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Fringe (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Fringe is an American science fiction
television series created by J. J. Abrams
, Alex Kurtzman
and Roberto Orci
. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation
"Fringe Division" team based in Boston
, Massachusetts
under the supervision of Homeland Security
. The team uses unorthodox "fringe" science
and FBI investigative techniques to investigate a series of unexplained, often ghastly occurrences, which are related to mysteries surrounding a parallel universe
. The show has been described as a hybrid of The X-Files
, Altered States
, The Twilight Zone
and Dark Angel
.
The series premiered in North America on September 9, 2008, on the Fox
network. The series is currently in its fourth season, which premiered on September 23, 2011.
, which includes Agent Olivia Dunham; Dr. Walter Bishop, the archetypal mad scientist
; and Peter Bishop, Walter's estranged son and jack-of-all-trades. They are supported by Phillip Broyles, the force's director, and Agent Astrid Farnsworth, who assists Walter in laboratory research. The Fringe Division investigates cases relating to fringe science
, ranging from transhumanist
experiments gone wrong to the prospect of a destructive technological singularity
to a possible collision of two parallel universes
. The Fringe Division's work often intersects with advanced biotechnology developed by a company called Massive Dynamic, founded by Walter's former partner, Dr. William Bell and run by their common friend, Nina Sharp. The team is also watched silently by a group of bald, pale men who are called "Observers".
Season 1
introduces the Fringe Division as they investigate cases that form "the Pattern", many orchestrated by an international network of rogue scientists, known as ZFT (Zerstörung durch Fortschritte der Technologie, or in English, Destruction through Advancement of Technology), who are preparing for a doomsday event
. Olivia comes to learn she was a child test subject for Walter years ago for a nootropic
drug, Cortexiphan, giving her weak psionic
abilities. Walter also struggles with adjusting to normal life in Peter's care after living seventeen years in a mental institution, and hides a secret about Peter's past from him.
In Season 2
, the occurrences are found to be in conjunction with activities of a parallel universe, which is plagued by singularities
occurring at weakened points of the fabric between worlds. The Fringe team deals with more cases that are leading to a "great storm" as the parallel universe appears to be at war with the prime one, engineered by human-machine hybrid shapeshifters
from the parallel universe. Walter is forced to tell Peter that he is from the parallel universe, a replacement for his own Peter that died from a genetic disease, and that it is his prior experiments that caused the singularities in the parallel universe.
Season 3
presents episodes that alternate between the two universes. "Walternate", Walter's doppelgänger
in the parallel universe, is the U.S. Secretary of Defense
and has set events in motion to assemble a doomsday device
that reacts only to Peter's biology. He also sent his Olivia, "Fauxlivia", to the prime universe in Olivia's place, to engage the Fringe Division and assemble the prime universe's version of the device, while he studies Olivia's Cortexiphan-induced powers. By happenstance, Fauxlivia becomes pregnant with Peter's child before being outed and extracted to the parallel universe. Walternate orchestrated acceleration of the pregnancy to gain a sample of the baby's blood, which he uses to activate the machine. Peter, with Olivia's help, enters the prime version of the machine, and experiences a vision of the future where the parallel universe has been destroyed and the same fate threatens the prime one. Recovering in the present, Peter alters his plan and uses the machine to merge the two rooms, creating a bridge where inhabitants of both universes can solve their dilemma, before disappearing and being forgotten by both Walters and Olivias.
Season 4
begins in an alternate timeline, one in which Peter did not survive his childhood illness in either universe, according to the Observers. Walter still crossed over and brought back the parallel universe Peter, but this Peter drowned on their return; Olivia and her sister were raised by Nina Sharp, though with ulterior motives. Though major events in their past have still occurred to the main characters in this timeline, the exact means by which they occurred has changed without Peter's influence, a result of the butterfly effect
; Walter was released from the mental institution by Olivia, but without any point of stability, has become reclusive and unwilling to leave his lab. The Observers note traces of Peter still appearing in this timeline and set out to eradicate them. Despite this, through Olivia and Walter's actions, Peter reappears in this timeline, though still carrying memories of the original timeline, and must rebuild the relationships he had before. Meanwhile, the Fringe division in the prime universe discover a new type of shapeshifter similar to those used by the parallel universe.
for Fringe involves a parallel universe
that mostly mirrors the prime universe, but with numerous historical idiosyncrasies. The producers were strongly interested in "world building
", and the parallel universe plot device
allowed them to create a very similar world with a large amount of detail to fill in the texture of the world. A parallel universe would also allow them to show "how small choices that you make define you as a person and can change your life in large ways down the line", according to co-director Jeff Pinkner. However, the producers also realize the concept of the parallel universe could be confusing to viewers and have introduced elements of the world in small pieces over the course of the first two seasons before the larger reveal in the second season finale and third season. J.H. Wyman stated that he would often pass the story ideas for the parallel universe by his father to see if it made sense, and would rework the script if his father found it confusing. Such world building also gave them a risky opportunity to create stories that focused solely on characters from the parallel universe with nearly no ties to the main characters; as stated by Wyman, they would be able to "make two shows about one show", a concept that the network executives embraced.
is shown. Abrams revealed in an interview that the glyphs had a hidden meaning. "It's something that we're doing for people who care to figure it out and follow it, but it's not something that a viewer has to consider when they watch the show." Abrams also revealed that the seemingly unrelated frogs which have the Greek letter
Phi
(Φ) imprinted on their back appeared in promos for the show have significance within the context of the series, saying "it's part of the code of the show." The glyph code was cracked by an editor at the technology site Ars Technica
, who discovered it to be a simple substitution cipher
used to spell out a single thematic word for each episode. Whether there is a further second-order code to be solved remains to be seen. Additionally, the glyphs are representative of some of the means by which Walter solves a case (the Moth/Butterfly from "Johari Window
", the Seahorse strain of DNA from "The Bishop Revival
"). In "Jacksonville
", behind Walter as he speaks to Olivia about her treatment is the daycare wall where the nootropic
Cortexiphan was used as a trial, each of the Glyphs are clearly visible. An episode-by-episode key to the various glyphs was made available on Fringepedia
.
", the titles used a mix of both the blue- and red-tinted versions, given the episode taking place equally in both universes. In the show's two flashback episodes, "Peter
" and "Subject 13
", a variation on the sequence, using retro graphics akin to 1980s technology and phrases like "personal computing" and "genetic engineering", was used, while for the dystopian future third season episode "The Day We Died
", a black-toned theme, with more dire phrases like "hope" and "water" was introduced. The fourth season premiere, "Neither Here Nor There
" introduced an amber-toned title sequence with additional new terms.
, Roberto Orci
and Alex Kurtzman
, Fringe is produced by Bad Robot in association with Warner Bros. Television
, as part of a commitment that Abrams previously made with the studio. At the time, Abrams was working with Orci and Kurtzman on the Star Trek film, and used them to brainstorm ideas for the show.
Abrams's inspiration for Fringe came from a range of sources, including the writings of Michael Crichton
, the film Altered States
, films by David Cronenberg
, and the television series The X-Files
and The Twilight Zone
. Orci stated that Fringe is a "new kind of storytelling", combining procedural
shows such as Law & Order
, and an "extremely serialized and very culty" series like Lost
. The procedural aspect was chosen as, at the time of its premiere, six of the ten top shows were procedural in nature; Orci stated that "you have to be a fool not to go study what it is that they're doing". Though the team saw this as a way of presenting "mystery of the week"-type episodes, they wanted to focus more on how these stories were told in unpredictable ways rather than the actual mystery, recognizing that most of their target audience has seen such mysteries before through previous shows and films. Instead, they wanted their storytelling to be original and unexpected, and, as claimed by Kurtzman, one of the most challenging aspects of developing the individual episodes.
In considering the serialization aspect, Abrams recognized the difficulties that his earlier serialized shows, such as Lost and Alias
, had in attracting and maintaining viewers that had not seen these shows from the start or who missed episodes sporadically, and sought to rectify that for Fringe, creating, as stated by David Itzkoff of the New York Times, "a show that suggested complexity but was comprehensible in any given episode". One method was by introducing over-arching themes that individual episodes could be tied to, such as "The Pattern" in Season 1, providing information repeatedly about the larger plot over the course of several episodes or seasons. Abrams also created characters whose alliances to the larger narrative were clear, avoiding a similar problem that had occurred during the first and second seasons of Alias. A final step taken was to script out all of the major long-running plot elements, including the show's finale, prior to full-time production. Abrams contrasted this to the process used in Lost, where ideas like character flashbacks and the hatch from the second season were introduced haphazardly and made difficulties in defining when they should be presented to the viewers. Instead, with Fringe, they were able to create "clearly defined goalposts" (in Itzkoff's words) that could be altered as necessary with network and seasonal changes but always provided a clear target for the over-arching plot. These approaches also allowed the team to introduce unique plot elements to be introduced in time that would have altered the show's fate if known at the start. Abrams stated that "There are certain details that are hugely important that I believe, if shared, will destroy any chance of actually getting on the air." Abrams noted that they are able to benefit from "how open Fox as a network has been to a show that is embracing the weirdness and the long-term stories that we want to tell". During the third season, executive producer Jeff Pinkner noted that "We have six to eight seasons worth of material. We see it as having certain chapters that would enrich the overall story, but aren't necessary to tell the overall story. God willing, the network allows us the time to tell our complete story."
As part of the larger story, the writers have placed elements in earlier episodes that are referenced in episodes seasons later. For example, in the first season episode "The Ghost Network
", the Fringe team encounters an amber-like substance, which is later shown to be a critical means to combat the breakdown of the parallel universe and eventually for the same in the prime universe with the third season episode "6B
". Pickner compared this aspect to "planting seeds", some which they know how they plan to use later in the show's story, while others they can find ways of incorporating into these later episodes. He further attributed these elements as part of the "world building" to flesh out the show beyond episodic content. The producers have stated that when the show's mythology is introduced, it is not simply there to tie episodes together, but "to provide answers that generate consequences".
The show's main characters, Olivia, Peter, and Walter, were core of the concept for Fringe. They recognized early that "the idea that telling a father-son story and a relationship story was a really compelling one and a very accessible one", according to Kurtzman. They were able to provide the characters with backstories that, like with other long-term plot elements, could be alluded to over several episodes and seasons. The characters would also contrast with the typical procedural genre show; instead of having clearly defined roles episode to episode, and instead "have an emotional memory and an emotional investment", as stated by Orci. This also allowed for, as necessary, characters to be removed or introduced to the show and have a larger impact on the other characters.
was selected to act as the head show runner
and executive producer
. Abrams noted that he trusts Pinkner after working together with him on Alias
and Lost. In season two, J.H. Wyman was brought on as executive producer and showrunner with Jeff Pinkner. Michael Giacchino
, Abrams' frequent collaborator, composed the music for the pilot of Fringe, before handing over duties to his assistants Chad Seiter and Chris Tilton; Giacchino retains an on-screen credit. Abrams himself wrote the series theme music.
The two-hour pilot episode, filmed in Toronto, Canada, cost a total of $10 million to create. A basement of an old church was used for Walter's lab set in the pilot, and this set was replicated at other film sites in New York and Vancouver when the show moved. John Noble called his character's lab "the heart and soul of Fringe", so consequently, "That has to remain constant." A cow used in the pilot episode had to be recast when production of Season 1 was moved to New York, due to livestock restrictions preventing it from being brought from Canada to the United States. Other locations used in the first season included other universities to stage for the Harvard University
campus, where Walter's lab is located. These included Pratt Institute
and Yale University
, including its Old Campus
(particularly Phelps Hall and Durfee Hall), Branford College
, and the exterior of Yale Law School
, University of Toronto
's University College
, Brooklyn College
, and Bahen Centre for Information Technology
.
On February 21, 2009, it was reported that in the event that Fringe would be renewed for a second season, the show would move production to Vancouver
from New York City
as a cost-cutting measure. Executive producer Jeff Pinkner explained:
Upon productions moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for season 2, the University of British Columbia
now stands in for Harvard. The area around New Westminster often serves as filming locations for Fringe stories that take place in the parallel universe.
Fringe was officially renewed for a second and third season on May 4, 2009 and March 6, 2010, respectively, with the show being moved to Thursday nights. In the middle of the third season, the show was relocated to Friday nights, the so-called "Friday night death slot
", and suffered from viewership drops (see U.S Ratings). Despite these, the Fox Network confirmed for a 22 episode pick-up for the fourth season of Fringe on March 24, 2011. The show will remain at the Friday night slot for the season.
and Mark Valley
, who portrayed FBI agents Charlie Francis and John Scott, respectively. John Noble
and Lance Reddick
, who play Dr. Walter Bishop and Homeland Security
agent Phillip Broyles joined the cast later on. Casting of Anna Torv
, Blair Brown
, and Jasika Nicole
, who play Olivia Dunham, Massive Dynamic employee Nina Sharp, and Astrid Farnsworth, a federal agent and assistant to Olivia Dunham, respectively, followed; while Joshua Jackson
, who plays Peter Bishop, was the last main character to be cast. Jackson auditioned for James T. Kirk
in Abrams' Star Trek and believed this is what impressed the producer to cast him in his television project.
On April 8, 2009, it was announced that Leonard Nimoy
would appear as Walter Bishop's former lab partner, Dr. William Bell in the first season's finale, which explores the existence of an ominous parallel universe
. This choice led one reviewer to question if Fringes plot might be an homage
to the Star Trek
episode "Mirror, Mirror", which explored the concept of an alternate reality referred to as a "mirror universe
", and an evil version of Spock
distinguished by a goatee. Nimoy returned as Dr. Bell for an extended arc, and according to Orci, Bell is "the beginning of the answers to even bigger questions." Nimoy reprised his role in the second season finale, where his character and Walter met for a "showdown". Nimoy's character is apparently dead after the season finale, having used himself to help Walter, Peter and the Alternate Olivia back to our universe. As he had retired from acting, it was thought unlikely that his character would return. In February 2011 however, he announced his definite plan to return to Fringe and reprise his role as William Bell. He returned to voice the character in the animated segments of the April 2011 episode "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
".
and Blu-ray Disc
formats.
The first season of Fringe was released as a widescreen region 1 DVD box set on September 8, 2009. In addition to all the episodes that had been aired, DVD extras included three commentary tracks, unaired scenes, gag reels and behind the scenes features. A "Fringe Pattern Analysis" was included on the Blu-ray version as an exclusive. The same set was released on September 28, 2009 in region 2 and on September 30, 2009 in region 4.
The second season featured four commentary tracks, a gag reel, deleted scenes, behind the scenes videos and included the episode "Unearthed
", an episode produced for the first season, which aired out of schedule during the second season. It was released in region 1 on September 14, 2010, on September 27, 2010 in region 2 and on November 10, 2010 in region 4.
The third season was released on September 6, 2011 in region 1, and is scheduled for release on September 26, 2011 in region 2 and on October 26, 2011 in region 4.
, centered on the fictional Massive Dynamic corporation, was introduced during the pilot and featured "strange symbols paired with glowing dots" appearing throughout the episode and an "advertisement" for the company shown at the end with a web address for the game.
comic book
(leading right up to the moment in the pilot where Olivia 'first' meets Walter) written by Zack Whedon
, the series was released by DC Comics
under its WildStorm
imprint. This was to be the first issue of a monthly 6-issue limited series
but the others were delayed until January 2009, when monthly publication resumed, with the sixth and final issue scheduled for release on June 17. The Vice President of WildStorm, Hank Kanalz, explained the publication hiatus: "The writers of the show want to make sure the comic book is integrated into the mythology of the Fringe world, so we have decided to refocus the direction of the comic book. Unfortunately, this means that we will have some delays, but will be back in January."
On June 23, 2010, the first issue of Tales From the Fringe, the second six-part monthly series, was released, while the final issue was released on November 24, 2010.
Early reception through the first season for Fringe was generally lukewarm. The pilot episode was watched by 9.13 million viewers, garnering 3.2/9 Nielsen ratings
among adults 18–49, with ratings improving over the course of the episode. Ratings improved greatly for the second episode, "The Same Old Story
" which 13.27 million people watched, making it the fifth most watched show of the week. As of October 2008, the show had achieved the first place in the 18–49 demographic
among new shows. As a whole, the series was well received by the critics. Barry Garron at Hollywood Reporter found it promising because "it is reminiscent of battle-of-the-sexes charm." Robert Bianco, USA Today
, said, "What Abrams brings to Fringe is a director's eye for plot and pace, a fan's love of sci-fi excitement, and a story-teller's gift for investing absurd events with real emotions and relatable characters." Travis Fickett of IGN
gave it 7.6 out of 10, calling it "a lackluster pilot that promises to be a pretty good series." While Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle
remarked that it was "boundlessly ambitious", Chicago Sun-Times
s Misha Davenport called it an "update of The X-Files
with the addition of terrorism and the office of Homeland Security."
In its 2008 Year in Review, Television Without Pity declared Fringe one of the year's biggest TV disappointments, commenting that the show is "entertaining" and "the cast is largely strong" but the character development is insufficient. The show's main character, Olivia Dunham is "wooden and distant, and after half a season, we still haven't gotten to know her." The untrustworthy Nina Sharp is well-acted but "one-note and lazily written" and Lance Reddick's character is also "under-developed".
The Daily Herald comments that Fringe is promising and "it may yet develop into a worthwhile program" but has "largely been spinning its wheels". Meanwhile, in other articles recounting the best and worst of 2008, The New York Times
stated that Fringe "is the best of a rash of new series that toy with the paranormal." The author goes on to praise the cast saying that "Much credit belongs to Anna Torv who stars as an F.B.I. agent investigating bizarre murders that all appear to be linked to a powerful and mysterious multinational corporation" and "Ms. Torv is backed up ably by John Noble as a crazy but brilliant fringe scientist and his level-headed but skeptical son, played by Joshua Jackson."
Changing in the approach and storytelling of the show in the second and subsequent seasons led to more positive critical reception and made it a media favorite. Entertainment Weekly, which stated "The best new show of the year took a few weeks to grow on me, but now it's a full-blown addiction", the LA Times, calling Walter Bishop one of the best characters of 2008, saying that "the role of the modern-day mad scientist could so easily have been a disaster, but the 'Fringe' writers and the masterful John Noble have conspired to create a character that seems, as trite as it sounds, more Shakespearean than sci-fi." Chicago Tribune
states that some episodes are "distressingly predictable and formulaic" but adds that there have also been some excellent episodes. The New York Times named Fringe one of the top 10 television shows in 2010. while Television Without Pity, previously dismissive of the show, listing it amongst their 2010 "Most Memorable TV Moments", stating "there were so many great Fringe moments this year" and "we were treated to some of the best sci-fi on television this past fall." The A.V. Club named Fringe the 15th best show of 2010, stated that the episode "Peter" gave "the series' overarching storyline a devastating emotional core", making the series a "rare blend of inventive ideas, wild ambition, and unexpected soulfulness". IGN
named Fringe the 18th best science fiction show of all time in a 2011 listing, stating that since the middle of the first season, "it's been nothing but a series of satisfyingly jaw-dropping 'holy eff!' moments layered with wonderful, nuanced performances from Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble".
Fringe premiered in the 2008 United States television season
at a regular timeslot of 9:00 pm Eastern on Tuesdays. During Season 1, Fringe was part of a Fox initiative known as "Remote-Free TV". Episodes of Fringe were longer than standard dramas on current network television. The show ran with half the commercials, adding about six minutes to the show's runtime. When the show went to a commercial, a short bumper aired informing the viewer of roughly how much time commercials will consume before the program resumed. The series was subsequently moved to 9:00 pm on Thursday nights during its second and third season starting in the 2009 season
.
As part of a reorganization of its 2010 midseason
line up to capture more market for American Idol
, the Fox network shifted Fringe to 9:00 pm on Fridays. This timeslot, commonly considered the "Friday night death slot
" for several previous Fox shows due to cancellation shortly following the move to that slot, have left critics considering the show's fate. While The X-Files originally premiered during this slot and would continue to be a highly successful series, critics were unsure if Fringe could duplicate this performance. In this slot, the show competed with Supernatural
, a series that attracts similar types of viewers. Fox's Entertainment President Kevin Reilly, in response to these concerns, stated that 45% of Fringes viewership is from time shifting
recording through digital video receivers, and does not expect the viewership numbers to change significantly with the change to Friday. Reilly further postulated that "If it does anywhere near what it did on Thursdays, we can glue that show to the schedule because it can be a big win for us". Further promoted by the critical reaction to the rescheduling, the Fox network created a self-deprecating promotional advertisement acknowledging the reputation of the time slot, including quotes from other media outlets concerned about the move, but asserts that the move will "re-animate" the show. The network also created a music video, set to "Echoes
" by the band Klaxons
as a means of summarizing the third season to date prior to the first Friday broadcast. Joshua Jackson, who plays Peter Bishop on the show, cautioned that time-shifted viewership may not be enough to save the show: "It's not that not enough people are watching Fringe, it's that not enough people are watching Fringe during the hour that it's on the air, which is key for the network."
Producers Pickner and Wyman also were excited about the move to Fridays, considering the slot as "open territory that can be conquered" and that they "can actually deliver like The X-Files did". Series creator Abrams was less optimisic of the move to Friday nights, aware that the show's likelihood to be renewed for a fourth season would be highly dependent on the number of niche viewers that continue to watch the show. Abrams did affirm that moving to Friday nights allows them to take more creative freedoms to maintain viewership in the new timeslot, but feels that if the show was not renewed for another season, they would be "hard pressed" to resolve the story by the end of the third season.
The show's first episode at the Friday 9:00 pm timeslot ("The Firefly
") scored a 1.9 in the key 18–49 demographic which was an increase of 12% over its last Thursday-aired episode ("Marionette") which scored a 1.7, and maintained similar numbers in the second week for "Reciprocity
". Though viewership slipped in further weeks, the show was renewed for a fourth season in March 2011. The move was unexpected based on these ratings, given the past performance of shows with similar viewership numbers in the Friday night slot, but several critics attribute it to the strong fanbase that the show has garnered, which contributes in part to consistently higher time-shifted viewership. Fox's Reilly stated that:
Reilly further added that the renewal was also prompted by the high risk of trying to replace Fringe with another show with unknown viewership metrics; he commented that they "have a far better shot of sticking with a show that has an audience that [they] think [they] can grow". Prior to the onset of the fourth season, Reilly reiterated that they do not expect any significant growth in Fringes viewership within that season: "It’s a pretty complex show. If Fringe can do exactly what Fringe did last year, we’re going to be very happy. They’re right in the pocket creatively once again." Wyman stated in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that the Fox network had been "supportive throughout this process", and though the show's viewership "wasn't exactly what they would've hoped for", aspects such as a loyal fan base and supportive critics were enough to take the show forward for another season. Pinkner commented that "there were no creative conditions" on the show's renewal, nor any cuts in the show's budget, though was unsure if the show will be moved to a different time slot. Noble, at the 2011 Comic-Con Fringe panel, reiterated that the fans were responsible for the livelihood of the show, stated "Seriously, without your efforts, your rabid support, we wouldn’t be here right now. You are the best fans that ever existed".
simultaneous to its U.S. premiere and was the most watched program in Canada that week. The show would fluctuate between airing on CTV and A during its first two seasons. Beginning with the third season Fringe is broadcast on Citytv
in Canada.
, and Writers Guild of America Awards.
Official tie-in sites
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series created by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
, Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman is an American film and television screenwriter and producer.Kurtzman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he met his high school friend and long time collaborator Roberto Orci...
and Roberto Orci
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orci is a Mexican-American film producer, television producer, and screenwriter.-Biography:Orci was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. His mother had left Cuba for Mexico after Fidel Castro came to power. He is the older brother of screenwriter-producer J....
. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
"Fringe Division" team based in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
under the supervision of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
. The team uses unorthodox "fringe" science
Fringe science
Fringe science is scientific inquiry in an established field of study that departs significantly from mainstream or orthodox theories, and is classified in the "fringes" of a credible mainstream academic discipline....
and FBI investigative techniques to investigate a series of unexplained, often ghastly occurrences, which are related to mysteries surrounding a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. The show has been described as a hybrid of The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Altered States
Altered States
Altered States is a 1980 American science fiction-horror film adaptation of a novel by the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. It was the only novel that Chayefsky ever wrote, as well as his final film. Both the novel and the film are based on John C...
, The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
and Dark Angel
Dark Angel (TV series)
Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
.
The series premiered in North America on September 9, 2008, on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network. The series is currently in its fourth season, which premiered on September 23, 2011.
Premise
Fringe follows the casework of the Fringe Division, a Joint Federal Task Force supported primarily by the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, which includes Agent Olivia Dunham; Dr. Walter Bishop, the archetypal mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
; and Peter Bishop, Walter's estranged son and jack-of-all-trades. They are supported by Phillip Broyles, the force's director, and Agent Astrid Farnsworth, who assists Walter in laboratory research. The Fringe Division investigates cases relating to fringe science
Fringe science
Fringe science is scientific inquiry in an established field of study that departs significantly from mainstream or orthodox theories, and is classified in the "fringes" of a credible mainstream academic discipline....
, ranging from transhumanist
Transhumanism
Transhumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
experiments gone wrong to the prospect of a destructive technological singularity
Technological singularity
Technological singularity refers to the hypothetical future emergence of greater-than-human intelligence through technological means. Since the capabilities of such an intelligence would be difficult for an unaided human mind to comprehend, the occurrence of a technological singularity is seen as...
to a possible collision of two parallel universes
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. The Fringe Division's work often intersects with advanced biotechnology developed by a company called Massive Dynamic, founded by Walter's former partner, Dr. William Bell and run by their common friend, Nina Sharp. The team is also watched silently by a group of bald, pale men who are called "Observers".
Season 1
Fringe (Season 1)
The first season of the American science fiction television series Fringe commenced airing on September 9, 2008, and concluded on May 12, 2009. The season contained 21 episodes, although only 20 of them aired as part of the first season...
introduces the Fringe Division as they investigate cases that form "the Pattern", many orchestrated by an international network of rogue scientists, known as ZFT (Zerstörung durch Fortschritte der Technologie, or in English, Destruction through Advancement of Technology), who are preparing for a doomsday event
Doomsday event
A doomsday event is a specific, plausibly verifiable or hypothetical occurrence which has an exceptionally destructive effect on the human race...
. Olivia comes to learn she was a child test subject for Walter years ago for a nootropic
Nootropic
Nootropics , also referred to as smart drugs, brain steroids, memory enhancers, cognitive enhancers, and intelligence enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration...
drug, Cortexiphan, giving her weak psionic
Psionics
Psionics refers to the practice, study, or psychic ability of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena. Examples of this include telepathy, telekinesis, and other workings of the outside world through the psyche.-History and terminology:...
abilities. Walter also struggles with adjusting to normal life in Peter's care after living seventeen years in a mental institution, and hides a secret about Peter's past from him.
In Season 2
Fringe (Season 2)
The second season of the American science fiction television series Fringe commenced airing on the Fox network on September 17, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, and its showrunners...
, the occurrences are found to be in conjunction with activities of a parallel universe, which is plagued by singularities
Gravitational singularity
A gravitational singularity or spacetime singularity is a location where the quantities that are used to measure the gravitational field become infinite in a way that does not depend on the coordinate system...
occurring at weakened points of the fabric between worlds. The Fringe team deals with more cases that are leading to a "great storm" as the parallel universe appears to be at war with the prime one, engineered by human-machine hybrid shapeshifters
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
from the parallel universe. Walter is forced to tell Peter that he is from the parallel universe, a replacement for his own Peter that died from a genetic disease, and that it is his prior experiments that caused the singularities in the parallel universe.
Season 3
Fringe (season 3)
The third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 6, 2011, consisting of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros...
presents episodes that alternate between the two universes. "Walternate", Walter's doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
in the parallel universe, is the U.S. Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
and has set events in motion to assemble a doomsday device
Doomsday device
A doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
that reacts only to Peter's biology. He also sent his Olivia, "Fauxlivia", to the prime universe in Olivia's place, to engage the Fringe Division and assemble the prime universe's version of the device, while he studies Olivia's Cortexiphan-induced powers. By happenstance, Fauxlivia becomes pregnant with Peter's child before being outed and extracted to the parallel universe. Walternate orchestrated acceleration of the pregnancy to gain a sample of the baby's blood, which he uses to activate the machine. Peter, with Olivia's help, enters the prime version of the machine, and experiences a vision of the future where the parallel universe has been destroyed and the same fate threatens the prime one. Recovering in the present, Peter alters his plan and uses the machine to merge the two rooms, creating a bridge where inhabitants of both universes can solve their dilemma, before disappearing and being forgotten by both Walters and Olivias.
Season 4
Fringe (season 4)
The fourth season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2011, and will consist of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television...
begins in an alternate timeline, one in which Peter did not survive his childhood illness in either universe, according to the Observers. Walter still crossed over and brought back the parallel universe Peter, but this Peter drowned on their return; Olivia and her sister were raised by Nina Sharp, though with ulterior motives. Though major events in their past have still occurred to the main characters in this timeline, the exact means by which they occurred has changed without Peter's influence, a result of the butterfly effect
Butterfly effect
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state...
; Walter was released from the mental institution by Olivia, but without any point of stability, has become reclusive and unwilling to leave his lab. The Observers note traces of Peter still appearing in this timeline and set out to eradicate them. Despite this, through Olivia and Walter's actions, Peter reappears in this timeline, though still carrying memories of the original timeline, and must rebuild the relationships he had before. Meanwhile, the Fringe division in the prime universe discover a new type of shapeshifter similar to those used by the parallel universe.
Parallel universe
Much of the story arcStory arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
for Fringe involves a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
that mostly mirrors the prime universe, but with numerous historical idiosyncrasies. The producers were strongly interested in "world building
Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. The result may sometimes be called a constructed world, conworld or sub-creation. The term world-building was popularized at science fiction writer's workshops during the 1970s...
", and the parallel universe plot device
Plot device
A plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
allowed them to create a very similar world with a large amount of detail to fill in the texture of the world. A parallel universe would also allow them to show "how small choices that you make define you as a person and can change your life in large ways down the line", according to co-director Jeff Pinkner. However, the producers also realize the concept of the parallel universe could be confusing to viewers and have introduced elements of the world in small pieces over the course of the first two seasons before the larger reveal in the second season finale and third season. J.H. Wyman stated that he would often pass the story ideas for the parallel universe by his father to see if it made sense, and would rework the script if his father found it confusing. Such world building also gave them a risky opportunity to create stories that focused solely on characters from the parallel universe with nearly no ties to the main characters; as stated by Wyman, they would be able to "make two shows about one show", a concept that the network executives embraced.
Glyph code
Prior to commercial breaks, a brief image of a glyphGlyph
A glyph is an element of writing: an individual mark on a written medium that contributes to the meaning of what is written. A glyph is made up of one or more graphemes....
is shown. Abrams revealed in an interview that the glyphs had a hidden meaning. "It's something that we're doing for people who care to figure it out and follow it, but it's not something that a viewer has to consider when they watch the show." Abrams also revealed that the seemingly unrelated frogs which have the Greek letter
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
Phi
Phi (letter)
Phi , pronounced or sometimes in English, and in modern Greek, is the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet. In modern Greek, it represents , a voiceless labiodental fricative. In Ancient Greek it represented , an aspirated voiceless bilabial plosive...
(Φ) imprinted on their back appeared in promos for the show have significance within the context of the series, saying "it's part of the code of the show." The glyph code was cracked by an editor at the technology site Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
, who discovered it to be a simple substitution cipher
Substitution cipher
In cryptography, a substitution cipher is a method of encryption by which units of plaintext are replaced with ciphertext according to a regular system; the "units" may be single letters , pairs of letters, triplets of letters, mixtures of the above, and so forth...
used to spell out a single thematic word for each episode. Whether there is a further second-order code to be solved remains to be seen. Additionally, the glyphs are representative of some of the means by which Walter solves a case (the Moth/Butterfly from "Johari Window
Johari Window (Fringe)
"Johari Window" is the 12th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by co-executive producer Josh Singer, and directed by filmmaker Joe Chappelle. The episode is set in a fictional upstate New York town, and begins with...
", the Seahorse strain of DNA from "The Bishop Revival
The Bishop Revival
"The Bishop Revival" is the 14th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode's storyline followed Nazi scientist Alfred Hoffman as he specially designed airborne toxins to kill only surrounding people with similar genetic traits, such as...
"). In "Jacksonville
Jacksonville (Fringe)
"Jacksonville" is the 15th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 35th episode overall. In the episode, Olivia is forced to recount her time spent as a child in tests conducted by Walter to regain the ability to see objects that have...
", behind Walter as he speaks to Olivia about her treatment is the daycare wall where the nootropic
Nootropic
Nootropics , also referred to as smart drugs, brain steroids, memory enhancers, cognitive enhancers, and intelligence enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration...
Cortexiphan was used as a trial, each of the Glyphs are clearly visible. An episode-by-episode key to the various glyphs was made available on Fringepedia
Fringepedia
Fringepedia is a wiki-powered online encyclopedia of information regarding the American science fiction television series Fringe. Launched on July 23, 2008 by Dennis Acevedo, the site uses MediaWiki software to maintain a user-created database of information...
.
Opening sequence
The show's standard opening sequence interplays images of the glyph symbols alongside words representing fringe science topics, such as "teleportation" and "dark matter". Within the third season, with episodes that took place primarily in the parallel universe, a new set of titles was used, following a similar format, though tinted red instead of blue and using alternate fringe science concepts like "hypnosis" and "neuroscience". The difference in color has led some fans to call the prime universe the Blue one in contrast to the Red parallel one. In the third season episode "EntradaEntrada (Fringe)
"Entrada" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 51st episode overall. The third season spent much of its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes, and "Entrada" was the first of the season to have time...
", the titles used a mix of both the blue- and red-tinted versions, given the episode taking place equally in both universes. In the show's two flashback episodes, "Peter
Peter (Fringe)
"Peter" is the 16th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 36th episode overall. Considered a keystone episode of the series, "Peter" is a flashback episode, told as Walter Bishop reveals to Olivia Dunham that his son Peter is really the...
" and "Subject 13
Subject 13
"Subject 13" is the 15th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 58th episode overall. Inspired by fan reaction to the show's previous flashback episode, "Peter", "Subject 13" occurs 25 years before the show's current timeline, in 1985 a...
", a variation on the sequence, using retro graphics akin to 1980s technology and phrases like "personal computing" and "genetic engineering", was used, while for the dystopian future third season episode "The Day We Died
The Day We Died
"The Day We Died" is the third season finale of the Fox science fiction drama television series Fringe. It is the season's 22nd episode and the series' 65th episode overall. The finale follows the aftermath of Peter entering and activating the doomsday device...
", a black-toned theme, with more dire phrases like "hope" and "water" was introduced. The fourth season premiere, "Neither Here Nor There
Neither Here Nor There (Fringe)
"Neither Here Nor There" is the fourth season premiere of the Fox science fiction drama television series Fringe. It is the season's 1st episode and the series' 66th episode overall....
" introduced an amber-toned title sequence with additional new terms.
Characters
Main characters
- Anna TorvAnna TorvAnna Torv is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe.-Early life:...
as Olivia DunhamOlivia DunhamFBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series Fringe . Olivia first appeared in the pilot episode on September 9, 2008. She is portrayed by actress Anna Torv....
(season 1–present), a Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) agentSpecial agentSpecial agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
assigned to investigate the spread of unexplained phenomena. Torv also plays Olivia's counterpart in the parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, dubbed by the characters of the prime universe as "Fauxlivia". - Joshua JacksonJoshua JacksonJoshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
as Peter BishopPeter BishopPeter Bishop is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.-Fictional character biography:...
(season 1–present), a jack-of-all-tradesJack of all trades, master of none"Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person that is competent with many skills but is not necessarily outstanding in any particular one....
who is brought in as a civilian consultant by Olivia to work with his estranged father, Walter. Peter is actually Walternate's son from the parallel universe, abducted by Walter shortly after his own Peter's death at a young age. - John NobleJohn NobleJohn Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
as Doctor Walter BishopWalter Bishop (Fringe)Walter Bishop, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble. Noble also plays Walter's counterpart in the show's parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate.-Arc:...
(season 1–present), a former government researcher in the field of fringe scienceFringe scienceFringe science is scientific inquiry in an established field of study that departs significantly from mainstream or orthodox theories, and is classified in the "fringes" of a credible mainstream academic discipline....
who was seen as a mad scientistMad scientistA mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
and institutionalized after a lab accident in which his assistant was killed. Noble acts as the parallel universe's Walter, named "Walternate" by the characters in the prime universe. Walternate rose to power as the U.S. Secretary of DefenseUnited States Secretary of DefenseThe Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
and instituted the war against the prime universe after the abduction of his son Peter. - Lance ReddickLance ReddickLance Reddick is an American theater, film and TV actor and musician born in Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in The Wire as Cedric Daniels, appeared in Oz as Detective Johnny Basil and appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Lost. He now has a prominent role in Fringe...
as Phillip Broyles (season 1–present), a Homeland SecurityUnited States Department of Homeland SecurityThe United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
agent and Senior-Agent-In-Charge (SAIC) who runs the Fringe Division. Reddick also performs the role of the parallel universe Broyles, who finds sympathy for Olivia and sacrifices himself during season 3 to allow her to escape the parallel universe. - Jasika NicoleJasika NicoleJasika Nicole is an American actress and illustrator from Birmingham, Alabama. She is most famous for portraying the character of Astrid Farnsworth in the TV series Fringe....
as Astrid Farnsworth (season 1–present), an FBI Junior Agent and assistant to Olivia and Walter. Nicole also plays the parallel universe Astrid character, who has symptoms similar to Asperger syndromeAsperger syndromeAsperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
as tribute to Nicole's sister who has the disorder. - Blair BrownBlair BrownBonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
as Nina Sharp (season 1–present), the Chief Operating Officer of Massive Dynamic, a leading firm in science and technology research and longtime friend of Walter and William. - Kirk AcevedoKirk AcevedoKirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
as Charlie Francis (season 1–season 2, episodes 1–4, 11; recurring afterward), FBI Senior Agent, Olivia's colleague and close friend, and the second-in-command of the Fringe Division before his demise. Though Charlie was killed early in the second season, Acevedo reprises the parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
version of Charlie. - Mark ValleyMark ValleyMark Thomas Valley is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Brad Chase on the TV drama Boston Legal and Christopher Chance in Fox's action/drama Human Target.-Personal life:...
as John Scott (season 1, episodes 1–13), Olivia's former FBI partner and secret lover, and whose death in "Pilot" leads Olivia to join the Fringe division. - Seth GabelSeth GabelSeth Gabel is an American actor. Gabel plays the role of agent Lincoln Lee on Fox's television series Fringe.-Career:...
as Lincoln LeeLincoln LeeCaptain Lincoln Lee is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe . Lincoln first appeared in the season two finale on May 13, 2010. He is portrayed by actor Seth Gabel....
(recurring season 2–3; starring season 4), an agent of the parallel universe Fringe Division. The prime universe version of Lincoln, also played by Gabel, appeared in the episode "StowawayStowaway (Fringe)"Stowaway" is the 17th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 60th episode overall. It followed the Fringe team's investigation into a woman, Dana Gray , who repeatedly tries to commit suicide only to meet with little success...
" as a special agent stationed at the FBI building in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
.
Recurring characters
- Michael CerverisMichael CerverisMichael Cerveris is an American singer, guitarist and actor. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including in several Stephen Sondheim musicals: Assassins, Sweeney Todd, Road Show, and Passion...
as The Observer (season 1–present), one of several "Observers", a traveling chronicler and enforcer of extraordinary events. He appears in one form or another, usually in an Alfred HitchcockAlfred HitchcockSir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
-like cameo, in each episode. He has never been referred to as "September" on-screen, but is credited as "September" in a press release for an episode as well as interviews with the actor. - Ari GraynorAri GraynorAriel Geltman Graynor, better known as Ari Graynor, is an American actress.-Life and career:Graynor was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was raised in a Jewish family and attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols, a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Trinity College, in Hartford,...
as Rachel Dunham (season 1–present), Olivia's sister. - Lily Pilblad as Ella Blake (season 1–present), Olivia's niece, the daughter of Rachel. Emily MeadeEmily MeadeEmily Meade is an American film and television actress. She has been cast in a potentially recurring role as a future version of the character Ella Blake in the U.S. science fiction series Fringe...
portrays the future Ella. - Leonard NimoyLeonard NimoyLeonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
as William Bell (season 1–3), Walter's former lab partner, the founder of Massive Dynamic, apparently killed in the season 2 finale. Nimoy, who had retired from acting after season 2, agreed to provide the voice of Bell, allowing for the character's reappearance via way of an animated character in season 3. - Michael GastonMichael GastonMichael Gaston is an American film and television actor. He played agent Quinn on the show Prison Break. He appeared as Gray Anderson on the CBS drama series Jericho. He also appeared in the first season of The Sopranos as a compulsive gambler in trouble with Tony...
as Sanford Harris (season 1), an old nemesis of Olivia's assigned to assess Fringe Division. - Jared HarrisJared HarrisJared Francis Harris is a British character actor, well known for playing the obnoxious Mac McGrath in the Adam Sandler film Mr. Deeds, and for his portrayal of Lane Pryce on the AMC series Mad Men.- Personal life :...
as David Robert Jones (season 1), leader of the ZFT cult, and killed in the season 1 finale. - Chance Kelly as Mitchell Loeb (season 1), an FBI agent and mole working for ZFT.
- Ryan McDonaldRyan McDonaldRyan James McDonald is a Canadian actor born 5 August 1984 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. He is sometimes mistakenly credited as Ryan MacDonald.-Filmography:* "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" * "Terry"...
as Brandon Fayette (season 2–present), a scientist at Massive Dynamic. In the parallel universe, Brandon works directly for Secretary of Defense Bishop, overseeing many of his less ethical projects. - Kevin CorriganKevin CorriganKevin Fitzgerald Corrigan is an American actor who has appeared mostly in independent films and television since the 1990s.-Life and career:Corrigan was born in The Bronx, New York to an Irish-American father and a Puerto Rican mother...
as Sam Weiss (season 2–present), Olivia's YodaYodaYoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
-like amateur psychologist and manager of a Boston-area bowling alley; his family line maintains knowledge of the "First People", a race of intelligent beings believed to have created the doomsday device. - Sebastian RochéSebastian Roché- Early life :Roché was born in Paris, France, on August 4, 1964; he is of Scottish and French ancestry. He is also fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian. On General Hospital, he spoke in Russian, Spanish and French, and on the pilot episode of Odyssey 5, he spoke in French...
as Thomas Jerome Newton (season 2–3), the leader of the shapeshiftersShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
, human/machine hybridsCyborgA cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
and undercover agents from the parallel universe. The character commits suicide during season 3. - Michelle KrusiecMichelle KrusiecMichelle J. Krusiec born October 2, 1974 in Fallon, Nevada, is an American actress of Taiwanese ancestry.Krusiec was recruited to be one of six globe-trotting travel reporters for the Discovery Channel new series called Travelers...
as Nadine Park (season 4).
Conception
Co-created by J. J. AbramsJ. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
, Roberto Orci
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orci is a Mexican-American film producer, television producer, and screenwriter.-Biography:Orci was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. His mother had left Cuba for Mexico after Fidel Castro came to power. He is the older brother of screenwriter-producer J....
and Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman is an American film and television screenwriter and producer.Kurtzman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he met his high school friend and long time collaborator Roberto Orci...
, Fringe is produced by Bad Robot in association with Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
, as part of a commitment that Abrams previously made with the studio. At the time, Abrams was working with Orci and Kurtzman on the Star Trek film, and used them to brainstorm ideas for the show.
Abrams's inspiration for Fringe came from a range of sources, including the writings of Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton
John Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
, the film Altered States
Altered States
Altered States is a 1980 American science fiction-horror film adaptation of a novel by the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. It was the only novel that Chayefsky ever wrote, as well as his final film. Both the novel and the film are based on John C...
, films by David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
, and the television series The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
and The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
. Orci stated that Fringe is a "new kind of storytelling", combining procedural
Procedural (genre)
A Procedural is a cross-genre type of literature, film, or television program involving a sequence of technical detail. A documentary film may be written in a procedural style to heighten narrative interest.- Fiction :...
shows such as Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & 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,...
, and an "extremely serialized and very culty" series like Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. The procedural aspect was chosen as, at the time of its premiere, six of the ten top shows were procedural in nature; Orci stated that "you have to be a fool not to go study what it is that they're doing". Though the team saw this as a way of presenting "mystery of the week"-type episodes, they wanted to focus more on how these stories were told in unpredictable ways rather than the actual mystery, recognizing that most of their target audience has seen such mysteries before through previous shows and films. Instead, they wanted their storytelling to be original and unexpected, and, as claimed by Kurtzman, one of the most challenging aspects of developing the individual episodes.
In considering the serialization aspect, Abrams recognized the difficulties that his earlier serialized shows, such as Lost and Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, had in attracting and maintaining viewers that had not seen these shows from the start or who missed episodes sporadically, and sought to rectify that for Fringe, creating, as stated by David Itzkoff of the New York Times, "a show that suggested complexity but was comprehensible in any given episode". One method was by introducing over-arching themes that individual episodes could be tied to, such as "The Pattern" in Season 1, providing information repeatedly about the larger plot over the course of several episodes or seasons. Abrams also created characters whose alliances to the larger narrative were clear, avoiding a similar problem that had occurred during the first and second seasons of Alias. A final step taken was to script out all of the major long-running plot elements, including the show's finale, prior to full-time production. Abrams contrasted this to the process used in Lost, where ideas like character flashbacks and the hatch from the second season were introduced haphazardly and made difficulties in defining when they should be presented to the viewers. Instead, with Fringe, they were able to create "clearly defined goalposts" (in Itzkoff's words) that could be altered as necessary with network and seasonal changes but always provided a clear target for the over-arching plot. These approaches also allowed the team to introduce unique plot elements to be introduced in time that would have altered the show's fate if known at the start. Abrams stated that "There are certain details that are hugely important that I believe, if shared, will destroy any chance of actually getting on the air." Abrams noted that they are able to benefit from "how open Fox as a network has been to a show that is embracing the weirdness and the long-term stories that we want to tell". During the third season, executive producer Jeff Pinkner noted that "We have six to eight seasons worth of material. We see it as having certain chapters that would enrich the overall story, but aren't necessary to tell the overall story. God willing, the network allows us the time to tell our complete story."
As part of the larger story, the writers have placed elements in earlier episodes that are referenced in episodes seasons later. For example, in the first season episode "The Ghost Network
The Ghost Network
"The Ghost Network" is the third episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by co-executive producer David H. Goodman and supervising producer J. R. Orci, and was directed by Frederick E. O. Toye...
", the Fringe team encounters an amber-like substance, which is later shown to be a critical means to combat the breakdown of the parallel universe and eventually for the same in the prime universe with the third season episode "6B
6B (Fringe)
"6B" is the 14th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 57th episode overall.-Plot:...
". Pickner compared this aspect to "planting seeds", some which they know how they plan to use later in the show's story, while others they can find ways of incorporating into these later episodes. He further attributed these elements as part of the "world building" to flesh out the show beyond episodic content. The producers have stated that when the show's mythology is introduced, it is not simply there to tie episodes together, but "to provide answers that generate consequences".
The show's main characters, Olivia, Peter, and Walter, were core of the concept for Fringe. They recognized early that "the idea that telling a father-son story and a relationship story was a really compelling one and a very accessible one", according to Kurtzman. They were able to provide the characters with backstories that, like with other long-term plot elements, could be alluded to over several episodes and seasons. The characters would also contrast with the typical procedural genre show; instead of having clearly defined roles episode to episode, and instead "have an emotional memory and an emotional investment", as stated by Orci. This also allowed for, as necessary, characters to be removed or introduced to the show and have a larger impact on the other characters.
Production
Jeff PinknerJeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner is an American television writer and producer. He graduated from Pikesville High School in Baltimore Maryland in 1983. He is known for his work on Alias where he served as executive producer. In 2006 and 2007, he worked as an executive producer and writer for the mystery series Lost...
was selected to act as the head show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
and executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
. Abrams noted that he trusts Pinkner after working together with him on Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
and Lost. In season two, J.H. Wyman was brought on as executive producer and showrunner with Jeff Pinkner. Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino is an American composer who has composed scores for movies, television series and video games. Some of his most notable works include the scores to television series such as Lost, Alias and Fringe, games such as the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty series, and films such as...
, Abrams' frequent collaborator, composed the music for the pilot of Fringe, before handing over duties to his assistants Chad Seiter and Chris Tilton; Giacchino retains an on-screen credit. Abrams himself wrote the series theme music.
The two-hour pilot episode, filmed in Toronto, Canada, cost a total of $10 million to create. A basement of an old church was used for Walter's lab set in the pilot, and this set was replicated at other film sites in New York and Vancouver when the show moved. John Noble called his character's lab "the heart and soul of Fringe", so consequently, "That has to remain constant." A cow used in the pilot episode had to be recast when production of Season 1 was moved to New York, due to livestock restrictions preventing it from being brought from Canada to the United States. Other locations used in the first season included other universities to stage for the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
campus, where Walter's lab is located. These included Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, including its Old Campus
Old Campus
The Old Campus is a complex of buildings at Yale University on the block at the northwest end of the green in New Haven, Connecticut, consisting of dormitories, classrooms, chapels and offices...
(particularly Phelps Hall and Durfee Hall), Branford College
Branford College
Branford College is the oldest of the 12 residential colleges at Yale University.-The Founding of Branford:Branford College was founded in 1933 by partitioning the Memorial Quadrangle into two parts: Saybrook and Branford...
, and the exterior of Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
's University College
University College, University of Toronto
University College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its secularism contrasted with contemporary...
, Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
, and Bahen Centre for Information Technology
Bahen Centre for Information Technology
The Bahen Centre for Information Technology is a building at the St. George campus of the University of Toronto. The university website bills it as a "state of the art facility for education of information technology professionals in electrical and computer engineering, computer science and IT...
.
On February 21, 2009, it was reported that in the event that Fringe would be renewed for a second season, the show would move production to 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,...
from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a cost-cutting measure. Executive producer Jeff Pinkner explained:
"We want to stay in New York, New York has been incredibly good to us. It feels like we're being kicked out of the city. I know we're not, but they're making it impossible for us to afford doing the show... Our New York crew is spectacular, they've worked their [butts] off to make the show look great. But it looks like New York is not renewing a tax credit that makes it possible to make our budget in New York. So it looks like, out of necessity, we'll have to leave New York, which is not anything we are welcoming.
Upon productions moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for season 2, the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
now stands in for Harvard. The area around New Westminster often serves as filming locations for Fringe stories that take place in the parallel universe.
Fringe was officially renewed for a second and third season on May 4, 2009 and March 6, 2010, respectively, with the show being moved to Thursday nights. In the middle of the third season, the show was relocated to Friday nights, the so-called "Friday night death slot
Friday night death slot
The Friday night death slot is a perceived graveyard slot in American television, referring to the concept that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings is destined for imminent cancellation....
", and suffered from viewership drops (see U.S Ratings). Despite these, the Fox Network confirmed for a 22 episode pick-up for the fourth season of Fringe on March 24, 2011. The show will remain at the Friday night slot for the season.
Casting
The first actors cast were Kirk AcevedoKirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
and Mark Valley
Mark Valley
Mark Thomas Valley is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Brad Chase on the TV drama Boston Legal and Christopher Chance in Fox's action/drama Human Target.-Personal life:...
, who portrayed FBI agents Charlie Francis and John Scott, respectively. John Noble
John Noble
John Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
and Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick is an American theater, film and TV actor and musician born in Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in The Wire as Cedric Daniels, appeared in Oz as Detective Johnny Basil and appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Lost. He now has a prominent role in Fringe...
, who play Dr. Walter Bishop and Homeland Security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
agent Phillip Broyles joined the cast later on. Casting of Anna Torv
Anna Torv
Anna Torv is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe.-Early life:...
, Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
, and Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole is an American actress and illustrator from Birmingham, Alabama. She is most famous for portraying the character of Astrid Farnsworth in the TV series Fringe....
, who play Olivia Dunham, Massive Dynamic employee Nina Sharp, and Astrid Farnsworth, a federal agent and assistant to Olivia Dunham, respectively, followed; while Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
, who plays Peter Bishop, was the last main character to be cast. Jackson auditioned for James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
in Abrams' Star Trek and believed this is what impressed the producer to cast him in his television project.
On April 8, 2009, it was announced that Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
would appear as Walter Bishop's former lab partner, Dr. William Bell in the first season's finale, which explores the existence of an ominous parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. This choice led one reviewer to question if Fringes plot might be an homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode "Mirror, Mirror", which explored the concept of an alternate reality referred to as a "mirror universe
Mirror Universe (Star Trek)
The Mirror Universe is a fictional parallel universe in which the plots of several Star Trek television episodes take place...
", and an evil version of Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
distinguished by a goatee. Nimoy returned as Dr. Bell for an extended arc, and according to Orci, Bell is "the beginning of the answers to even bigger questions." Nimoy reprised his role in the second season finale, where his character and Walter met for a "showdown". Nimoy's character is apparently dead after the season finale, having used himself to help Walter, Peter and the Alternate Olivia back to our universe. As he had retired from acting, it was thought unlikely that his character would return. In February 2011 however, he announced his definite plan to return to Fringe and reprise his role as William Bell. He returned to voice the character in the animated segments of the April 2011 episode "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (Fringe)
"Lysergic Acid Diethylamide" is the 19th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 62nd episode overall...
".
Home video releases
The pilot episode was leaked via BitTorrent, three months before the series premiere; similar to leaked fellow Fox series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The series has been released on both DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
formats.
The first season of Fringe was released as a widescreen region 1 DVD box set on September 8, 2009. In addition to all the episodes that had been aired, DVD extras included three commentary tracks, unaired scenes, gag reels and behind the scenes features. A "Fringe Pattern Analysis" was included on the Blu-ray version as an exclusive. The same set was released on September 28, 2009 in region 2 and on September 30, 2009 in region 4.
The second season featured four commentary tracks, a gag reel, deleted scenes, behind the scenes videos and included the episode "Unearthed
Unearthed (Fringe)
"Unearthed" is the 11th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. While the body of a young, recently deceased girl is being harvested of its organs, she suddenly comes back to life yelling classified naval launch codes and Russian phrases, leading...
", an episode produced for the first season, which aired out of schedule during the second season. It was released in region 1 on September 14, 2010, on September 27, 2010 in region 2 and on November 10, 2010 in region 4.
The third season was released on September 6, 2011 in region 1, and is scheduled for release on September 26, 2011 in region 2 and on October 26, 2011 in region 4.
Games
An alternate reality gameAlternate reality game
An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions....
, centered on the fictional Massive Dynamic corporation, was introduced during the pilot and featured "strange symbols paired with glowing dots" appearing throughout the episode and an "advertisement" for the company shown at the end with a web address for the game.
Comics
On August 27, 2008, a prequelPrequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
(leading right up to the moment in the pilot where Olivia 'first' meets Walter) written by Zack Whedon
Zack Whedon
Zack Whedon is an American screenwriter and comic book writer. He graduated in 2002 with a film degree from Wesleyan University where he served as president of the Eclectic Society...
, the series was released by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
under its WildStorm
WildStorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
imprint. This was to be the first issue of a monthly 6-issue limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
but the others were delayed until January 2009, when monthly publication resumed, with the sixth and final issue scheduled for release on June 17. The Vice President of WildStorm, Hank Kanalz, explained the publication hiatus: "The writers of the show want to make sure the comic book is integrated into the mythology of the Fringe world, so we have decided to refocus the direction of the comic book. Unfortunately, this means that we will have some delays, but will be back in January."
On June 23, 2010, the first issue of Tales From the Fringe, the second six-part monthly series, was released, while the final issue was released on November 24, 2010.
Reception
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
among adults 18–49, with ratings improving over the course of the episode. Ratings improved greatly for the second episode, "The Same Old Story
The Same Old Story
Josh Jackson of Paste Magazine disliked the "deus ex machina" aspects that "neatly solved the puzzles of the first two episodes", and also criticized perceived "plot contrivances" like how the serial murderer immediately began aging once interrupted from killing his last victim...
" which 13.27 million people watched, making it the fifth most watched show of the week. As of October 2008, the show had achieved the first place in the 18–49 demographic
Demographic profile
A demographic or demographic profile is a term used in marketing and broadcasting, to describe a demographic grouping or a market segment...
among new shows. As a whole, the series was well received by the critics. Barry Garron at Hollywood Reporter found it promising because "it is reminiscent of battle-of-the-sexes charm." Robert Bianco, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, said, "What Abrams brings to Fringe is a director's eye for plot and pace, a fan's love of sci-fi excitement, and a story-teller's gift for investing absurd events with real emotions and relatable characters." Travis Fickett of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it 7.6 out of 10, calling it "a lackluster pilot that promises to be a pretty good series." While Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
remarked that it was "boundlessly ambitious", Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
s Misha Davenport called it an "update of The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
with the addition of terrorism and the office of Homeland Security."
In its 2008 Year in Review, Television Without Pity declared Fringe one of the year's biggest TV disappointments, commenting that the show is "entertaining" and "the cast is largely strong" but the character development is insufficient. The show's main character, Olivia Dunham is "wooden and distant, and after half a season, we still haven't gotten to know her." The untrustworthy Nina Sharp is well-acted but "one-note and lazily written" and Lance Reddick's character is also "under-developed".
The Daily Herald comments that Fringe is promising and "it may yet develop into a worthwhile program" but has "largely been spinning its wheels". Meanwhile, in other articles recounting the best and worst of 2008, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
stated that Fringe "is the best of a rash of new series that toy with the paranormal." The author goes on to praise the cast saying that "Much credit belongs to Anna Torv who stars as an F.B.I. agent investigating bizarre murders that all appear to be linked to a powerful and mysterious multinational corporation" and "Ms. Torv is backed up ably by John Noble as a crazy but brilliant fringe scientist and his level-headed but skeptical son, played by Joshua Jackson."
Changing in the approach and storytelling of the show in the second and subsequent seasons led to more positive critical reception and made it a media favorite. Entertainment Weekly, which stated "The best new show of the year took a few weeks to grow on me, but now it's a full-blown addiction", the LA Times, calling Walter Bishop one of the best characters of 2008, saying that "the role of the modern-day mad scientist could so easily have been a disaster, but the 'Fringe' writers and the masterful John Noble have conspired to create a character that seems, as trite as it sounds, more Shakespearean than sci-fi." Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
states that some episodes are "distressingly predictable and formulaic" but adds that there have also been some excellent episodes. The New York Times named Fringe one of the top 10 television shows in 2010. while Television Without Pity, previously dismissive of the show, listing it amongst their 2010 "Most Memorable TV Moments", stating "there were so many great Fringe moments this year" and "we were treated to some of the best sci-fi on television this past fall." The A.V. Club named Fringe the 15th best show of 2010, stated that the episode "Peter" gave "the series' overarching storyline a devastating emotional core", making the series a "rare blend of inventive ideas, wild ambition, and unexpected soulfulness". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
named Fringe the 18th best science fiction show of all time in a 2011 listing, stating that since the middle of the first season, "it's been nothing but a series of satisfyingly jaw-dropping 'holy eff!' moments layered with wonderful, nuanced performances from Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble".
U.S. Nielsen ratings
The following is a table of seasonal U.S. rankings (based on total viewers per episode including reruns) of Fringe on Fox.| Season | Timeslot (ET Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... ) |
Episodes | Premiered | Ended | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Premiere viewers (in millions) |
Date | Finale viewers (in millions) |
|||||
| Season 1 Fringe (Season 1) The first season of the American science fiction television series Fringe commenced airing on September 9, 2008, and concluded on May 12, 2009. The season contained 21 episodes, although only 20 of them aired as part of the first season... |
Tuesday 9:00 pm | 20 | September 9, 2008 | 9.13 | May 12, 2009 | 9.28 | #43 | 10.02 |
| Season 2 Fringe (Season 2) The second season of the American science fiction television series Fringe commenced airing on the Fox network on September 17, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, and its showrunners... |
Thursday 9:00 pm Monday 9:00 pm |
23 | September 17, 2009 | 7.98 | May 20, 2010 | 5.68 | #79 | 6.25 |
| Season 3 Fringe (season 3) The third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 6, 2011, consisting of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros... |
Thursday 9:00 pm Friday 9:00 pm |
22 | September 23, 2010 | 5.83 | May 6, 2011 | 3.29 | #99 | 5.83 |
| Season 4 Fringe (season 4) The fourth season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2011, and will consist of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
Friday 9:00 pm | 22 | September 23, 2011 | 3.48 | Spring 2012 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Fringe premiered in the 2008 United States television season
2008–09 United States network television schedule
The following is the 2008–2009 network television schedule for the six major English language broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2008 through May 2009. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and...
at a regular timeslot of 9:00 pm Eastern on Tuesdays. During Season 1, Fringe was part of a Fox initiative known as "Remote-Free TV". Episodes of Fringe were longer than standard dramas on current network television. The show ran with half the commercials, adding about six minutes to the show's runtime. When the show went to a commercial, a short bumper aired informing the viewer of roughly how much time commercials will consume before the program resumed. The series was subsequently moved to 9:00 pm on Thursday nights during its second and third season starting in the 2009 season
2009–2010 United States network television schedule
The following is the 2009–2010 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2009 through May 2010. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new...
.
As part of a reorganization of its 2010 midseason
2010–2011 United States network television schedule
The following is the 2010–2011 network television schedule for the five major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2010 through May 2011. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new...
line up to capture more market for American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, the Fox network shifted Fringe to 9:00 pm on Fridays. This timeslot, commonly considered the "Friday night death slot
Friday night death slot
The Friday night death slot is a perceived graveyard slot in American television, referring to the concept that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings is destined for imminent cancellation....
" for several previous Fox shows due to cancellation shortly following the move to that slot, have left critics considering the show's fate. While The X-Files originally premiered during this slot and would continue to be a highly successful series, critics were unsure if Fringe could duplicate this performance. In this slot, the show competed with Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
, a series that attracts similar types of viewers. Fox's Entertainment President Kevin Reilly, in response to these concerns, stated that 45% of Fringes viewership is from time shifting
Time shifting
Time shifting is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to at a time more convenient to the consumer. Typically, this refers to TV programming but can also refer to radio shows via podcasts....
recording through digital video receivers, and does not expect the viewership numbers to change significantly with the change to Friday. Reilly further postulated that "If it does anywhere near what it did on Thursdays, we can glue that show to the schedule because it can be a big win for us". Further promoted by the critical reaction to the rescheduling, the Fox network created a self-deprecating promotional advertisement acknowledging the reputation of the time slot, including quotes from other media outlets concerned about the move, but asserts that the move will "re-animate" the show. The network also created a music video, set to "Echoes
Echoes (Klaxons song)
"Echoes" is the first single to be released by British indie rock band Klaxons from their second studio album, Surfing the Void. The song was released through Polydor Records as a digital download on 15 August 2010, with a vinyl and CD single release the following day. The single was added to BBC...
" by the band Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007....
as a means of summarizing the third season to date prior to the first Friday broadcast. Joshua Jackson, who plays Peter Bishop on the show, cautioned that time-shifted viewership may not be enough to save the show: "It's not that not enough people are watching Fringe, it's that not enough people are watching Fringe during the hour that it's on the air, which is key for the network."
Producers Pickner and Wyman also were excited about the move to Fridays, considering the slot as "open territory that can be conquered" and that they "can actually deliver like The X-Files did". Series creator Abrams was less optimisic of the move to Friday nights, aware that the show's likelihood to be renewed for a fourth season would be highly dependent on the number of niche viewers that continue to watch the show. Abrams did affirm that moving to Friday nights allows them to take more creative freedoms to maintain viewership in the new timeslot, but feels that if the show was not renewed for another season, they would be "hard pressed" to resolve the story by the end of the third season.
The show's first episode at the Friday 9:00 pm timeslot ("The Firefly
The Firefly (Fringe)
"The Firefly" is the 10th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 53rd episode overall. The episode centers on a chain of events created by Walter crossing over into the parallel universe in 1985 that has had subtle but significant effects...
") scored a 1.9 in the key 18–49 demographic which was an increase of 12% over its last Thursday-aired episode ("Marionette") which scored a 1.7, and maintained similar numbers in the second week for "Reciprocity
Reciprocity (Fringe)
"Reciprocity" is the 11th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 54th episode overall. The episode has the Fringe division following a chain of shapeshifter murders as the assembly of the doomsday device nears completion.Josh Singer wrote...
". Though viewership slipped in further weeks, the show was renewed for a fourth season in March 2011. The move was unexpected based on these ratings, given the past performance of shows with similar viewership numbers in the Friday night slot, but several critics attribute it to the strong fanbase that the show has garnered, which contributes in part to consistently higher time-shifted viewership. Fox's Reilly stated that:
Reilly further added that the renewal was also prompted by the high risk of trying to replace Fringe with another show with unknown viewership metrics; he commented that they "have a far better shot of sticking with a show that has an audience that [they] think [they] can grow". Prior to the onset of the fourth season, Reilly reiterated that they do not expect any significant growth in Fringes viewership within that season: "It’s a pretty complex show. If Fringe can do exactly what Fringe did last year, we’re going to be very happy. They’re right in the pocket creatively once again." Wyman stated in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that the Fox network had been "supportive throughout this process", and though the show's viewership "wasn't exactly what they would've hoped for", aspects such as a loyal fan base and supportive critics were enough to take the show forward for another season. Pinkner commented that "there were no creative conditions" on the show's renewal, nor any cuts in the show's budget, though was unsure if the show will be moved to a different time slot. Noble, at the 2011 Comic-Con Fringe panel, reiterated that the fans were responsible for the livelihood of the show, stated "Seriously, without your efforts, your rabid support, we wouldn’t be here right now. You are the best fans that ever existed".
Canada
Fringe premiered in Canada on CTVCTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
simultaneous to its U.S. premiere and was the most watched program in Canada that week. The show would fluctuate between airing on CTV and A during its first two seasons. Beginning with the third season Fringe is broadcast on Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
in Canada.
Australia
- A version of the show (edited for time) premiered on the Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
in Australia on September 17, 2008. In the season one episode "In Which We Meet Mr. JonesIn Which We Meet Mr. Jones"In Which We Meet Mr. Jones" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by J. J. Abrams and Jeff Pinkner, and directed by Brad Anderson...
", the scene in the introduction where the doctors discover a parasite on Detective Loeb's heart was censored and just went straight to the opening credits. Nine Network later dropped the show from its primetime schedule temporarily; the show returned during the December to January non-ratings period. - Fringe now airs on Nine's second digital channel GO!Go! (Australian TV channel)GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
and is one of the most popular shows aired on GO! on Wednesday nights at 8:30 pm. - It is also currently running an on-demand run on FetchTVFetchTV (Australia)FetchTV is an Australian IPTV company, operating a subscription television service over a user's regular Internet service. It provides a Set Top Box with Personal Video Recorder for recording from Free-to-Air channels - and adds regular subscription channels, radio, Video on Demand, Pay per view,...
.
Other
- In 2008, Fringe also premiered on Ireland's TV3 (October 1), Sweden's Kanal 5Kanal 5 (Sweden)Kanal 5 is a Swedish commercial television channel established in 1989. It is owned by the media corporation ProSiebenSat.1 Media.After a troublesome 1990s, Kanal 5 launched new strategies in the early 2000s that established it as a popular entertainment channel targeting young people...
(October 2), and the United Kingdom's Sky1 (October 5). - In 2009, Fringe made additional debuts on Norway's TVNorgeTVNorgeTVNorge is a Norwegian television channel.TVNorge went on the air December 5, 1988 and was the first advertising-supported Norwegian channel. The channel was started with 50 000 NOK...
(January 1), Finland's MTV3MTV3MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials...
(January 5), South Africa's M-NetM-NetM-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
(January 8), Italy's Mediaset PremiumMediaset PremiumMediaset Premium is an Italian digital terrestrial television service provided by Mediaset. It provides pay tv and pay-per-view services through use of a smart card.-History:...
(January 31), Portugal's RTP2 (February 5), Hungary's RTL KlubRTL KlubRTL Klub is a television station owned by RTL Group and broadcast in Hungary. It was one of Hungary's first commercial TV channels and was only two days after the main rival TV2 to begin broadcasting.-About RTL Klub:...
(March 13), Germany's ProSieben (March 16), Brazil's SBT (June 1), France's TF1TF1TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
(June 10) and NET 5NET 5NET 5 is a commercial TV channel in the Netherlands owned by Sanoma and Talpa Holding . Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are SBS6 and Veronica.- History :...
in the Netherlands (September 6). - In 2010, Fringe debuted on TV3TV3 (Catalonia)TV3 is the primary television channel of Catalan public broadcaster Televisió de Catalunya, a subsidiary of the CCMA. TV3 broadcasts programs only in Catalan, with an optional dual track in the original language for some foreign-language series and movies...
in Catalonia (October 7), on TVNTVN (Poland)TVN is a major Polish commercial television network. The broadcaster was co-founded by Polish businessmen Mariusz Walter and Jan Wejchert. The network launched on October 3, 1997. TVN belongs to the TVN S.A...
in Poland, on HRT 2Croatian RadiotelevisionCroatian Radiotelevision is a Croatian public broadcasting company. It operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as well as satellite...
in Croatia (November 4), and on Star ChannelStar ChannelStar Channel is a Greek television network that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek programming. It launched in December 1993 and is owned by Nea Tileorasi A.E.. The main news bulletin is called Star Eidiseis, which is currently hosted by Aimilios Liatsos...
in Greece (Seasons 1 & 2). - In 2011, Fringe debuted on POP TVPOP TVPOP TV is a Slovenian commercial television station operated by the multi-media company PRO PLUS d.o.o.It is a TV channel with the highest ratings in Slovenia , and at the same time the most popular and trustworthy...
in Slovenia (March 16) and on TV AvalaTV AvalaTV Avala is a Serbian television network with national frequency. Registered as a limited liabilty company, the station was given a national TV frequency in Serbia in April 2006....
in Serbia (May 29). - Fringe airs on TV2 in New Zealand. One episode of season 2 (which features a building hit by what initially looks like an earthquake) was played out of sequence due to being scheduled shortly after the Christchurch earthquake.
Awards and nominations
Fringe and its cast and crew have been nominated and won several awards including Emmys, Saturn Awards, Golden Reel Awards, Satellite AwardsSatellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
, and Writers Guild of America Awards.
External links
- Fringe at Sky1
- FringePedia
Official tie-in sites
- Imagine the Impossibilities – Fictional evidence regarding "The Pattern"
- Massive Dynamic website