Sci-Fi Storm

A couple of recent Syfy items – first, Season 2 of Happy! will debut Wednesday, March 27th. A trailer has been release which you can see below. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, it follows former cop and now hit-man Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni) and and an imaginary blue unicorn only he can see (Patton Oswalt) as they hunt down child kidnappers.

In less, well, happy news, the anthology series Channel Zero was not renewed for a fifth season. The series devoted each short season to a different “creepypasta” – short horror stories told online. The final series, “The Dream Door”, aired this past October.

SYFY and Universal Cable Productions (UCP) today announced Channel Zero’s fourth installment will be titled Channel Zero: The Dream Door. Nick Antosca, who has an overall deal with UCP, will return as executive producer, writer and showrunner for the upcoming installment. It will be directed by Evan Katz (Small Crimes, Cheap Thrills), who will also co-executive produce. The installment will star Brandon Scott (Grey’s Anatomy), Maria Sten (Straight Outta Compton), Steven Robertson (Elementary) and Steven Weber (Wings) and will premiere on SYFY later this year.

Based on the “creepypasta” short story “Hidden Door” by Charlotte Bywater, Channel Zero: The Dream Door follows newlyweds Jillian and Tom, who have each brought secrets into their marriage. When they discover a strange door in their basement, those secrets start to threaten their relationship — and their lives.

Brandon Scott will star as “Tom Hodgson,” Jillian’s husband (and childhood best friend), a capable and thoughtful man who is deeply in love with his wife. But he’s troubled when secrets from their past threaten the marriage.

Scott previously appeared in the third installment of the series, Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block. His other television credits include Guerrilla, Grey’s Anatomy, The Middle, Masters Of Sex, and Stitchers, as well as a recurring role on Loosely Exactly Nicole. Scott recently wrapped a lead role in the indie film Village People, and also appeared in Stand-Up Guys and Wreck It Ralph. He is represented by Sweeney Entertainment and Innovative Artists.

Maria Sten will star as “Jillian Hope Hodgson,” a landscape designer who has just married her childhood best friend. They’ve just moved into the house where he grew up — a house they hope to transform, through their combined skills, into their dream home.

Danish American actress Maria Sten recently appeared in Straight Outta Compton and the digital series Persuasion. Sten debuted her first short film When It Burns — which she wrote, directed, produced and starred in — at Uptown Short Film Festival and LA Shorts Fest 2016. She is represented by Grandview and CAA.

Steven Robertson will play “Ian,” Tom and Jillian’s next door neighbor, an open-minded psychology grad student who becomes involved in Tom and Jillian’s bizarre experience with the mysterious door in their basement.

Robertson is a recent graduate of The Juilliard School’s prestigious drama division. He recently guest starred on CBS’ hit series Elementary and just wrapped production on the independent feature film Auggie. He is also the front man for NY-based rock band Red Jetty. He is represented by Gersh and Echo Lake Entertainment.

Steven Weber will recur as “Abel Carnacki,” Jillian’s therapist. He has been listening to Jillian long enough to know about her trust issues and where they stem from. His quiet, controlled, almost hard to read tone is sometimes infuriating for Jillian, especially when she tries to talk to him about what — or who — was behind the door in their basement.

Weber soared to national attention for his role on Wings, which he starred on for seven seasons. He is also known for his roles in the television version of The Shining and in The Kennedys of Massachusetts. In film, Weber can be seen in Single White Female and The Temp, as well as the title character in the gay romantic comedy, Jeffrey. Most recently, Weber can be seen in the recurring role of Councilman Douglas Hamilton on NCIS: New Orleans. He also appears in Thirteen Reasons Why as Principal Gary Bolan and will make appearances on the upcoming season of Ballers. He has also performed on Broadway in The Real Thing, The Producers and The Philanthropist. Weber is represented by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

SYFY and Universal Cable Productions (UCP) today announced the third installment of Channel Zero will be titled Butcher’s Block and will air in early 2018. Creator, Nick Antosca will return as executive producer, showrunner and writer for the third installment alongside executive producer Max Landis with UCP as the studio. Arkasha Stevenson will direct. The second installment of the series, Channel Zero: No End House, will finale on SYFY tonight, Wednesday, October 25th at 10/9c.

Inspired by Kerry Hammond’s “Search and Rescue Woods” Creepypasta tale, Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block tells the story of a young woman named Alice (Olivia Luccardi, It Follows) who moves to a new city and learns about a series of disappearances that may be connected to a baffling rumor about mysterious staircases in the city’s worst neighborhoods. With help from her sister, they discover that something is preying on the city’s residents.

Cast includes:

Olivia Luccardi (It Follows) stars as Alice Woods, an idealistic young woman who devotes her life to helping the less fortunate, including her schizophrenic sister. But behind a facade of composure, Alice’s struggles with family, money and her own personal health are threatening to push her over the edge.

Holland Roden (Teen Wolf) as Zoe Woods, Alice’s older sister – a sharp, tough young woman whose struggles with mental illness have worn her down over the years. She hates that her younger sister has to take care of her and she’d give anything to go back to the way things used to be.

Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) as Joseph Peach, a 1950s meatpacking magnate who grew increasingly reclusive and then disappeared after his beloved daughters were murdered.

Brandon Scott (Wreck-It Ralph) as Officer Luke Vanczyk, a young but already jaded cop, living in the shadow of his father, the Chief of Police. Luke’s world-weary exterior hides a fierce commitment to justice, and a deep love for his troubled community.

Krisha Fairchild (Krisha) as Louise Lispector, a retired journalist who has lived in Garrett, Michigan her whole life. Now she spends her days doing taxidermy and working on her personal project: A book about a pattern of disappearances in the city’s worst neighborhood. But when she rents out part of her house to Alice and Zoe Woods, she finds herself in danger from the people behind the disappearances.

To view all episodes of the series’ second installment, Channel Zero: No End House, visit SYFY.com or rent on Amazon and Google Play.

See the teaser below

SYFY announced their upcoming fall and winter schedule, including the premiere of their new original series starring Christopher Meloni, HAPPY! on November 29 at 10/9c. The series, based on New York Times best-selling author Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s graphic novel of the same name, also features Patton Oswalt as the voice of the imaginary blue winged horse named “Happy.” HAPPY! is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

SCRIPTED ORIGINALS (in order of air date)

CHANNEL ZERO: NO-END HOUSE – Second Installment Premieres Wednesday, September 20 at 10/9c

Inspired by Brian Russell’s “creepypasta” tale, CHANNEL ZERO: NO-END HOUSE tells the story of a young woman named Margot Sleator, played by Amy Forsyth (“The Path”), and her best friend Jules (Aisha Dee “The Bold Type”), who visit the No-End House, a bizarre house of horrors that consists of a series of increasingly disturbing rooms. When Margot returns home, she realizes everything has changed. The second six-hour installment will be directed by Steven Piet (“Uncle John”). Franchise creator Nick Antosca (“Hannibal,” “Teen Wolf”) will return as executive producer and showrunner; Max Landis (“Chronicle,” “American Ultra”) will also executive produce.

HAPPY! – Series Premiere Wednesday, November 29 at 10/9c

Universal Cable Productions’ HAPPY! is based on New York Times best-selling author Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s graphic novel of the same name. The series follows Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni, “Law & Order: SVU”) – an intoxicated, corrupt ex-cop turned hit man – who is adrift in a world of casual murder, soulless sex and betrayal. After a hit gone wrong, his inebriated life is forever changed by a tiny, relentlessly positive, imaginary blue winged horse named “Happy” (Patton Oswalt). Executive producers Morrison (“Batman,” “The Invisibles”) and Brian Taylor (“Crank,” “Gamer”) co-wrote the pilot teleplay. Neal Moritz, Pavun Shetty and Toby Jaffe of Original Film (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise), Meloni and showrunner Patrick Macmanus will also executive produce. Taylor directed the pilot.

CO-PRODUCTIONS/ ACQUISITIONS (in order of air date)

CON MAN – Television Debut of Web Series Airs Saturday, September 9 at 10/9c

The short form web series, which debuted on Vimeo and Comic-Con HQ, will have its television debut with a Season 1 marathon on Saturday, September 9th beginning at 10/9c showing all 13 episodes back-to-back. The critically acclaimed, geektastic series, which recently received two Emmy® nominations for Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, follows the journey of Wray Nerely (Alan Tudyk), a washed-up, former sci-fi celebrity who revisits his glory days on the convention circuit. The series is executive produced by Tudyk, PJ Haarsma and Nathan Fillion, who also co-stars. The star-studded first season also features Seth Green, Felicia Day, Sean Astin, James Gunn, Tricia Helfer and many more.

Z NATION – Season 4 Premieres Friday, September 29 at 9/8c

Z NATION follows a team of everyday heroes, led by Lieutenant Warren (Kellita Smith), during their epic struggle to save humanity. Season 4 begins with a mind-bending jump in time. Murphy and Warren find themselves alive in Zona, the zombie free playground for billionaires. Meanwhile, the rest of our heroes are fighting alongside the last of the humans against the mutated Zombie Virus and the unkillable “MAD-Z’s.” Warren’s mysterious dream of a black rainbow and flesh-eating black rain propels the season forward and puts our heroes in the middle of an even worse Zompocalypse. Here they will have to battle Jugalo Zombies and find the Zombified President of the United States – or at least his thumb. Produced by The Asylum, Z NATION stars Kellita Smith, Keith Allan, DJ Qualls, Anastasia Baranova, Russell Hodgkinson, Nat Zang, Joseph Gatt, Emilio Rivera and Matt Cedeño.

VAN HELSING – Season 2 Premieres Thursday, October 5 at 9/8c

VAN HELSING stars Kelly Overton (“True Blood”) as Vanessa Van Helsing, a descendent of the Van Helsing lineage who must lead mankind against a world controlled by vampires in the post-Rising apocalypse. In Season 2, Vanessa and the other survivors discover old alliances have crumbled, and new connections expose long-buried secrets about The Rising, the Van Helsing heritage and the survival of humankind itself.

GHOST WARS – Series Premiere Thursday, October 5 at 10/9c

Created by Simon Barry, the horror series GHOST WARS is set in a remote Alaskan town that has been overrun by paranormal forces. Local outcast Roman Mercer (Avan Jogia, “Tut,” “Victorious”) must overcome the town’s prejudices and his own personal demons to harness his repressed psychic powers in order to save everyone from the mass haunting threatening to destroy them all. GHOST WARS is produced by Nomadic Pictures. Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev (“Fargo,” “Van Helsing,” “Hell On Wheels”), Simon Barry (“Continuum”), Dennis Heaton (“Motive”) and David Von Ancken (“Code Black”) serve as executive producers. The series also stars Vincent D’Onofrio (“The Judge,” “Daredevil”), Kim Coates (“Sons of Anarchy”), Kandyse McClure (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, “Hemlock Grove”), Kristin Lehman (“Motive”) and Meatloaf (“Fight Club”).

SUPERSTITION – Series Premiere Friday, October 6 at 10/9c

The series centers on the Hastings family, owners of the only funeral home in the mysterious town of La Rochelle, Georgia. The family also acts as the keepers of the town’s dark secrets and history. Known for its haunted houses, elevated graveyards, odd townsfolk and rich history of unusual phenomena, the town is also a “landing patch” for the world’s darkest manifestations of fear, guided into the world by an ancient, mysterious malefactor. XLrator Media’s Barry Gordon and MVPTV’s Mario Van Peebles (“Roots,” “Bloodline,” “Hand of God,” “Empire,” “Lost”) will produce, and Van Peebles will also write, direct and star in some of the episodes. Joel Anderson Thompson (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, “Boomtown,” “House M.D.”) has been tapped as showrunner, and Laurence Andries (“Alias,” “Six Feet Under,” “Supernatural,” “The Pacific”) will executive produce.

ALTERNATIVE (in order of air date)

GAME FACE – Airing Tuesdays at 9/8c

SYFY’s all-new FACE OFF spinoff series, GAME FACE premiered on Tuesday, August 22 and will air Tuesdays at 9/8c. The seven-episode series is based on SYFY’s award-winning FACE OFF with an electrifying new twist. GAME FACE will feature former FACE OFF all-stars as they go head-to-head each week, with multiple make-up reveals and eliminations throughout each exciting episode. Every week, four artists will race against the clock to complete three challenges, with eliminations after every round, but only one artist will walk away with the $10,000 prize. McKenzie Westmore, a member of a multi-generational family dynasty whose name is synonymous with the make-up effects field, will host alongside the renowned judges, multiple Academy Award winner Ve Neill (“Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Hunger Games”) and Academy Award® winner Rick Baker (“Star Wars,” “The Exorcist”). GAME FACE will also feature a panel of rotating guest judges which includes Emmy Award winner Eryn Krueger Mekash (“The People V. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story,” “American Horror Story”), industry veteran Glenn Hetrick (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Spider-Man 3”) and creature designer Neville Page (“Avatar,” “Prometheus”). GAME FACE is a production of Mission Control Media with Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian and Ian Mallahan serving as executive producers.

Syfy’s Channel Zero extended anthology series has a third installment (and a fourth), and a cast, although it doesn’t have a title yet.

Brandon Scott (Blair Witch, Guerrilla) and Holland Roden (Teen Wolf, Bring It On: Fight to the Finish) have signed on as leads for the third installment of the show. I haven’t seen plot details, but Scott will play a cop with a “world-weary” exterior, but a fierce commitment to justice, and a deep love for his troubled community. Roden is Zoe Woods, a sharp, tough young woman whose struggles with mental illness have worn her down over the years. She hates that her younger sister Alice has to take care of her and she’d give anything to go back to the way things used to be.

The second series, No-End House, airs in October and follows Brian Russell’s story of Margot (Amy Forsyth), a young woman who, along with her friends, visits the No-End House – a bizarre house of horrors consisting of a series of increasingly disturbing rooms.

Syfy and Universal Cable Productions (UCP) today announced a pick-up of two more installments of the critically acclaimed horror anthology series, Channel Zero. In addition, UCP has signed an overall deal with the series’ executive producer, Nick Antosca (Hannibal, Teen Wolf). Under the agreement, Antosca will develop and produce scripted programming with UCP for the NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment portfolio and for external networks and streaming services.

Each installment of the Channel Zero anthology is based on a “creepypasta” (user-generated horror stories published online). The first installment in the anthology series, the six-part ‘Candle Cove’, landed on several “Best TV of 2016” lists and centered on Kris Straub’s unnerving story of one man’s obsessive recollection of a mysterious children’s television program from the 1980s. ‘No-End House’, the second six-hour installment, is set to premiere on Syfy in October 2017. It follows Brian Russell’s story of Margot (Amy Forsyth, The Path), a young woman who, along with her friends, visits the No-End House – a bizarre house of horrors consisting of a series of increasingly disturbing rooms.

“Channel Zero certainly hit a nerve with ‘Candle Cove’,” said Chris McCumber, President, USA and Syfy. “We look forward to creeping everyone out again this fall with ‘No-End House’ – and can’t wait to see what nightmares Nick has in store for the future.”

“Nick delivered a truly haunting and unpredictable first installment of Channel Zero and was embraced by fans and critics alike,” said Jeff Wachtel, President, Chief Content Officer, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “He is a fresh, passionate talent with a unique vision — precisely what we strive to cultivate here at UCP. We’re fortunate to have him in the family and look forward to developing new projects together.”

“Making Channel Zero’s ‘Candle Cove’ and ‘No-End House’ has been a terrific experience,” said Nick Antosca. “Universal Cable Productions and Syfy gave us a unique space to adapt weird cult horror stories and showcase some of the most talented independent directors out there. I’m so excited to bring more of these stories to the screen.”

Novelist, screenwriter and TV writer Antosca (Hannibal, Teen Wolf) returns as executive producer, showrunner and writer for both newly ordered installments alongside executive producer Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra), with Universal Cable Productions as the studio. Before Channel Zero, Antosca was a writer and producer on “Hannibal.” He has written five books including The Girlfriend Game, Fires and Midnight Picnic, which won a Shirley Jackson Award. He is from New Orleans, Louisiana and currently lives in California. Antosca is represented by WME, Writ Large and attorney Lev Ginsburg.

Antosca joins UCP’s roster of overall deals with A-list and top-notch emerging talent, including Sam Esmail, who is at work on Season 3 of the Golden Globe and Emmy-award winning Mr. Robot; James Frey’s Full Fathom Five, who are currently producing the supernatural horror-drama pilot The Haunted for Syfy; and Doug Liman’s Hypnotic, who recently produced the teleportation drama pilot Impulse with UCP for YouTube Red.

A couple of Syfy castings…first, the pilot for Superman-prequel Krypton found its male lead in newcomer Cameron Cuffe. Cuffe will play Seg-El, Kal-El’s grandfather who is trying to restore the honor of the ostracized House of El. He joins Georgina Campbell, announced last month as the female lead Lyta Zod.

Cuffe will appear as a recurring character in ITV’s (The Halcyon), and appeared in the movie Florence Foster Jenkins.

John Carroll Lynch has joined Channel Zero: The No-End House, the second installment of the creepypasta anthology series, as a series regular. Lynch will play the father of Margot (Amy Forsyth), whose whole world is his family, but below the surface he is a troubled and complicated man.

Lynch has appeared in a variety of movies and TV series, appearing recently in several episodes of American Horror Story: Hotel as John Wayne Gacy as well as American Horror Story: Freak Show as Twisty the Clown, and earlier in a comedic role as Drew Carey’s brother Steve in The Drew Carey Show. He’s also appeared in Ted 2, Fargo, and just directed his first feature film, Lucky.

Just a few TV tidbits to mention today…first a couple casting items…

We have a Maureen Robinson! The Netflix remake of Lost In Space has cast Molly Parker, who played Abby McDeere in House of Cards and will be in the upcoming David E. Kelley Amazon series Goliath, as the mother and scientist who joins her husband John (Toby Stephens) in taking their family into space to colonize another planet. Also cast at this point are Taylor Russell (Judy Robinson) and Max Jenkins (Will Robinson).

Syfy’s second installment of Channel Zero, called The No-End House, has Jeff Ward (Manson’s Lost Girls, Holly’s Holiday) taking on the male lead opposite previously announced Amy Forsyth, on the creepypasta story-based anthology. Channel Zero: The No-End House will air in 2017 and the first installment, Channel Zero: Candle Cove, starts on October 11th.

Another Netflix pilot, a reboot of The Tick, has been picked up for series to release in 2017. Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) will play the title character, his sidekick Arthur will be played by Griffin Newman (Vinyl), while Valorie Curry (The Following) will play his sister, Dot.

Lastly, NBCUniversal, Sony and the creators of NBC’s Timeless, which kicks off next Monday, have been hit with a lawsuit claiming that the show was stolen from the Spanish language series El Ministerio del Tiempo (“The Department of Time”) from Onza Entertainment. Follow the link for more details over the claims.

The second half of Syfy’s upcoming Channel Zero anthology series has its title and its star.

Amy Forsyth (Defiance, A Christmas Horror Story) will headline the cast for Channel Zero: The No-End House, which will be based on a “creepypasta” story by Brian Russell, telling the story of a young woman named Margot Sleator (Forsyth), who visits the No-End House, a bizarre house of horrors that consists of a series of increasingly disturbing rooms. When she returns home, Margot realizes everything has changed.

The first part of the series, i>Channel Zero: Candle Cove debuts September 27th on Syfy. Channel Zero: The No-End House will premiere in 2017.

Syfy has announced the fall premiere dates for scripted shows…in all one returning and 4 new programs.

Z Nation – Special 2-hour premiere 8/7c Friday, September 16th, will air regularly at 9/8c the following Friday.

Van Helsing – NEW – Friday, September 23th, 10/9c – Van Helsing reimagines the timeless Dracula brand with the resurrection of Vanessa Helsing, a descendent of the Van Helsing lineage of warriors who now must lead mankind against a world controlled by vampires in the post-Rising landscape. Starring Kelly Overton (True Blood), Jonathan Scarfe (Hell on Wheels), Christopher Heyerdahl (Sanctuary, True Blood), Paul Johansson (One Tree Hill), David Cubbit (Medium), Vincent Gale (Bates Motel) and Tim Guinee (Homeland)

Channel Zero: Candle Cove – NEW – Tuesday, September 27th, 9/8c – Channel Zero is an anthology series where each set of episodes relates to to a single story. The first six-episode run, called Candle Cove, is based on the “creepypasta” (a viral story copy and pasted around the net) story of the same name written by Kris Staub that takes the form of a forum discussion about remembering a short-lived children’s TV show.

Aftermath – NEW – Tuesday, September 27th, 10/9c – The show centers on couple Karen and Joshua Copeland, and their children Dana, Brianna and Matt, who must battle for survival after civilization comes to an apocalyptic end, triggered by massive storms, meteor strikes, earthquakes and plague – and the rise of supernatural creatures. Anne Heche and James Tupper play the parents and Julie Sarah Stone (The Killing) and Levi Meaden (The Killing, Olympus), and Taylor Hickson (Deadpool) play the three Copeland children.

Incorporated – NEW – Wednesday November 30th, 10/9c – Set in a near future where corporations have unlimited power, Incorporated centers around Ben Larson (Sean Teale, Reign), a young executive who conceals his true identity to infiltrate a very dangerous corporate world to save the woman he loves. But he’ll soon learn that he’s not the only one whose secrets may have deadly consequences. From Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Films, it also stars Eddie Ramos (Teen Wolf), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (24), and Emmy Award winner Julia Ormond (Mad Men). In addition, Denyse Tontz (The Fosters) was recently announced for the regular role of Elena, the love of Ben’s life, who is forced to sell herself into servitude to pay off her family’s debts.