This one is actually coming to a TV near you (July 11th!), but it qualifies as a Premature Infatuation because we’re already goofy giddy about it. David Strathairn, y’all! What else do you need to know?? Ok, I’ll tell you. it’s a bit of a riff on Heroes (which I didn’t watch) and X-Men (written by Zak Penn, who has had a hand in the X-Men and Incredible Hulk flicks) about a collection of folks who have “abilities” and are being gathered for the greater good.
This is the Syfy logline: “Alphas follows a team of ordinary citizens with extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Taking the law into their own hands, the unlikely team, led by Dr. Leigh Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Oscar nominee David Strathairn) investigates cases that suggest other Alpha activity to uncover what the CIA, FBI and Pentagon have not been able, or willing, to solve. These gifted individuals must balance their quirky personalities and disparate backgrounds with their not always visible powers as they work to solve crimes, stop the ticking time bomb and catch the enemy.”
So, fancy pants special effects + smartassery = I’m so there. It reminds me of Thoughtcrimes, a 2003 pilot that Navi Rawat did with Peter Horton and Stargate:Atlantis‘s Joe Flanigan, where she could hear people’s thoughts. It was very well done but didn’t go as a series and was dumped onto USA as a two-hour movie.
Aside from Strathairn’s casting, I’m psyched to have Warren Christie back on a weekly series. He was on our Klaus short list and has been the go-to romantic lead for a handful of Hallmark and Lifetime films (including this new one this Saturday). I’m not complaining. I’d just rather have him on my TV more than once a quarter. The show also has Mailk Yoba, who most folks know for New York Undercover. Other cast members include Ryan Cartwright, who had a stint on Bones, and Laura Mennell, who was recently a Djinn on Supernatural and is in regular rotation on made-in-Canada movies of the week. Azita Ghanizadais is also a regular–she’s been on Castle, NCIS: LA, and Psych.
The Toronto location is a bonus because we’ll be chock full of my Canadian HITG parade. Callum Keith Rennie is in the pilot, and if he has scenes opposite Strathairn, I may have to be revived. I’m all aboard having the same repertoire company populating Supernatural, Psych, Covert Affairs, Warehouse 13, Flashpoint, Being Human, and Canadian shows-on-Canadian-TV like Lost Girl and Republic of Doyle.
Jumpy claps for a new Syfy summer companion to Haven and Eureka.
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