Sci Fi Begins Production On Sanctuary Season 2

Source: NBC / Universal

SCI FI's groundbreaking hit original series Sanctuary, the first TV show based on an online series to be picked up for a second season, began production last week in Vancouver. Slated to return this fall, the one-hour drama's 13-episode second season will include the addition of Agam Darshi as Kate Freelander.

Witty and sarcastic with a gift for persuasion, Kate Freelander is a swindler, con artist and thief who finds herself in an uneasy alliance with Dr. Magnus after her business relationship with the Cabal goes sour. Agam has appeared in such television programs as The L-Word, Supernatural, Criminal Minds, Dead Zone, Stargate Atlantis, CTV's Custody and the Lifetime Original Movie The Haunting on Sorority Row. Her feature film credits include Final Destination 3, Snakes on a Plane, and in this fall's highly anticipated 2012 from director Roland Emmerich.

For its first season, Sanctuary delivered a 1.9 HH rating 2.43 million total viewers including 1.42 million Adults 25-54 and 1.08 Adults 18-49. More than 3 million viewers tuned in to the premiere of Sanctuary on October 3, 2008 making it the highest rated original series premiere and the best performance for a first-season SCI FI scripted original series since Eureka's first season in 2006.

Sanctuary follows the adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population — a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans. Along with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), they seek to protect these threatened phenomena as well as unlock the mysteries behind their existence. Sanctuary blazes the television landscape by shooting almost entirely on green screen and is the first television series in North America to use the RED camera exclusively.

In January 2009, Sanctuary bested all top broadcast TV shows in Marketing Evalutions' Q Scores, which measure the viewer's emotional bonding to a TV show. With a 100 index being average, Sanctuary came in second only to Showtime's critically acclaimed series Dexter (174) among females 18-49 with a score of 171.

Created by Damian Kindler (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis), Sanctuary is produced in association with SCI FI Channel and Tricon Films and Television. Season 2 of the series will be executive produced by Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood with Andrea Gorfolova, Carrie Mudd and Keith Beedie.

See Also: Atlantis And Sanctuary Finales Score Big For Sci Fi / Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2008 / Robert Carlyle Has A Date With A Stargate Not A Tardis / Sci Fi Orders Another Season Of Sanctuary / Sci Fi To Premiere Two Stargate Movies In 2009 / Sci Fi To Air Stargate Universe In 2009 /Sci Fi To Produce A New Two Hour Stargate Atlantis Movie / Actress Profile - Grace Park / Amanda Tapping To Star In Sanctuary

Atlantis And Sanctuary Finales Score Big For Sci Fi

Source: NBC / Universal

SCI FI had two of the top ten programs in cable entertainment on Friday, January 9, 2009 with the series finale of Stargate Atlantis and the season 1 finale of Sanctuary. This led Sci Fi to become the #4 cable entertainment network among Adults 25-54 and #5 among Adults 18-49 in primetime for the evening.

The series finale of Stargate Atlantis entitled "Enemy at the Gate" (9 pm) delivered a 1.5 HH rating with 973,000 Adults 18-49, 1.15 MM Adults 25-54 and 2.02 MM total viewers (P2+). This marks a season high in all key measures and is the best performance for an Atlantis episode since the season 4 finale on March 7, 2008. The second half of the Sanctuary two-part season finale "Revelations" (10pm) delivered a 1.6 HH rating with 900,000 Adults 18-49, 1.13 MM Adults 25-54 and 2.0 MM total viewers (P2+). This is the best performance for the series since its premiere on October 3, 2008 in total viewers and among Adults 18-49.

Season program highlights include:

For its fifth and final season (including all available timeshifting data), Atlantis averaged a 1.6 HH rating with 1.06 MM Adults 18-49, 1.24 MM, Adults 25-54 and 2.1 MM total viewers (P2+). Compared to season 4 Atlantis is up +14% in HH ratings, +5% in Adults 25-54 and +5% in total viewers (P2+).

For its full first season (including all available timeshifting data), Sanctuary has averaged a 1.8 HH rating with 1.04 MM Adults 18-49, 1.36 MM Adults 25-54 and 2.35 MM total viewers (P2+). This is the best performance for a first-year original scripted series on SCI FI since the 2006 debut of Eureka.

Stargate Atlantis and Sanctuary were the #9 and #10 cable programs for the day among Adults 25-54.

Stargate Universe, the newest installment of the hit Stargate franchise and the second season of Sanctuary will premiere later this year.

Stargate Atlantis follows the adventures of an intrepid team of military and civilian explorers who travel the distant Pegasus galaxy by means of a Stargate, a portal created long ago by a highly advanced alien civilization called the Ancients. In their never-ending quest to seek out other technologies left behind by the Ancients, the Atlantis team encounters alien cultures – some friend, some foe. The exceptional ensemble cast is led by Joe Flanigan, Robert Picardo, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Jewel Staite and Jason Momoa.

Sanctuary features the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population — a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans. Along with her new recruit, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), her quirky tech wiz Henry (Ryan Robbins) and her fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup), Magnus seeks to protect this threatened phenomena as well as unlock the mysteries behind their existence. The series also stars Christopher Heyerdahl as the sinister John Druitt.

See Also: Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2008 / Robert Carlyle Has A Date With A Stargate Not A Tardis / Sci Fi Orders Another Season Of Sanctuary / Sci Fi To Premiere Two Stargate Movies In 2009 / Sci Fi To Air Stargate Universe In 2009 /Sci Fi To Produce A New Two Hour Stargate Atlantis Movie / Actress Profile - Grace Park / Amanda Tapping To Star In Sanctuary

Sci Fi To Premiere Two Stargate Movies In 2009

Source: NBC / Universal

The SCI FI Channel has acquired the U.S. television rights to the two highly successful Stargate films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum, which will mark their U.S. television premiere on the Channel. Both films are set to air in Spring 2009.

Continuing the legacy and thrilling journey of the popular Stargate SG-1 television series, Stargate: The Ark of Truth picks up after "Unending," the SG-1 series finale. Searching for an ancient weapon which could help them defeat the sinister Ori force, SG-1 discovers it may be in the Ori's own home galaxy, and the crew finds themselves fighting two powerful enemies. The film stars series favorites Amanda Tapping (2005 Saturn Award, Best Supporting TV Actress), Golden Globe® winner and three-time Emmy Award® winning actor Beau Bridges, Michael Shanks, Ben Browder, Christopher Judge, and Claudia Black. Robert C. Cooper serves as writer/director and co-executive producer along with Brad Wright. Both men are the co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and currently serve as executive producers on Atlantis.

Stargate: Continuum, the adrenaline-driven, action adventure film, has members of SG-1 returning to a world where their history has been dramatically altered. Continuum reunites Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill, with all the series favorite crewmembers. The most northern filmed movie production in history, Stargate: Continuum features incredible visual effects, out-of-this-world battle sequences and breathtaking scenes shot on the Arctic ice. Directed by Martin Wood (Sanctuary) and written by Brad Wright, the film finds Ba'al as he travels back in time and tries to prevent the Stargate program from ever being started. The SG-1 team must somehow restore history and once again save the galaxy from oppressive domination.

See Also: Sci Fi To Air Stargate Universe In 2009 /Sci Fi To Produce A New Two Hour Stargate Atlantis Movie / Actress Profile - Grace Park / Amanda Tapping To Star In Sanctuary /

Sci Fi To Produce A New Two Hour Stargate Atlantis Movie

Source: NBC / Universal

Building upon the successful Stargate franchise, SCI FI Channel today announced it has greenlit a two-hour movie based on the hit science fiction adventure series Stargate Atlantis. SCI FI will have the exclusive worldwide television premiere of the yet to be titled Stargate Atlantis film, which will then be released on DVD by MGM. The movie will be written by Stargate Atlantis' executive producers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, who also serve as series showrunners. The movie is set to follow the fifth and final season of Stargate Atlantis, as it draws to its thrilling conclusion in January 2009.

"We're excited to tell Atlantis stories on a bigger canvas. The successes of the two original Stargate DTV movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum have shown us the opportunities that the movie format offers. We have plans for both SG-1 and Atlantis to remain vital as we expand the franchise, " said Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and who both currently serve as executive producers on Atlantis.

"We share in the producers' enthusiasm to move forward in this direction and we look forward to a strong and continued relationship on Stargate Atlantis in this new format," said Thomas Vitale, Senior Vice President Programming & Original Movies.

Stargate Atlantis follows the adventures of an intrepid team of military and civilian explorers who travel the distant Pegasus galaxy by means of a Stargate, a portal created long ago by a highly advanced alien civilization called the Ancients. In their never-ending quest to seek out other technologies left behind by the Ancients, the Atlantis team encounters alien cultures – some friend, some foe.

The series will reach a milestone with the 100th episode airing in January 2009. Atlantis is executive produced by Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Carl Binder, and Martin Gero. Mallozzi and Mullie share the reins as showrunners.