Sci-Fi Storm

Syfy has canceled Hunters, one of two shows that just concluded their freshman runs on the network.

The series, which starred Nathan Phillips, Britne Oldford, and Lewis Fitz-Gerald and is based on the Whitley Strieber novel Alien Hunter, followed FBI agent Flynn Carroll (Phillips) as he tries to find out about the disappearance of his wife, and gets involved with the Extra-Terrestrial Unit (ETU), which is tasked with dealing with the threat posed by the alien Hunters, who have taken on human disguises. He befriends Regan, an ETU agent, who is herself a Hunter.

The show languished in the ratings, despite the high hopes the network had when it gave a straight-to-series order for 13 episodes. The premiere episode only landed a 0.54 audience, lost 20% the second week, and by episode 6 dropped below 0.3 and never recovered. Critics were harsh, and on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 0% tomatometer score.

Personally I didn’t enjoy the show as much as I did its freshman sibling, Wynonna Earp. I think the show was alright, but it felt like it was yet another police procedural ala CSI but with an alien twist, and visually I thought it lacked something – it’s hard to describe, but I’ve seen this with a lot of shows where the color palette seems to tend towards darker, muted but at the blue end of the spectrum. I don’t know if this is due to new video equipment, specific stylistic decisions, or perhaps in some ways a reflection of trying to keep the budget down – I just don’t like it. I’ve seen it in other shows that I otherwise enjoy immensely, like Killjoys, but they mix in more colorful scenes as well (Episode 2 is airing right now, and the sunrise with the bright primary colors is an example).

At any rate, I don’t like to see shows get canceled, but I’m not surprised at this one and I’m not hearing a clamoring of fans screaming at Syfy like with other shows. And that’s probably why.

Syfy has announced the premiere dates for the first season of Hunters and the second season of 12 Monkeys, both produced by Universal Cable Productions (in association with Valhalla Entertainment and Atlas Entertainment, respectively).

Hunters, which debuts Monday, April 8th, at 10/9c, follows Baltimore FBI agent Flynn Carroll (Nathan Phillips, Wolf Creek) as a search for his missing wife leads him to a highly-classified government organization – the Exo-Terrorism Unit (ETU) – who track and fight alien terrorists. Britne Oldford (American Horror Story) plays Regan, a valuable ETU operative keeping secrets of her own. The show comes from executive producers Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead, The Terminator Trilogy) and Natalie Chaidez (12 Monkeys, Heroes), and Emile Levisetti (Royal Pains). Chaidez will serve as showrunner. The series is inspired by best-selling author Whitley Strieber’s novel, Alien Hunter.

12 Monkeys returns for a second 13-episode season on Monday, April 18 at 9/8c. Aaron Stanford (James Cole), Amanda Schull (Dr. Cassandra Railly), Kirk Acevedo (Ramse), Emily Hampshire (Jennifer Goines), Barbara Sukowa (Katarina Jones) and Todd Stashwick (Deacon) reprise their roles.

Syfy and Universal Cable Productions (UCP) today announced that production has commenced in Melbourne, Australia on the upcoming thriller series Hunters. The series is from executive producers Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead, The Terminator Trilogy) and Natalie Chaidez (12 Monkeys, Heroes), who will also serve as showrunner, and Emile Levisetti (Royal Pains). Ernest Dickerson (The Walking Dead, Dexter) is set to direct the pilot.

The series stars Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek) as Flynn, a headstrong Baltimore FBI agent with a dark past trying to piece together the disappearance of his wife. Britne Oldford (American Horror Story) will play Regan, who is one of the government’s most valuable operatives and may be keeping secrets of her own. Julian McMahon portrays McCarthy, an unhinged junkie and Hunter cell leader.

Hunters is inspired by Whitley Strieber’s best-selling novel, Alien Hunter, in which the disappearance of a decorated FBI agent’s wife leads him to a secret government unit assembled to hunt a group of ruthless terrorists – shadowy figures that may or may not be from this world. The series will be tonally dark and offer a unique crossover twist between gritty crime drama and sci-fi thriller.

The 13-part series from Universal Cable Productions will premiere on Syfy in 2016.

Hunters joins other high profile upcoming Syfy originals, including the December 2015 premieres of epic space drama The Expanse, starring Thomas Jane, Steven Strait and Shohreh Aghdashloo; Childhood’s End, the first-ever adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s iconic novel starring Charles Dance, Mike Vogel and Julian McMahon; and The Magicians, based on Lev Grossman’s best-selling books and set to premiere in 2016. Childhood’s End and The Magicians are both from Universal Cable Productions.

Actor Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four, Childhood’s End) has just been announced to be joining the cast of Syfy’s Hunters from producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead).

Syfy gave a direct-to-series greenlight for the new series back in September, and is based on Whitley Strieber’s best seller [asin=076536848X]Alien Hunter[/asin], which follows Flynn Carroll (Nathan Phillips, Snakes on a Plane), a police detective who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his wife. In the process he attracts the attention of a secret organization, one run by shadowy figures who may not be of this world…

McMahon will play McCarthy, an unhinged junkie and Hunter cell leader with a predilection for house music and violence.

Syfy has given a straight-to-series order for 13 episodes of Hunters from producer Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Productions and Universal Cable Productions. The series will be based on the [asin=076536848X]Alien Hunter[/asin] series of novels from Whitley Streiber.

No casting has been announced yet. Natalie Chaidez (V, Heroes) will pen the first script.

The books follow the story of Flynn Carroll, a police detective who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his wife. In the process he attracts the attention of a secret organization, one run by shadowy figures who may not be of this world…