SANCTUARY
OCTOBER 3, 2008-DECEMBER 30, 2011
The show originated from an 8-episode series that ran free through the internet beginning in early 2007. Sci-fi picked up the series for a standard 13 episode season.
The show is based on Dr. Helen Magnus who is an English scientist who, at 158 years old, has extensive firsthand knowledge of things civilians can only read about in history books. Included in her team is Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) who was recruited by Magnus for his brilliant forensic psychiatrist background to help attend to her more emotionally disturbed abnormals. Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins) is himself a werewolf-like abnormal who is the first line of defense against those who seek to enter the sanctuary for less than honest reasons. Bigfoot a.k.a. "Big Guy" (Christopher Heyerdahl) was at one time a patient, but after Magnus removed several bullets from inside of him he recovered but refused to leave. Helen, the ever internal mother, put him to work within the sanctuary as a bodyguard with extra duties as chauffeur and butler. Ashley Magnus (Emilie Ullerup) is Dr. Magnus's daughter from a relationship with John Druitt. She is less of a protector figure than her mother and exudes more of her father’s expert hunting skills.
The amount of production on a sound stage in the first season is minimal as most of the backgrounds are done in the CGI technology format. The first season is estimated at $21 million in Canadian dollars. Bridge Studios is the home of filming for the series, located in Burnaby, British Columbia Canada. The studio has been home to many movies and television shows since its inception in 1982. Conversion to the lot for a permanent studio home structure was financed by the government of British Columbia and opened its doors in 1987.
The humor is subtle and at times almost seems written in the heads of the cast as the scene is being played out. This gives it a bit of an edge as everyone has to stay on their toes and in character until the director calls "cut." This gives the show a startlingly different feel than most sci-fi shows. The dark, often blue, tint to the episodes is a flavor used in science fiction-based movies but rarely done on a television series. No matter how big my TV screen gets, the dark night scenes that most shows film for effect leave too much unseen. The blue tint allows the viewer to feel the distress of the characters without the lack of visual. This approach is a refreshing change to watching black screened television shows that leave the viewer to wander mentally away from a potential frightening clip.
This is a great fit for the sci-fi network as the channel has come a long way since its first original series in 1997 with "Mission Genesis." Soon after came the powerful new injection when the station premiered "Ghost Hunters" which brought paranormal investigation out of the woodwork and gave the team of TAPS a platform to present apparitions, elemental's and ghosts.
The stories are intriguing and the cast seems to have embraced their characters. In combination with the sets and the CGI work, the show is unique and with potential added characters will be a good fit in the family of sci-fi.
11/29/10
RUSTY
10/3/08
