Warning: Spoilers Ahead
There is a new mini-series titled Ascension coming to Syfy in November that we all should be excited about. The premise is a ship (named Ascension, thus the title) is sent in 1963 on a century-long mission to seed a new space colony with a group of men, women and children to insure the survival of the human race. But, when a woman is mysteriously murdered on the ship, everyone begins to seriously question the true nature of their mission.
The stars of the series are Brian Van Holt (Cougar Town, The Bridge) as the ship’s captain William Denninger; Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as the captain’s very manipulative wife; Viondra Denninger, Al Sapienza (The Sopranos, Person of Interest); and Andrea Roth (Rescue Me) as the ship’s head doctor Juliet Bryce. Van Holt and Helfer are joined by Tiffany Lonsdale as Chief Astronomer Emily Vanderhaus; Jacqueline Byers as her daughter Nora Bryce; PJ Boudousque as Nora’s love interest; James Toback and Ryan Robbins as Safety Officer (and Emily’s husband) Duke Vanderhaus.
We were able to chat with EP Levens and the cast this weekend at SDCC to learn more about the series and we are even more excited now. This isn’t just a group of people on their way to a new space colony. This is a century-long trip, and so, the ship is essentially transformed into a mini-society. The ship itself is massive with the set piece itself five stories high. All of the cast said that the set is more elaborate than those one would expect for a feature film. All aspects of the ship were designed to mimic real cities and there is even a real beach on the vessel. There are societal classes on the ship, with the elite/assholes (as Levens put it himself!) on the upper deck and the ordinary, working-class people on the lower deck. All marriages are arranged and you are allowed to have children only when the “birth computer program” says you can. This is all done to insure the population on the ship stays under control and it is enforced with birth control.  This truly sounds like an amazing show.
But, don’t take my word for it! Â Check out our press room interviews, and see for yourself!
Ascension premieres November 14th on Syfy.
VIDEO
Executive Producer Philip Levens
Tricia Helfer as Viondra Dellinger
Brian Van Holt as Captain William Dellinger, the leader of the ship but one with a dark past
Al Sapienza as Councilman Rose, a man who is having an affair with the Captain’s wife in hopes of taking over the ship
Official Trailer
PHOTOS
All photos credited to Mary Powers/TV Goodness.
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