortunately, the critics didn't see this, and tore the series to bits, which arguably led to its cancellation in the US. I've been told there were a few 1 hour long episodes filmed for series 2, but they most likely won't see the light of day outside the US or on Video or DVD - so this is in effect all there is.

Sub-30 minute episodes are a little short for weekly installments, so this works far better on DVD than it did on TV - you get much clearer character development and are able to get into the whole story more. It's just a pity there won't be any more of it :(

The picture quality of the DVD is very good, but the sound is only stereo rather than surround and is a bit fuzzy in places. There also aren't any special features at all (a picture gallery would have been nice...) and the packaging is a little flimsy. Still, the important bits are there.