Sci-Fi Storm

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 has moved up the premiere episode of The Magicians to tomorrow (Wednesday, December 16th) with a special commercial-free preview airing…so I finally managed to squeeze some time to watch the screener they sent me – along with my acceptance letter to Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy’s graduate program…so I wanted to give a brief spoiler-free review to know what to expect.

It likely can’t be helped that this is thought of as “Hogwarts for grown-ups”. But make no mistake – this isn’t Harry Potter’s wizarding world we’re talking about, although there may be similarities. This show – based on the [asin=0525427341]series of books by Lev Grossman[/asin] – takes itself seriously. And the show is definitely aimed at a more adult audience, although probably on the younger end of the demographic.

The Magicians centers on Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant grad student chosen to attend Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic. He and his 20-something friends soon discover that the magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real – and poses grave danger to humanity.

The series stars Jason Ralph (Aquarius) as Quentin Coldwater, Stella Maeve (Chicago PD) as Julia, Olivia Taylor Dudley (The Vatican Tapes) as Alice, Hale Appleman (Teeth) as Eliot, Arjun Gupta (Nurse Jackie) as Penny and Summer Bishil (Lucky 7) as Margo.

Each of the characters has an interesting skill in magic – but they all have issues as well. Some were considered losers in the outside world. Crazies. Loners. They had no idea what they were themselves. At Brakebills, they find others like them. But that does not make them safe. Quentin gets messages from who he thought was a fictional character in a book – and the message is that everyone at Brakebills could die – at the hands of one called The Beast. Who is he, and what does he want with Quentin? I suspect we’ll find out more when the series returns in January.

What would you be willing to give up for world peace? No hunger? No disease? Would it be your humanity?

Those the kinds of questions addressed in Syfy’s upcoming event series, Childhood’s End, based on one of the best SF novels by Arthur C. Clarke.

Long thought to be impossible to adapt to a video medium, the adaptation for Syfy under the pen of Matthew Graham (Life on Mars) does an admirable job. Fans of the book will of course miss items left out – a novel that spans decades and delves into the the lives of many characters needs to be trimmed in some way – the story keeps to the core theme, and the characters needed to advance the story.

They story opens in the present day, when the sudden arrival of massive alien ships – along with the requisite “cloud front” (I wish they’d get away from this visual effects meme, but it was still done well), but rather than being the front of a hostile invasion the aliens – called the “Overlords” led by the unseen Karellen, the Supervisor of Earth – announce that they will help Humanity by eliminating war, violence, sickness, etc., bringing about a golden age of Humanity. But it isn’t until much later, after Karellen reveals himself, that the price of this golden age might be more than what Humanity would have been willing to pay.

Although taking place mostly on Earth, the visuals were spectacular, and I might not have even seen the final version of them. The Overload ships weren’t the prototypical massive saucer shapes, but rather showed actual design. Overall one of the best efforts I’ve seen from Syfy programming.

Story-wise, the show can be plodding in parts, especially in the middle of the three episodes where it needs to set up for the final night where the story really pays off, while the first night has to juggle a lot of things with so many things to explain, which results in some abbreviated interaction when the Overlords arrive almost to a “We are here, everything will be cool” brevity.

The choice of the Overlords to speak through Ricky Stormgren, who in this adaptation is a farmer rather than the United Nations Secretary General, was an interesting change which for some reason reminded me of the 1977 movie Oh God! where God (George Burns) decides that a grocery store manager (John Denver) will speak for him. But I think Mike Vogel does well with the role…and for whom the definition of “saved” may be disputed…

I think in general fans of the book will be pleased with the adaptation. Purists might still whine about the omissions, but putting too much in can actually have a detrimental effect. And those who haven’t read the book might find plenty of surprises along the way. It’s been so long since I’ve read the book, I was pleasantly reminded of the twists.

Childhood’s End airs over three nights starting on December 14th on Syfy.

Political tensions are high. A rebellious daughter has gone missing. And someone wants war.

The Expanse mixes political, detective and action drama all into one, and sets it in space…not far off, though. It’s based in our solar system, set between Earth, Mars and the asteroid belt, set about 200 years in the future. Earth and Mars are in a state of cold war, competing for precious resources, especially water, which is available in the belt. But the Outer Planets Alliance based on Ceres, which represents the “Belters”, are also unhappy, seeing themselves as slave labor mining the belt for ice and other resources for the others, where they also need need it – water and air are the most precious materials to them.

Detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane, Hung, The Mist), a gruff alcoholic Belter who other Belters seem to consider a “traitor to his people”, is called on to investigate the disappearance of young woman, but finds that it might be part of a much greater conspiracy. On Earth in New York City, UN Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala (Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Saddam, House of Sand and Fog) has to deal with the three way tension with Mars and the OPA. Meanwhile on board the ice freighter Canterbury, a distress call is received from another ship and reluctant executive officer James Holden (Steven Strait, 10,000 BC, Magic City), an Earther among a Belter crew, must decide between profits and doing the right thing – and his decision might be the catalyst to all-out war.
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Syfy will attempt another anthology series, this time in the form of a limited long-form anthology called Channel Zero. The channel has ordered two six-episode self-contained stories to air as two separate seasons to air in the Fall of 2016 and 2017 during their 31 Days of Halloween programming event.

The first run will be based on Candle Cove, a creepypasta (a viral story copy and pasted around the net) written by Kris Staub that takes the form of a forum discussion about remembering a short-lived children’s TV show.

Nick Antosca (Hannibal) wrote the pilot and will executive produce with Max Landis (Chronicle).

Ahead of their season finales tonight, Syfy has renewed both Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Witness for 13 episodes each.

In Season 11 of Ghost Hunters, TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) founder Jason Hawes will lead investigations at reportedly haunted locations including the Cleveland, Ohio’s Midwest Railway Preservation Society, believed to be tied to the notorious, unsolved Cleveland Torso Murderer serial killer case; Crown Point, Indiana’s Old Lake County Jail, famed for being home to gangster John Dillinger…until he escaped; and the Toledo Yacht Club in Toledo, Ohio, said to be haunted by a boy who died over a century ago.

The fifth season of Paranormal Witness: True Terror will delve deeper into actual horror stories, while continuing to feature eyewitness accounts of the most frightening and compelling first person accounts of paranormal encounters, alongside dramatic reenactments of those experiences.

Both series will have their current season finales tonight, Wednesday, November 18. At 9PM, Ghost Hunters returns to author Edith Wharton’s home, The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts, to investigate claims of increased paranormal activity since the team’s last visit in 2008. At 10PM, Paranormal Witness concludes with a terrifying account of a young family that moved into a house plagued by the vengeful spirit of their great aunt.

Ghost Hunters is produced for Syfy by Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Studios (Fast N’ Loud, Street Outlaws, The Ultimate Fighter). Piligian, Mike Nichols, Thomas Thayer and Alan David serve as executive producers.

Paranormal Witness: True Terror is produced by Raw TV (The Imposter, Locked Up Abroad and Gold Rush). Executive Producer is Mark Lewis, Series Producer is Crispin Reece, and Supervising Producer is Simon Mills.

Syfy and The Asylum today announced that scripted drama series Z Nation will be back to Z-Whack its way through a third season of zombie road trippin’ action. A 15-hour third season is slated to premiere on Syfy in 2016.

Z Nation takes place three years after a zombie virus gutted the country. A team of everyday heroes is tasked with transporting the only known survivor of the plague across the country to the last functioning viral lab in post-apocalyptic America, in hopes of using his blood to create a cure for the virus.

Currently in the midst of Season 2, Z Nation is averaging 1.5 million total viewers per episode (Live +7). To date, it ranks as the network’s most social original series in total social engagements.

Z Nation stars Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show), DJ Qualls (Supernatural, The Man in the High Castle), Keith Allan (Rise of the Zombies), Anastasia Baranova (The Darkness II), Russell Hodgkinson (Big Fish), Nat Zang and Matt Cedeño (Devious Maids). This season, Emilio Rivera (Sons of Anarchy) appears as a recurring guest star.

Karl Schaefer (Eerie Indiana, Eureka, The Dead Zone) serves as executive producer and showrunner. The series is produced by The Asylum and sold internationally by Dynamic Television.

Z Nation is currently airing Fridays at 10/9c on Syfy. Upcoming guest stars include Missi Pyle, Doug Jones, Anthony Michael Hall and Gina Gershon.

Three weeks prior to the premiere of Syfy’s new ambitious series The Expanse on the network, the first episode will be available on a variety of VOD, TV Everywhere and digital platforms on November 23rd. The series, from Alcon Television Group, premieres on Syfy itself with a two-night premiere Monday, December 14 and Tuesday, December 15 at 10/9c, and continues on Tuesdays at 10/9c for the remainder of the season.

Said Dave Howe, President, Syfy: “The Expanse is the most ambitious series ever for Syfy, and early screenings are drawing high praise from critics and fans alike. With its cinematic feel, compelling characters, intense action and universal themes, it’s important for Syfy to provide the opportunity for as many people as possible to watch and fall in love with this series.”

Starting November 23 and available through the series’ Syfy premiere on December 14, The Expanse’s first episode can be viewed via Syfy On Demand, Syfy.com, the Syfy Now App, Hulu, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, iTunes, Playstation, Xbox, Facebook and YouTube.

Additionally, Syfy has partnered with Twitch, Wikia, IGN, IMDb, Good Reads, Crave Online and Roku to host the series premiere with original custom content.

Set 200 years in the future, The Expanse follows the case of a missing young woman that brings a hardened detective (Thomas Jane, Hung) and a rogue ship’s captain (Steven Strait, Magic City) together in a race across the solar system that will expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. The series is based on the New York Times bestselling book series collectively known as The Expanse, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under the pen name James S. A. Corey).

Emmy® winner and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Saddam, House of Sand and Fog) also stars as Chrisjen Avasarala. Rounding out the cast are Dominique Tipper (Vampire Academy), Cas Anvar (Olympus), Wes Chatham (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and Florence Faivre (The Following). Paulo Costanzo (Royal Pains), Chad Coleman (The Walking Dead) and Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad) will appear as guest stars throughout the series’ first season.

Academy Award-nominated screenwriting duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, Iron Man) wrote the pilot and serve as writers, as well as executive producers and showrunners. Executive producer Naren Shankar (CSI, Farscape) joins Fergus and Ostby as showrunners. Award-winning director Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, Suits, Better Call Saul) directed the first two episodes of the series.

Syfy’s drama Defiance has been canceled, not long after the network canceled Dominion.

The show was part of a major experiment by the network, teaming up with videogame maker Trion Worlds to make Defiance a “transmedia” show, existing both as a TV show and a massively-multiplayer game online, with events of one showing as having an effect on the other. Trion Worlds has stated the game will continue.

“I got to collaborate with a group of stunning artists operating at the top of their game, and together we built a world,” said Executive Producer Kevin Murphy. “Because of that, there is no room for anything other than joy in my heart.”

Syfy said in a statement, “Defiance was a truly groundbreaking series, delivering an immersive, cross-platform experience that transcended the television screen in a way that viewers had never seen before. We are incredibly proud of the work of the extraordinary cast, writers, artists and designers — and especially showrunner Kevin Murphy — who together brought the rich world of Defiance to life over its three season arc.”

Ratings fell each season, with shifts in what day it aired, with the finale netting 1.925 million viewers and a 0.51 18-49 rating in Live+3.

The show recently concluded it’s third season in August, and the season finale did have a bit of finality to it, so ending the series where it did is satisfying at least.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Syfy’s 8th annual 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN spook-a-thon will unleash more than 600 hours of blood-curdling programming October 1-31, including ghoulish Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Witness holiday-themed episodes and four spooky new original movies.

Some of the highlights include:

Night of the Wild (New original movie, Saturday, October 3 at 9PM) — When a large meteor crashes into a quiet town, pet dogs become mysteriously aggressive, attacking and killing the residents. Night of the Wild stars Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure), Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl) and Tristin Mays (The Vampire Diaries).

Ominous (New original movie, Saturday, October 10 at 9PM) — Michael and Rachel are devastated when their six-year-old son dies in a tragic accident. When a stranger offers to bring the boy back to life, they take the offer. However, the child who returns is not the child they once knew. Ominous stars Barry Watson (Masters of Sex, 7th Heaven) and Esme Bianco (Game of Thrones, The Magicians).

They Found Hell (New original movie, Saturday, October 17 at 9PM) — When a group of gifted college students run a secret teleportation experiment, they accidentally open a portal to another dimension, trapping them in Hell. One by one they are hunted, tortured and killed by the denizens of Hell who are bent on stealing their souls. They Found Hell stars Chris Schellenger (Hacker’s Game), Katy Reece (When the Pile is Crooked) and Austin Scott (Prep School).

The Hollow (New original movie, Saturday, October 24 at 9PM) — On Halloween, three troubled sisters attempt to find tranquility by moving in with their aunt, but instead face a mysterious creature that threatens to kill everyone on their secluded island town. The Hollow stars Stephanie Hunt (Californication), Alisha Newton (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters) and Sarah Dugdale (Sorority Murders).

Ghost Hunters Halloween Episode (Wednesday, October 28 at 9PM) — In this special Halloween episode, “Darker Learning,” Jason Hawes and the TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) team go on location to investigate the legend of a mysterious love triangle that could be at the root of frightening paranormal activity at Southern Vermont College in Bennington, VT.

Paranormal Witness Halloween Episode (Wednesday, October 28 at 10PM) — The true story of a Rhode Island family’s terrifying battle with the spirit of a murderous witch in their home will be explored in this special episode of the series. Titled “The Real Conjuring,” the episode details the frightening basis for the hit 2013 movie The Conjuring, which will also air on Syfy Saturday, October 31 at 9PM.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN will also summon a coven of Syfy theatrical premieres ranging from I Am Legend and Orphan to Insidious: Chapter 2, as well as all-new episodes of chilling scripted series such as Z Nation, Haven and Dominion (season 2 finale airs October 1).

The scarefest will also include encores of spooky treats such as Blade II; Underworld; The Fog; Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning; Cabin In The Woods; The Omen (2006); The Last Exorcism; Fright Night (2011); Hostel and Silent Hill: Revelation.