Blade: The Series
Encyclopedia
Blade: The Series is a 2006 American live-action television program
based on the Marvel Comics character
and film series
. It premiered on Spike on June 28, 2006. Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones
starred in the title role, along with Jill Wagner
as Krista Starr, Neil Jackson
as Marcus Van Sciver, Jessica Gower
as Chase and Nelson Lee
as Shen
.
The two-hour pilot was directed by Peter O'Fallon
from a script by David S. Goyer
(who wrote all three feature films) and comic book writer Geoff Johns
.
to learn that her twin brother, Zack, has died under mysterious circumstances. Her investigation reveals that Zack was a "familiar" - a kind of indentured servant who agrees to do a vampire's bidding in the hopes that his "master" will eventually reward him with eternal life. Krista's search for her brother's killer soon brings her face to face with Blade, as well as with the killer himself, Marcus Van Sciver, a powerful vampire and high ranking member of the House of Chthon. Smitten with Krista, Marcus decides to turn her into a vampire by injecting her with his blood. Krista is then approached by Blade, who injects her with the same serum he uses to control his own vampire instincts, and offers her a chance to help him avenge her brother's death and bring down Marcus and the House of Chthon, and revealed that Zack was trying to do a sting operation with Blade. The two form a reluctant partnership.
The remainder of the season follows Krista's attempts to maintain her cover in the House of Chthon, all the while struggling with her growing predatory nature, and Marcus' (supposed) efforts to develop a "vaccine" that will render vampires immune to all their traditional weaknesses; sunlight, silver, garlic, etc. It is later revealed that Marcus' true purpose is to create a virus called the Aurora Project that will specifically target "purebloods," the ruling vampire class, and leave the turnbloods (normal vampires like Chase and Marcus, who were once human) unscathed. He eventually unleashes his weapon in the series finale, surprisingly enough with Blade's help.
reprising his famous role as Blade. The series was going to be a loose adaptation of the Blade: The Vampire Hunter comic book series. Also Katharine Isabelle
was going to be a regular in the series as the character of Karen Jensen from the first film was going to return. But after Snipes turned down the role due to his lawsuit with New Line, Showtime decided not to develop the series.
In February 2006, Spike TV had given the green light for a television series based on Marvel Comics superhero Blade as the network's first original scripted series. Spike TV executive Pancho Mansfield expressed to AllHipHop.com, "We're extremely pleased with the pilot for Blade, which delivers a thrilling action-adventure for its built-in fan base as well as a character-driven drama filled with heart-pounding tension and suspense. The series will be the first of our scripted fare as we embark on creating a greater mix of original programming for our viewers."
It was announced on November 7, 2005 that rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones
had signed to star as Blade, filling the role made popular in the films by Wesley Snipes. Jones would go on to comment that he was not out to make people forget about the Blade movies, but he also wanted to put his own spin on the character. "I think it's more my own direction, but I have to incorporate some of what [Snipes] did," he said. "That's what people are familiar with, and you don't want to change it up drastically. You might want to change the seasoning a little bit, but you want the same meat."
Spike TV ordered 11 one-hour episodes, in addition to the two-hour pilot episode, to be produced by New Line Television. Production was said to begin in Vancouver
in the spring of 2006 and the show later premièred on June 28, 2006 followed by the standard one-hour episodes on July 5, 2006.
David Goyer, who wrote all three films and co-created the television series, commented that the open-ended nature of a TV series supported the kind of storytelling that will allow viewers to delve more into the inner workings of the vampire world. The series picked up where the last film, Blade: Trinity
, left off and added several new characters, including Jill Wagner
as Krista Starr, Neil Jackson
as Marcus Van Sciver, Jessica Gower
as Chase and Nelson Lee
as Shen.
Goyer later explained, "What the series is, in a weird way, is kind of like a Wiseguy
with vampires, because Jill's character is kind of a double agent working for Blade, within the vampire community, and [we're] treating the vampires sort of like the ultimate crime family. Blade realizes at the beginning of the pilot that he's not making much headway just sort of hacking and slashing, that he needs to know more about their inner workings."
since certain events in that film were mentioned in the pilot episode. At the end of Trinity, Blade used the Daystar, a biological weapon that targets and kills vampires specifically. However, the Daystar has not spread as far or as fast as originally designed, as there are still many vampire houses in operation (for example, Marcus, in the second episode, mentions twelve existing vampire Houses to Krista).
program. Ten years ago, the pureblood vampires
from the House of Chthon contracted with Marcus Van Sciver, head of their Detroit operations, to produce a vaccine that would eliminate the vampires genetic weakness to garlic, sunlight and silver. The result of the project was the creation of the Aurora Virus.
During the experimentation and testing phases, Aurora was tested on hundreds of vampires from the House of Armaya. Armayans were kidnapped, shrink wrapped in plastic, and forcibly injected with Aurora. They were then subjected to injections of garlic. The test subjects almost all died. Under pressure from the purebloods, Marcus finally developed a viable vaccine that was tested on the vampire Fritz. Fritz developed an immunity to garlic, silver, and sunlight. Fritz subsequently fought Blade to a draw. Marcus ordered Fritz to Prague to display his newfound immunity to the purebloods, instead Fritz went to find Blade and finish their battle. Fritz lost, and was beheaded by Krista Starr before Blade could capture him and find out what Aurora was.
In the meantime, Damek (last pureblood from the House of Armaya) discovered that Marcus was using Armayans for experimentation. He used this knowledge to blackmail the House of Chthon into giving Armaya their seat back on the vampire council and getting a portion of all profits from the venture, plus first access to the vaccine. Growing impatient, Charlotte from the House of Chthon began to put pressure on Marcus to deliver the vaccine. Marcus finally told her it was ready, and a vampire conclave was organized to present the vaccine to the purebloods.
At the same time, Blade was attempting to get a sample of Aurora. Blade was concerned that if vampires made themselves immune to all of their weaknesses, they would rise up and try to rule the humans. Blade attempted to secure a sample through Krista, but she failed to retrieve a vial from the lab at Chthon. It was then that Marcus revealed to Krista that the vaccine didn't work, and that if Fritz hadn't been killed by her he would've died anyway. The vaccine was a ploy to cover for Marcus' true project, the Aurora Virus. Finally, Blade tracked down a woman named Vanessa who had been impregnated by Dr. Vonner. Blade kidnapped the woman and took her to a doctor of his own, who revealed she was not pregnant but actually incubating a strange fluid. Blade took a sample of the fluid and had it analyzed, and it was determined that it was a keyhole virus designed to attack pureblood vampires. Blade quickly learned that Marcus planned to betray the purebloods at the conclave and kill them all to seize control of the House of Chthon.
Marcus kidnapped a pureblood vampire named Alex and used him as the final test subject for Aurora. He was placed in a chamber with Chase and subjected to the Aurora virus. The virus caused Alex to die horribly, but Chase was spared. Satisfied that the virus worked, Marcus made his next move and attempted to assassinate Charlotte. Marcus' plot failed, partly due to a betrayal by Chase, but Charlotte was killed anyway when Blade found her. Using her death as a catalyst, the conclave was convened. Marcus attempted to deploy the virus but it did not work, it was then that he learned of Chase's duplicity. Blade eventually killed the purebloods with a canister of the virus that he threw into the air and shot.
Marcus left the conclave still in possession of the Aurora virus.
On September 28, 2006, Jill Wagner, star of Blade: The Series, announced that she was informed that there would be no second season of the show. The next day, Spike announced in a press release that the show would not be picked up.
As a response to a letter in Wizard Magazine, series writer/producer Geoff Johns
gives a reason why he thinks the series was canceled: "The network didn't want to cancel it, I just think Spike TV is still a young network, and the price it was costing to make...they just weren't able to do it."
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
based on the Marvel Comics character
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
and film series
Blade (film)
Blade is a 1998 vampire superhero action horror starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Blade. The film was directed by Stephen Norrington and written by David S. Goyer. Blade grossed $70 million at the U.S. box office, and $131.2 million worldwide...
. It premiered on Spike on June 28, 2006. Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones
Kirk Jones
Kirk Jones also referred to as Sticky Fingaz or Sticky, is an American rapper, actor, and a member of the hip-hop group Onyx...
starred in the title role, along with Jill Wagner
Jill Wagner
Jillian Suzanne "Jill" Wagner is an American television actress, model, and game show personality.-Early life:Wagner was raised primarily by her father, David Wagner, a Marine, and her grandmother...
as Krista Starr, Neil Jackson
Neil Jackson
Neil Jackson is an English actor and writer who has appeared in several television series and films, but is probably best known for his role as Marcus on Blade: The Series and Sasha on Make It or Break It. His screenwriting credits include the film The Passage directed by Mark Heller and released...
as Marcus Van Sciver, Jessica Gower
Jessica Gower
Jessica Gower is an Australian actress; sometimes credited as Jess Gower.Gower's first claim to fame was as a starstruck but confused fan in a 2001 television commercial for Telstra featuring John Farnham and Glenn Wheatley...
as Chase and Nelson Lee
Nelson Lee
Nelson Lee is a Taiwanese born Canadian actor who co-starred in the only season of Blade: The Series as Shen, Blade's sidekick and technical support. He also starred in Oz , as inmate Li Chen, and in some episodes of Law & Order.-Selected filmography:-External links:* *...
as Shen
Shen
Shen can refer to:* Shen , a central word in Chinese philosophy, religion, terms for God, and Traditional Chinese Medicine* Shen , a shapeshifting Chinese dragon believed to create mirages...
.
The two-hour pilot was directed by Peter O'Fallon
Peter O'Fallon
Peter O'Fallon is an American director, producer and writer for commercial, television and film productions.O'Fallon grew up in Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Film Studies. He began his career in the industry by making small T.V. spots for local...
from a script by David S. Goyer
David S. Goyer
David Samuel Goyer is an American screenwriter, film director and comic book writer.-Early life:Goyer was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Hebrew school and has described himself as "half Jewish"...
(who wrote all three feature films) and comic book writer Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
.
Plot
In the plot, Krista Starr returns from military service in IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
to learn that her twin brother, Zack, has died under mysterious circumstances. Her investigation reveals that Zack was a "familiar" - a kind of indentured servant who agrees to do a vampire's bidding in the hopes that his "master" will eventually reward him with eternal life. Krista's search for her brother's killer soon brings her face to face with Blade, as well as with the killer himself, Marcus Van Sciver, a powerful vampire and high ranking member of the House of Chthon. Smitten with Krista, Marcus decides to turn her into a vampire by injecting her with his blood. Krista is then approached by Blade, who injects her with the same serum he uses to control his own vampire instincts, and offers her a chance to help him avenge her brother's death and bring down Marcus and the House of Chthon, and revealed that Zack was trying to do a sting operation with Blade. The two form a reluctant partnership.
The remainder of the season follows Krista's attempts to maintain her cover in the House of Chthon, all the while struggling with her growing predatory nature, and Marcus' (supposed) efforts to develop a "vaccine" that will render vampires immune to all their traditional weaknesses; sunlight, silver, garlic, etc. It is later revealed that Marcus' true purpose is to create a virus called the Aurora Project that will specifically target "purebloods," the ruling vampire class, and leave the turnbloods (normal vampires like Chase and Marcus, who were once human) unscathed. He eventually unleashes his weapon in the series finale, surprisingly enough with Blade's help.
Production
Showtime was originally going to produce the series with Wesley SnipesWesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
reprising his famous role as Blade. The series was going to be a loose adaptation of the Blade: The Vampire Hunter comic book series. Also Katharine Isabelle
Katharine Isabelle
Katherine Isobel Murray , better known by her screen name Katharine Isabelle, is a Canadian actress, best known for her portrayal of Ginger in Ginger Snaps, and as Gibb in Freddy vs. Jason.-Biography:...
was going to be a regular in the series as the character of Karen Jensen from the first film was going to return. But after Snipes turned down the role due to his lawsuit with New Line, Showtime decided not to develop the series.
In February 2006, Spike TV had given the green light for a television series based on Marvel Comics superhero Blade as the network's first original scripted series. Spike TV executive Pancho Mansfield expressed to AllHipHop.com, "We're extremely pleased with the pilot for Blade, which delivers a thrilling action-adventure for its built-in fan base as well as a character-driven drama filled with heart-pounding tension and suspense. The series will be the first of our scripted fare as we embark on creating a greater mix of original programming for our viewers."
It was announced on November 7, 2005 that rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones
Kirk Jones
Kirk Jones also referred to as Sticky Fingaz or Sticky, is an American rapper, actor, and a member of the hip-hop group Onyx...
had signed to star as Blade, filling the role made popular in the films by Wesley Snipes. Jones would go on to comment that he was not out to make people forget about the Blade movies, but he also wanted to put his own spin on the character. "I think it's more my own direction, but I have to incorporate some of what [Snipes] did," he said. "That's what people are familiar with, and you don't want to change it up drastically. You might want to change the seasoning a little bit, but you want the same meat."
Spike TV ordered 11 one-hour episodes, in addition to the two-hour pilot episode, to be produced by New Line Television. Production was said to begin in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in the spring of 2006 and the show later premièred on June 28, 2006 followed by the standard one-hour episodes on July 5, 2006.
David Goyer, who wrote all three films and co-created the television series, commented that the open-ended nature of a TV series supported the kind of storytelling that will allow viewers to delve more into the inner workings of the vampire world. The series picked up where the last film, Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
, left off and added several new characters, including Jill Wagner
Jill Wagner
Jillian Suzanne "Jill" Wagner is an American television actress, model, and game show personality.-Early life:Wagner was raised primarily by her father, David Wagner, a Marine, and her grandmother...
as Krista Starr, Neil Jackson
Neil Jackson
Neil Jackson is an English actor and writer who has appeared in several television series and films, but is probably best known for his role as Marcus on Blade: The Series and Sasha on Make It or Break It. His screenwriting credits include the film The Passage directed by Mark Heller and released...
as Marcus Van Sciver, Jessica Gower
Jessica Gower
Jessica Gower is an Australian actress; sometimes credited as Jess Gower.Gower's first claim to fame was as a starstruck but confused fan in a 2001 television commercial for Telstra featuring John Farnham and Glenn Wheatley...
as Chase and Nelson Lee
Nelson Lee
Nelson Lee is a Taiwanese born Canadian actor who co-starred in the only season of Blade: The Series as Shen, Blade's sidekick and technical support. He also starred in Oz , as inmate Li Chen, and in some episodes of Law & Order.-Selected filmography:-External links:* *...
as Shen.
Goyer later explained, "What the series is, in a weird way, is kind of like a Wiseguy
Wiseguy
Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...
with vampires, because Jill's character is kind of a double agent working for Blade, within the vampire community, and [we're] treating the vampires sort of like the ultimate crime family. Blade realizes at the beginning of the pilot that he's not making much headway just sort of hacking and slashing, that he needs to know more about their inner workings."
Film to series chronology
The TV series takes place after Blade: TrinityBlade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
since certain events in that film were mentioned in the pilot episode. At the end of Trinity, Blade used the Daystar, a biological weapon that targets and kills vampires specifically. However, the Daystar has not spread as far or as fast as originally designed, as there are still many vampire houses in operation (for example, Marcus, in the second episode, mentions twelve existing vampire Houses to Krista).
Aurora Project
The Aurora Project is a virus engineeringGenetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
program. Ten years ago, the pureblood vampires
Vampire (Blade)
In Marvel Comics' Blade universe, Vampires are a sub-offshoot of humanity descended from Drake , a Sumerian who was worshipped as a god...
from the House of Chthon contracted with Marcus Van Sciver, head of their Detroit operations, to produce a vaccine that would eliminate the vampires genetic weakness to garlic, sunlight and silver. The result of the project was the creation of the Aurora Virus.
During the experimentation and testing phases, Aurora was tested on hundreds of vampires from the House of Armaya. Armayans were kidnapped, shrink wrapped in plastic, and forcibly injected with Aurora. They were then subjected to injections of garlic. The test subjects almost all died. Under pressure from the purebloods, Marcus finally developed a viable vaccine that was tested on the vampire Fritz. Fritz developed an immunity to garlic, silver, and sunlight. Fritz subsequently fought Blade to a draw. Marcus ordered Fritz to Prague to display his newfound immunity to the purebloods, instead Fritz went to find Blade and finish their battle. Fritz lost, and was beheaded by Krista Starr before Blade could capture him and find out what Aurora was.
In the meantime, Damek (last pureblood from the House of Armaya) discovered that Marcus was using Armayans for experimentation. He used this knowledge to blackmail the House of Chthon into giving Armaya their seat back on the vampire council and getting a portion of all profits from the venture, plus first access to the vaccine. Growing impatient, Charlotte from the House of Chthon began to put pressure on Marcus to deliver the vaccine. Marcus finally told her it was ready, and a vampire conclave was organized to present the vaccine to the purebloods.
At the same time, Blade was attempting to get a sample of Aurora. Blade was concerned that if vampires made themselves immune to all of their weaknesses, they would rise up and try to rule the humans. Blade attempted to secure a sample through Krista, but she failed to retrieve a vial from the lab at Chthon. It was then that Marcus revealed to Krista that the vaccine didn't work, and that if Fritz hadn't been killed by her he would've died anyway. The vaccine was a ploy to cover for Marcus' true project, the Aurora Virus. Finally, Blade tracked down a woman named Vanessa who had been impregnated by Dr. Vonner. Blade kidnapped the woman and took her to a doctor of his own, who revealed she was not pregnant but actually incubating a strange fluid. Blade took a sample of the fluid and had it analyzed, and it was determined that it was a keyhole virus designed to attack pureblood vampires. Blade quickly learned that Marcus planned to betray the purebloods at the conclave and kill them all to seize control of the House of Chthon.
Marcus kidnapped a pureblood vampire named Alex and used him as the final test subject for Aurora. He was placed in a chamber with Chase and subjected to the Aurora virus. The virus caused Alex to die horribly, but Chase was spared. Satisfied that the virus worked, Marcus made his next move and attempted to assassinate Charlotte. Marcus' plot failed, partly due to a betrayal by Chase, but Charlotte was killed anyway when Blade found her. Using her death as a catalyst, the conclave was convened. Marcus attempted to deploy the virus but it did not work, it was then that he learned of Chase's duplicity. Blade eventually killed the purebloods with a canister of the virus that he threw into the air and shot.
Marcus left the conclave still in possession of the Aurora virus.
Episode list
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cast
- Kirk Jones as BladeBlade (comics)Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
- Jill WagnerJill WagnerJillian Suzanne "Jill" Wagner is an American television actress, model, and game show personality.-Early life:Wagner was raised primarily by her father, David Wagner, a Marine, and her grandmother...
as Krista Starr - Nelson LeeNelson LeeNelson Lee is a Taiwanese born Canadian actor who co-starred in the only season of Blade: The Series as Shen, Blade's sidekick and technical support. He also starred in Oz , as inmate Li Chen, and in some episodes of Law & Order.-Selected filmography:-External links:* *...
as Shen - Neil JacksonNeil JacksonNeil Jackson is an English actor and writer who has appeared in several television series and films, but is probably best known for his role as Marcus on Blade: The Series and Sasha on Make It or Break It. His screenwriting credits include the film The Passage directed by Mark Heller and released...
as Marcus Van Sciver - Jessica GowerJessica GowerJessica Gower is an Australian actress; sometimes credited as Jess Gower.Gower's first claim to fame was as a starstruck but confused fan in a 2001 television commercial for Telstra featuring John Farnham and Glenn Wheatley...
as Chase
Ratings and cancellation
Although the series premiere had 2.5 million viewers, was the most-watched original series premiere in Spike TV history, and was also the #1 show on cable for the evening with Men 18–34 and 18–49, this occurred in a year where most cable premieres were outstanding, and the series has since failed to hold its numbers.On September 28, 2006, Jill Wagner, star of Blade: The Series, announced that she was informed that there would be no second season of the show. The next day, Spike announced in a press release that the show would not be picked up.
As a response to a letter in Wizard Magazine, series writer/producer Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
gives a reason why he thinks the series was canceled: "The network didn't want to cancel it, I just think Spike TV is still a young network, and the price it was costing to make...they just weren't able to do it."
iTunes premiere
- Blade: The Series was the second TV show to premiere on iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
before ever having aired on mainstream television. The short-lived Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
spin-off Conviction was the first.
High-definition
- Blade: The Series was filmed in high-definition, and the series is currently being shown on cable/satellite channel HDNetHDNetHDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
.
DVD release
On February 12, 2008, New Line Home Entertainment released Blade: The Series – The Complete Season on DVD. The complete Blade series covered all 13 of the episodes completely uncut over four discs. The DVDs were "unrated" and contained new content and alternate versions of scenes from the series filmed specially for the DVD, including examples of full-frontal nudity and harsher language. It was released with the same features in the UK on April 21, 2008. The 2-hour premiere episode was released on DVD, titled "Blade: House of Chthon!", on September 18, 2007 in "Unrated" format.External links
- Blade: The Series on TV Squad
- TV Series Finale — article on series cancellation & possible resurrection.