Sanctuary (web series)
Encyclopedia
Sanctuary is a Canadian science fiction
-fantasy
television series, created by Damian Kindler
. The show is an expansion of an eight-webisode
series that was released at no cost through the Internet in early 2007. Seeing the success of the web series
, Syfy
decided to pick up the series for a more traditional television-based 13-episode season. A second season of 13 episodes aired in 2009–2010, and Sanctuary was renewed for a third season of 20 episodes on December 12, 2009.
The show centers on Dr. Helen Magnus
, a 157 year old teratologist (born August 27, 1850 and sent back in time 113 years), and her team of experts who run the Sanctuary, an organization that seeks out extraordinarily-powerful creatures and people, known as Abnormals, and tries to help and learn from them, while also having to contain the more dangerous ones.
The series premiered on October 3, 2008, in both Canada and the United States, and on October 6 in the United Kingdom. The premiere drew in more than 3 million viewers making it the highest rated original series premiere for Syfy
since Eureka
debuted in July 2006. The premiere two-parter, "Sanctuary for All
", was a combination and rewriting of the first four webisodes and was followed by "Fata Morgana
", based on webisodes five through eight. Amanda Tapping, with all of the original cast from the web series, made the transition to the television series. The second season premiered on Friday, October 9, 2009, in the 10 pm timeslot. In Australia the program debuted on Pay Television's Sci Fi
and on free-to-air
channel, ABC2
, where season one started on March 1, 2010 each Monday at 9:30 pm. Season two commenced on July 12, 2010 in the same timeslot.
Season 3 premiered Friday, October 15, 2010, on Syfy in its original 10 pm timeslot. In January 2011, Sanctuary was renewed for a fourth season.
) and her quest to protect various cryptid
s, legends, and abnormal animals/people with certain extraordinary powers and abilities – what most people would consider monsters. "The Sanctuary" serves as a safe haven for these "Abnormals". She is initially aided in her quest by her reluctant protégé Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne
); her intrepid, if somewhat reckless, daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup
); the talkative lycanthrope geek Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins
), a computer and security expert; and her taciturn, Neanderthal
-like assistant, played by Christopher Heyerdahl
(unnamed, but listed as Bigfoot in the show's credits).
The history of Dr. Magnus is gradually revealed. In her youth she was trained by her father, a gifted Victorian-era scientist, to study the world and protect the unusual. Helen was a member of a group of experimental scientists known as "The Five", which included also Nikola Tesla (Jonathon Young), Nigel Griffin, Dr. James Watson (Peter Wingfield
), and Magnus's lover John Druitt (Heyerdahl again), who wanted to push the boundaries of their understanding of the physical world through unconventional means. At some point during their partnership, Magnus acquired a vial of untainted vampire blood and used it in a serum that "The Five" injected into themselves. After the injection, they each developed Abnormal traits: Magnus experienced drastically slowed aging, and longevity with no clear limit; Nigel Griffin acquired the power to become invisible at will; Dr. James Watson's intellect was tremendously heightened; Nikola Tesla underwent transformation into a vampire, with the additional power of electrical manipulation; John Druitt developed longevity and the ability to teleport through time and space, but, already unstable and soon possessed by a malevolent energy creature (explained Season 2 Episode 11), he was driven to give in to his dark impulses.
Episode Three introduces "The Cabal", a powerful shadow organization that captures, studies, and experiments on Abnormals, in the belief that the Abnormal population is a threat to the human species. During the first season finale, "Revelations", they test a small amount of a biological weapon named Lazarus that causes all types of Abnormals to become extremely violent, attacking anyone nearby and then dying painfully. This is part of The Cabal's overall plan to incite humanity against the Abnormals so that they can wipe out the entire Abnormal population and gain greater influence over humanity. They brainwash Ashley, and in season two, convert her into a vampiric supersoldier, using her as a template for a small army which attacks the Sanctuary network. Against all odds, Magnus and her teams stop them at the Old City Sanctuary, and Ashley, in a moment of clarity, apparently sacrifices herself. Her father, Druitt, hunts down and kills the heads of the Cabal, which seems to disband.
As season two progresses, Magnus grapples with denial, then grief, and finally accepts the loss of Ashley. Meanwhile, the team adjusts to newcomer Kate Freelander (Agam Darshi
), a former freelance Cabal operative. They also deal with their relationships (Magnus's in particular) to the remaining members of the Five, and increased international coordination in the wake of the Cabal's attacks on the Global Sanctuary Network that Magnus had established. It emerges that an enormous marine Abnormal, Big Bertha, had been preserved rather than euthanized by Magnus, and that Bertha is, somehow, a sapient being named Kali existing on a psychic or spirit plane, intricately tied to nature and Abnormals around the world. At the end of the second season and beginning of the third, a man named Edward Forsythe (Callum Blue
) tries to take control of Bertha, and NY Sanctuary House Head Terrence Wexford (Paul McGillion
) goes rogue trying to destroy her – he even attempts to depose and kill Helen.
Ultimately, Bertha/Kali is saved and Wexford is ousted, but more questions are raised than answered: Will visits the spirit plane via induced cardiac arrest, and while there he sees two other powerful beings in addition to Kali; encounters Helen's father, who gives Will a message for her; and then spontaneously returns to life with no brain damage after an unprecedented length of time. The Sanctuary team speculate that the beings are avatars of Abnormals as powerful as Big Bertha, one of which may have been the source of the earthquake that stopped a destructive tidal wave started by Kali's wrath. Meanwhile, Gregory Magnus's message leads them to old birthday gifts he gave Helen, which in conjunction produce a tangible holographic map or miniature representing an unknown steampunk
-style city. This is eventually revealed to be Praxis, an advanced underground civilization of humans and Abnormals. After an initial period of mistrust (exacerbated by the antics of Adam Worth (Ian Tracey
), an old enemy of Helen's who inspired Jekyll and Hyde), Helen and her team save the world and reach an entente, with Gregory acting as ambassador. However, the peace does not last long. Worth, who escaped, manipulated unhappy Abnormals in Praxis while experimenting with a dangerously unstable energy source to power a time machine. The end results of his machinations were the destruction of Praxis, several armies of displaced Abnormals marching on the upper world, and his escape to the past to attempt to save his daughter, Magnus hot on his heels.
based in Vancouver
, British Columbia, founded in 2006. The webisodes were filmed from January 3 to January 31, 2007, at Bridge Studios. Sanctuary is filmed almost entirely using the green screen technique. Unlike many other shows, elaborate sets are not built for the scenes to be filmed; instead, they are created using CGI
technology. Production on the television version of Sanctuary began in early 2008, with a reshooting of the pilot episode, "Sanctuary for All
". The first season cost an estimated $21 million (CAN
), and filmed in Burnaby, British Columbia. In December 2008, the series was confirmed to have been picked up for a second season of thirteen episodes. The second season began production in the end of March/beginning of April, 2009. Guest stars for the second season include Agam Darshi
, who will play con-artist Kate Freelander, former Stargate SG-1
actor Michael Shanks
as Jimmy for the ninth episode, entitled "Penance", and former Stargate Atlantis
actor Paul McGillion
, who will play Wexford, a character he played in the webseries, in the final two episodes.
Sanctuary is the first television series in North America to use the RED camera exclusively. The RED camera system does away with tape and film and records straight to a hard drive allowing the Anthem Visual Effects and the series' post production team immediate access to the day’s footage, and is capable of recording at resolutions up to 4096 horizontal by 2304 vertical pixels, four times the resolution of current day HD
. Other than being a primary cast member, Amanda Tapping is also an executive producer on the show, but according to Tapping herself in an interview with The Today Show, she does not get paid extra as an executive producer, mainly because what salary the executive producers would get would go towards paying for the sets, because the series is not backed up by a studio. Although heavily reliant on virtual sets, a few episodes in the first season, including "Kush" and "Requiem", were filmed on practical sets, including the fuselage of an aircraft. The series also took a different filming style for the Cloverfield
-esque "Instinct".
s", are about 15–20 minutes in duration and were released bi-weekly. The success of the webisodes led the Syfy
Channel to commission a 13-episode season for 2008. The first four webisodes were rewritten and reshot as a two-hour premiere episode, "Sanctuary for All
". After the deal with the SciFi channel, the webisodes were moved to the Sci Fi network on Hulu.com.
In its first season on Syfy
, the original series, Sanctuary has averaged a 1.9 Household rating; 1,044,000 Adults (ages 18–49); 1,371,000 Adults (ages 25–54) and 2,366,000 total viewers. The pilot episode, "Sanctuary for All
" received a Nielsen household rating of 2.2, the highest rated original series premiere from Syfy
since the series premiere of Eureka
in July 2006. The 2.2 rating represented more than 2.7 million viewers; 1.08 million among the adult 18–49 demographic and 1.4 million among the adult 25–54 demographic. This placed Sanctuary the number one cable program among adults 25–54, and number four among adults 18–49. The ratings success also boosted the web series to 1.2 million views. In the United Kingdom, both parts placed the series first place on the top ten viewing programmes for ITV4
during the two weeks they aired. The first part was viewed by 565,000, while the second part received a higher viewing figure of 608,000.
Entertainment One
has released the first two seasons on DVD on Region 1
In Region 2, Contender Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD in the UK on October 19, 2009. The boxset was available in Australia on September 9, 2009 (Region 4). A Special Edition 5 Disc Set of Season 1 in Region 4 was released on June 9, 2010, which included the webisodes. Season 2 was released on June 9, 2010, in Region 4. Season 1 and Season 2 were both released on Blu-Ray on June 9, 2010, in Region B.
, signifying "mixed or average reviews" based on 7 television reviewers. Tori Ireland Mell of IGN called the series an intriguing story, and a mind-blowing concept, and believes the series from a production standpoint was executed well. Some reviewers have made comparisons between Sanctuary and British science fiction series Torchwood
and Primeval, as well as drawing comparisons between Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) and Daniel Jackson from Stargate SG-1
. USA Today
reviewer Bill Keveney said that Amanda Tapping
had reached her "comfort zone," and continued with further positive reaction to the TV series. Rick Bentley from McClatchy Newspapers commented Tapping's role as Dr. Helen Magnus was a way for the actress to make a name of herself outside of Stargate SG-1
as character Samantha Carter
.
Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
described the show as "competent if not particularly innovative sci-fi," and said that the series might be of interest to fans of Tapping's earlier works. Mike Hale of The New York Times
believed that the series does not have "the narrative force of Battlestar Galactica
or the wit and creativity of Eureka
," further stating "it's not an embarrassment for the channel, but it doesn't raise the stakes either.
Sanctuary has been nominated for six Constellation Awards. The series has also been nominated for ten Leo Awards
and won four of these in 2009.
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...
-fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
television series, created by Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler is an Australian-born Canadian writer and producer. He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, when he was young. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lives with his wife and his two children Hannah and Phoebe Kindler.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate...
. The show is an expansion of an eight-webisode
Webisode
A webisode is a short episode which airs initially as Internet television, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast or cable television. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.A webisode can be an episode...
series that was released at no cost through the Internet in early 2007. Seeing the success of the web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
, Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
decided to pick up the series for a more traditional television-based 13-episode season. A second season of 13 episodes aired in 2009–2010, and Sanctuary was renewed for a third season of 20 episodes on December 12, 2009.
The show centers on Dr. Helen Magnus
Helen Magnus
Doctor Helen Magnus is the series protagonist and central character of the Canadian fantasy-science fiction television series Sanctuary. She is portrayed by Amanda Tapping...
, a 157 year old teratologist (born August 27, 1850 and sent back in time 113 years), and her team of experts who run the Sanctuary, an organization that seeks out extraordinarily-powerful creatures and people, known as Abnormals, and tries to help and learn from them, while also having to contain the more dangerous ones.
The series premiered on October 3, 2008, in both Canada and the United States, and on October 6 in the United Kingdom. The premiere drew in more than 3 million viewers making it the highest rated original series premiere for Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
since Eureka
Eureka (TV series)
Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011...
debuted in July 2006. The premiere two-parter, "Sanctuary for All
Sanctuary for All
"Sanctuary for All" is the two-part series premiere of the science fiction television series Sanctuary, a television spinoff from the web series of the same name. Both parts originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States for October 3, 2008, and subsequently aired on ITV4 in the United...
", was a combination and rewriting of the first four webisodes and was followed by "Fata Morgana
Fata Morgana (Sanctuary)
"Fata Morgana" is the third episode of the science fiction television series Sanctuary. The episode first aired on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on October 10, 2008. It subsequently aired on ITV4 in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2008. The episode, which is named after a mirage of the...
", based on webisodes five through eight. Amanda Tapping, with all of the original cast from the web series, made the transition to the television series. The second season premiered on Friday, October 9, 2009, in the 10 pm timeslot. In Australia the program debuted on Pay Television's Sci Fi
Sci Fi Channel (Australia)
Sci Fi Channel is an Australian subscription channel that airs science fiction, fantasy and related programs. It is available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms. It is currently the only Sci Fi channel worldwide to keep the Saturn logo.-Shows:Sci Fi currently airs...
and on free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
channel, ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, where season one started on March 1, 2010 each Monday at 9:30 pm. Season two commenced on July 12, 2010 in the same timeslot.
Season 3 premiered Friday, October 15, 2010, on Syfy in its original 10 pm timeslot. In January 2011, Sanctuary was renewed for a fourth season.
Series overview
Sanctuary follows the exploits of Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda TappingAmanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis...
) and her quest to protect various cryptid
Cryptid
In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...
s, legends, and abnormal animals/people with certain extraordinary powers and abilities – what most people would consider monsters. "The Sanctuary" serves as a safe haven for these "Abnormals". She is initially aided in her quest by her reluctant protégé Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne
Robin Dunne
Robin Dunne is a Canadian actor who is mainly known for having had numerous leading roles in sequels throughout his career, and lately for his role as Doctor Will Zimmerman in the cult Science fiction Television series, Sanctuary....
); her intrepid, if somewhat reckless, daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup
Emilie Ullerup
Emilie Ullerup is a Danish actress. She is best known for playing Ashley Magnus on the television series Sanctuary.-Early life and education:...
); the talkative lycanthrope geek Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins
Ryan Robbins
Ryan Robbins is a Canadian actor. He was married to the actress Rebecca Reichert and they have one daughter.-Biography:...
), a computer and security expert; and her taciturn, Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
-like assistant, played by Christopher Heyerdahl
Christopher Heyerdahl
Christopher Heyerdahl is a Canadian actor who has had roles in many prominent television shows and movies. He is tall.-Biography:Heyerdahl was born in the mountains of British Columbia and is of Norwegian and Scottish descent...
(unnamed, but listed as Bigfoot in the show's credits).
The history of Dr. Magnus is gradually revealed. In her youth she was trained by her father, a gifted Victorian-era scientist, to study the world and protect the unusual. Helen was a member of a group of experimental scientists known as "The Five", which included also Nikola Tesla (Jonathon Young), Nigel Griffin, Dr. James Watson (Peter Wingfield
Peter Wingfield
Peter Wingfield is a Welsh born television actor, well known for his television roles as Dan Clifford in Holby City, Dr. Robert Helm in Queen of Swords and Inspector Simon Ross in Cold Squad...
), and Magnus's lover John Druitt (Heyerdahl again), who wanted to push the boundaries of their understanding of the physical world through unconventional means. At some point during their partnership, Magnus acquired a vial of untainted vampire blood and used it in a serum that "The Five" injected into themselves. After the injection, they each developed Abnormal traits: Magnus experienced drastically slowed aging, and longevity with no clear limit; Nigel Griffin acquired the power to become invisible at will; Dr. James Watson's intellect was tremendously heightened; Nikola Tesla underwent transformation into a vampire, with the additional power of electrical manipulation; John Druitt developed longevity and the ability to teleport through time and space, but, already unstable and soon possessed by a malevolent energy creature (explained Season 2 Episode 11), he was driven to give in to his dark impulses.
Episode Three introduces "The Cabal", a powerful shadow organization that captures, studies, and experiments on Abnormals, in the belief that the Abnormal population is a threat to the human species. During the first season finale, "Revelations", they test a small amount of a biological weapon named Lazarus that causes all types of Abnormals to become extremely violent, attacking anyone nearby and then dying painfully. This is part of The Cabal's overall plan to incite humanity against the Abnormals so that they can wipe out the entire Abnormal population and gain greater influence over humanity. They brainwash Ashley, and in season two, convert her into a vampiric supersoldier, using her as a template for a small army which attacks the Sanctuary network. Against all odds, Magnus and her teams stop them at the Old City Sanctuary, and Ashley, in a moment of clarity, apparently sacrifices herself. Her father, Druitt, hunts down and kills the heads of the Cabal, which seems to disband.
As season two progresses, Magnus grapples with denial, then grief, and finally accepts the loss of Ashley. Meanwhile, the team adjusts to newcomer Kate Freelander (Agam Darshi
Agam Darshi
Agam Darshi is an English-born actress, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:Agam Darshi was born Agamdeep Darshi in Birmingham, UK. At a very young age she and her family moved to Canada. At the age of 14 she left home and moved to Calgary, to pursue a career of acting -...
), a former freelance Cabal operative. They also deal with their relationships (Magnus's in particular) to the remaining members of the Five, and increased international coordination in the wake of the Cabal's attacks on the Global Sanctuary Network that Magnus had established. It emerges that an enormous marine Abnormal, Big Bertha, had been preserved rather than euthanized by Magnus, and that Bertha is, somehow, a sapient being named Kali existing on a psychic or spirit plane, intricately tied to nature and Abnormals around the world. At the end of the second season and beginning of the third, a man named Edward Forsythe (Callum Blue
Callum Blue
Daniel James Callum Blue , better known as Callum Blue, is an English film and television actor, best known for his roles on the Showtime series The Tudors and Dead Like Me as well as for his role as Zod in the American television series Smallville and British...
) tries to take control of Bertha, and NY Sanctuary House Head Terrence Wexford (Paul McGillion
Paul McGillion
Paul McGillion is a Vancouver-based actor who has worked in television, film and theatre since 1990. He is best known for his role on the television series Stargate Atlantis as Dr. Carson Beckett.-Early life:...
) goes rogue trying to destroy her – he even attempts to depose and kill Helen.
Ultimately, Bertha/Kali is saved and Wexford is ousted, but more questions are raised than answered: Will visits the spirit plane via induced cardiac arrest, and while there he sees two other powerful beings in addition to Kali; encounters Helen's father, who gives Will a message for her; and then spontaneously returns to life with no brain damage after an unprecedented length of time. The Sanctuary team speculate that the beings are avatars of Abnormals as powerful as Big Bertha, one of which may have been the source of the earthquake that stopped a destructive tidal wave started by Kali's wrath. Meanwhile, Gregory Magnus's message leads them to old birthday gifts he gave Helen, which in conjunction produce a tangible holographic map or miniature representing an unknown steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
-style city. This is eventually revealed to be Praxis, an advanced underground civilization of humans and Abnormals. After an initial period of mistrust (exacerbated by the antics of Adam Worth (Ian Tracey
Ian Tracey
Ian Tracey is a Canadian Leo- and Gemini Award-winning actor. Over the years, Tracey has participated in over seventy films and television series. Tracey has starred in series like Da Vinci's Inquest and Intelligence, both CBC television series produced by long-time colleague Chris Haddock...
), an old enemy of Helen's who inspired Jekyll and Hyde), Helen and her team save the world and reach an entente, with Gregory acting as ambassador. However, the peace does not last long. Worth, who escaped, manipulated unhappy Abnormals in Praxis while experimenting with a dangerously unstable energy source to power a time machine. The end results of his machinations were the destruction of Praxis, several armies of displaced Abnormals marching on the upper world, and his escape to the past to attempt to save his daughter, Magnus hot on his heels.
Characters
- Amanda TappingAmanda TappingAmanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis...
as Dr. Helen MagnusHelen MagnusDoctor Helen Magnus is the series protagonist and central character of the Canadian fantasy-science fiction television series Sanctuary. She is portrayed by Amanda Tapping...
, an English medical and scientific researcher who has devoted her life to both hunting and protecting so-called 'monsters'. She runs a 'Sanctuary for All' in the Old City, where they may find refuge while she studies them and attempts to help them. (As of season 4, Magnus is 274 years old.) - Robin DunneRobin DunneRobin Dunne is a Canadian actor who is mainly known for having had numerous leading roles in sequels throughout his career, and lately for his role as Doctor Will Zimmerman in the cult Science fiction Television series, Sanctuary....
as Dr. Will ZimmermanWill ZimmermanDoctor William "Will" Zimmerman is a main character and male lead of the Canadian fantasy-science fiction television series Sanctuary. He is portrayed by Robin Dunne...
, a brilliant forensic psychiatrist who is recruited by Dr. Magnus to help her treat people—specifically those who are difficult to reach emotionally, and need to be convinced to trust her. - Ryan RobbinsRyan RobbinsRyan Robbins is a Canadian actor. He was married to the actress Rebecca Reichert and they have one daughter.-Biography:...
as Henry Foss (Recurring Season 1, Regular Season 2–present), a self-proclaimed geek. He is both a weapons designer and a brilliant computer scientist. He keeps the Sanctuary's defenses working as well. It is revealed that he himself is a werewolf-like Abnormal (classified as a class nine hyper-accelerated protean life form). - Agam DarshiAgam DarshiAgam Darshi is an English-born actress, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:Agam Darshi was born Agamdeep Darshi in Birmingham, UK. At a very young age she and her family moved to Canada. At the age of 14 she left home and moved to Calgary, to pursue a career of acting -...
as Kate Freelander (Seasons 2–3, Recurring Season 4), a con-artist with Cabal connection and has a vast knowledge of their tactics and movements. After she is hunted by the Cabal, she reluctantly switches sides to the Sanctuary, staying on as a member of the team. Later, after the Hollow Earth threat had been mostly neutralized, she was stationed permanently in Hollow Earth by Magnus. - Christopher HeyerdahlChristopher HeyerdahlChristopher Heyerdahl is a Canadian actor who has had roles in many prominent television shows and movies. He is tall.-Biography:Heyerdahl was born in the mountains of British Columbia and is of Norwegian and Scottish descent...
as Bigfoot, a former patient of Dr. Magnus, she removed "more than a few bullets" from him, and after he recovered, he would not leave so Dr. Magnus gave him a position on her staff, as a butler, chauffeur, and body guard. He appears to be an intelligent Neanderthal and before meeting Dr. Magnus he liked to scare children for fun. Heyerdahl also plays (without the heavy makeup) the recurring character of John Druitt, a character who teleports at will. - Emilie UllerupEmilie UllerupEmilie Ullerup is a Danish actress. She is best known for playing Ashley Magnus on the television series Sanctuary.-Early life and education:...
as Ashley Magnus (Seasons 1–2), Dr. Magnus's daughter with John Druitt. Ashley was an expert monster hunter, and provided a counterbalance to Dr. Magnus's desire to protect creatures. She was apparently killed off early in season two after being subjected to severe genetic manipulation and mind control by the Cabal, who turned her into a super-assassin with multiple powers in an attempt to destroy the Sanctuary network.
Production
The series is produced by Stage 3 MediaStage 3 Media
Stage 3 Media is a video production company. Their premier production, Sanctuary is the first high definition dramatic series designed specifically for the web.The company, which is based in Vancouver, was founded in 2006....
based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia, founded in 2006. The webisodes were filmed from January 3 to January 31, 2007, at Bridge Studios. Sanctuary is filmed almost entirely using the green screen technique. Unlike many other shows, elaborate sets are not built for the scenes to be filmed; instead, they are created using CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
technology. Production on the television version of Sanctuary began in early 2008, with a reshooting of the pilot episode, "Sanctuary for All
Sanctuary for All
"Sanctuary for All" is the two-part series premiere of the science fiction television series Sanctuary, a television spinoff from the web series of the same name. Both parts originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States for October 3, 2008, and subsequently aired on ITV4 in the United...
". The first season cost an estimated $21 million (CAN
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
), and filmed in Burnaby, British Columbia. In December 2008, the series was confirmed to have been picked up for a second season of thirteen episodes. The second season began production in the end of March/beginning of April, 2009. Guest stars for the second season include Agam Darshi
Agam Darshi
Agam Darshi is an English-born actress, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:Agam Darshi was born Agamdeep Darshi in Birmingham, UK. At a very young age she and her family moved to Canada. At the age of 14 she left home and moved to Calgary, to pursue a career of acting -...
, who will play con-artist Kate Freelander, former Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
actor Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
as Jimmy for the ninth episode, entitled "Penance", and former Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
actor Paul McGillion
Paul McGillion
Paul McGillion is a Vancouver-based actor who has worked in television, film and theatre since 1990. He is best known for his role on the television series Stargate Atlantis as Dr. Carson Beckett.-Early life:...
, who will play Wexford, a character he played in the webseries, in the final two episodes.
Sanctuary is the first television series in North America to use the RED camera exclusively. The RED camera system does away with tape and film and records straight to a hard drive allowing the Anthem Visual Effects and the series' post production team immediate access to the day’s footage, and is capable of recording at resolutions up to 4096 horizontal by 2304 vertical pixels, four times the resolution of current day HD
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. Other than being a primary cast member, Amanda Tapping is also an executive producer on the show, but according to Tapping herself in an interview with The Today Show, she does not get paid extra as an executive producer, mainly because what salary the executive producers would get would go towards paying for the sets, because the series is not backed up by a studio. Although heavily reliant on virtual sets, a few episodes in the first season, including "Kush" and "Requiem", were filmed on practical sets, including the fuselage of an aircraft. The series also took a different filming style for the Cloverfield
Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
-esque "Instinct".
Broadcast and release
Unlike traditional TV series, the primary distribution channel for Sanctuary was originally the Internet. Episodes were sold directly to viewers on the official website. The web episodes or "webisodeWebisode
A webisode is a short episode which airs initially as Internet television, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast or cable television. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.A webisode can be an episode...
s", are about 15–20 minutes in duration and were released bi-weekly. The success of the webisodes led the Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
Channel to commission a 13-episode season for 2008. The first four webisodes were rewritten and reshot as a two-hour premiere episode, "Sanctuary for All
Sanctuary for All
"Sanctuary for All" is the two-part series premiere of the science fiction television series Sanctuary, a television spinoff from the web series of the same name. Both parts originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States for October 3, 2008, and subsequently aired on ITV4 in the United...
". After the deal with the SciFi channel, the webisodes were moved to the Sci Fi network on Hulu.com.
In its first season on Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, the original series, Sanctuary has averaged a 1.9 Household rating; 1,044,000 Adults (ages 18–49); 1,371,000 Adults (ages 25–54) and 2,366,000 total viewers. The pilot episode, "Sanctuary for All
Sanctuary for All
"Sanctuary for All" is the two-part series premiere of the science fiction television series Sanctuary, a television spinoff from the web series of the same name. Both parts originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States for October 3, 2008, and subsequently aired on ITV4 in the United...
" received a Nielsen household rating of 2.2, the highest rated original series premiere from Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
since the series premiere of Eureka
Eureka (TV series)
Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011...
in July 2006. The 2.2 rating represented more than 2.7 million viewers; 1.08 million among the adult 18–49 demographic and 1.4 million among the adult 25–54 demographic. This placed Sanctuary the number one cable program among adults 25–54, and number four among adults 18–49. The ratings success also boosted the web series to 1.2 million views. In the United Kingdom, both parts placed the series first place on the top ten viewing programmes for ITV4
ITV4
ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...
during the two weeks they aired. The first part was viewed by 565,000, while the second part received a higher viewing figure of 608,000.
Entertainment One
Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd is a leading international entertainment business operating in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand...
has released the first two seasons on DVD on Region 1
In Region 2, Contender Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD in the UK on October 19, 2009. The boxset was available in Australia on September 9, 2009 (Region 4). A Special Edition 5 Disc Set of Season 1 in Region 4 was released on June 9, 2010, which included the webisodes. Season 2 was released on June 9, 2010, in Region 4. Season 1 and Season 2 were both released on Blu-Ray on June 9, 2010, in Region B.
Critical response
Sanctuary has a score of 56 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, signifying "mixed or average reviews" based on 7 television reviewers. Tori Ireland Mell of IGN called the series an intriguing story, and a mind-blowing concept, and believes the series from a production standpoint was executed well. Some reviewers have made comparisons between Sanctuary and British science fiction series Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
and Primeval, as well as drawing comparisons between Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) and Daniel Jackson from Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. 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...
reviewer Bill Keveney said that Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis...
had reached her "comfort zone," and continued with further positive reaction to the TV series. Rick Bentley from McClatchy Newspapers commented Tapping's role as Dr. Helen Magnus was a way for the actress to make a name of herself outside of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
as character Samantha Carter
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien...
.
Maureen Ryan of the 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...
described the show as "competent if not particularly innovative sci-fi," and said that the series might be of interest to fans of Tapping's earlier works. Mike Hale of 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...
believed that the series does not have "the narrative force of Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
or the wit and creativity of Eureka
Eureka (TV series)
Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011...
," further stating "it's not an embarrassment for the channel, but it doesn't raise the stakes either.
Sanctuary has been nominated for six Constellation Awards. The series has also been nominated for ten Leo Awards
Leo Awards
The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry, celebrating excellence in artistic achievement. Held each May in Vancouver, Canada, the Leo Awards honour nominees and winners in 13 program categories and up to 19 craft categories...
and won four of these in 2009.
External links
- Official website
- Episodes at SyFy website (2007 Web series) (2008 TV series)