Syfy Announces its January Debuts Which Include Ronald Moore's Helix and the Werewolf Drama Bitten

Syfy has not had much in the way of scripted programming on their schedule of late with Friday night's Haven being the only original non-reality show that the network has currently airing.  But that will change in January with two returning shows (Being Human and Lost Girl) and two new debuts (Helix and Bitten).  The highly anticipated Helix comes from Battlestar Galactica's Ronald Moore and delivers a drama about a team of scientists trying to stop a deadly virus that could lead to the annihilation of the human race.  Bitten is a supernatural werewolf drama based on the Women of the Otherworld novels by Kelley Armstrong that looks to grab some of the ratings love that MTV's Teen Wolf has enjoyed. That one will be joining the three hour Monday night block of shows that also includes Lost Girl and Being Human.  Following is the schedule and premiere dates as well as Syfy's official synopses for each of the show.

Monday:
8 PM EST Lost Girl (Season 4 Premiere January 13th)
9 PM EST Being Human (Season 4 Premiere January 13th)
10 PM EST Bitten (Series Premiere January 13th)

Friday:
10 PM EST Helix (Series Premiere January 10th)

Series Info:

Helix (Series Premiere January 10th)

Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to the high-tech research facility, Arctic BioSystems, to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that may hold the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation.  However, the lethal threat is just the tip of the iceberg, and as the virus evolves, the chilling truth begins to unravel.

Billy Campbell (Killing Lincoln, The Killing) stars as Dr. Alan Farragut, leader of the Centers for Disease Control outbreak field team called upon to investigate and control a potential outbreak. Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, 47 Ronin) also stars as Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, director of Arctic BioSystems and its mysterious viral research program.

Helix also stars Kyra Zagorsky (Supernatural) as Dr. Julia Walker; Mark Ghanimé (Emily Owens, M.D.) as Major Sergio Balleseros; Jordan Hayes (House at the End of the Street) as Dr. Sarah Jordan; Meegwun Fairbrother as Daniel Aerov; Catherine Lemieux (White House Down) as Dr. Doreen Boyle, and Neil Napier (Riddick) as Dr. Peter Farragut

Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) who is also showrunner, and Lynda Obst (Contact, Sleepless in Seattle) are Executive Producers. The 13-episode series is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Kaji Productions and Lynda Obst Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. Prolific director and producer Jeffrey Reiner (Friday Night Lights) directed the premiere episode, which was written by creator and co-executive producer, Cameron Porsandeh.


Lost Girl (Season 4 Premiere January 13th)

This season on Lost Girl, fate casts a wide shadow over the Fae world. With Bo’s (Anna Silk) return, the lines between Dark and Light Fae are blurred, causing her embark on a journey of discovery. Bo and company will ultimately realize that, regardless of the challenges and enemies they face, they’re stronger when they confront them together. George Takei (Star Trek) and Ali Liebert (Bomb Girls) are among the new season’s guest stars

Lost Girl also stars Ksenia Solo as Kenzi, Bo's human sidekick and street-smart confidante; Kris Holden-Ried as Dyson, the shape shifting homicide detective and noble warrior of the Light Fae; Zoie Palmer as Lauren, the brilliant human doctor who competes with Dyson for Bo’s affection; Rick Howland as Trick, Bo’s grandfather and the ancient and mysterious Blood King, and K.C. Collins as Hale, Dyson’s partner and a Light Fae siren born of noble blood. Paul Amos returns as the ever devious Dark Fae Mesmer, Vex, and Emmanuelle Vaugier reprises her role as the evil Dark Fae leader, The Morrigan.

Lost Girl was developed by Prodigy Pictures, in association with Shaw Media and Showcase. Executive Producers are Jay Firestone and Emily Andras. Vanessa Piazza and Wendy Grean are producers. Lost Girl is produced with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian cable industry, and with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit Program.


Being Human (Season 4 Premiere January 13th)

Season 4 of Being Human picks up four months from last season’s shocking finale and, for Aidan, Sally, Josh and Nora, the past is about to come back to haunt them!

Aidan (Sam Witwer) and Nora (Kristen Hager) struggle to save Josh (Sam Huntington), who is trapped in his wolf form. At the same time, an unbelievable visitor collides with Aidan, forcing him to make impossible choices between the people he loves the most. Meanwhile, Sally (Meaghan Rath), having been dragged down into her death spot by Witch Donna (guest star Amy Aquino), finds herself trapped and at the mercy of her foe, but Sally’s newly imbued magical powers could change everything.


Bitten (Series Premiere January 13th)

Based on the New York Times best-selling Women of the Otherworld novels by Kelley Armstrong, the 13-episode Bitten is an emotionally charged Supernatural thriller starring Laura Vandervoort (Smallville, Ted) as Elena Michaels, the lone female werewolf in existence.

Desperate to escape both a world she never wanted to be part of and the man who turned her into a werewolf, Elena (Vandervoort) has abandoned her Pack and taken refuge in a new city. There, she works as a photographer and hides her werewolf existence from her new boyfriend. When bodies start turning up in her Pack’s backyard, Elena finds herself back at Stonehaven, the werewolves’ ancestral domain. Torn between two worlds and two loves, she quickly realizes that – when push comes to shove – she’ll stop at nothing to defend her Pack.

Bitten also stars Greg Bryk (A History of Violence) as werewolf Pack “Alpha” Jeremy Danvers, Greyston Holt (Alcatraz) as Elena’s werewolf ex-boyfriend Clayton Danvers, and Paul Greene (The Client List) as Elena’s current beau, Philip McAdams.

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Why Were They Cancelled? 
The Plight of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television in the Face of the Unforgiving Nielsens and Networks

Ever wondered why your favorite science fiction and/or fantasy show disappeared from the television schedule, never to deliver anymore new episodes? The reason why, most likely, is that it was cancelled because its ratings were low. And this book looks at those many cancelled sci fi/fantasy shows as well as the Neilsen ratings and television networks that dictate their fates. Available now for only $1.99 on Kindle from Amazon.com.

Cancellation Watch Fall 2013 Science Fiction and Fantasy TV Preview

Another new television season is upon us and despite the fact that many science fiction and fantasy fans regularly complain that there is nothing to watch on the tube, the number of genre entries offered by the broadcast networks and cable channels continues to grow each year.  This Fall, there are more than twenty new and returning genre shows that will debut between September and November, and at mid-season there are more than a dozen set to join those (I’ll be covering them as it gets closer to January).  So there are plenty of offerings for fans to choose from and some that look quite promising along with others that should continue to deliver the same level of quality we have seen in prior seasons (and you can see my recommendations for the coming season at this link).  But as always, shows in the sci fi vein (applying that term broadly to science fiction, fantasy, and horror) face that monolithic hurdle called the Nielsen ratings that they must contend with to remain on the air.  I track the ratings for all of the sci fi shows currently airing each week with my Cancellation Watch column and also over at the Cancellation Watch Twitter Site.  And before the season begins (and again at mid-season), I usually give my predictions on how likely a show is to get cancelled.  My Fall 2013 Preview Page has my look at each of the upcoming genre entries that will debut between September and November with the pre-season Cancellation Alert status I have assigned to each.  Last season I was pretty accurate with these, pegging 666 Park Ave and Last Resort as likely goners and Arrow as an almost certain hit (by The CW standards at least).  I did miss on The Neighbors--flagging it as sure to be cancelled by mid-season--but you can make a pretty strong argument that it should have been axed based on its numbers.  Note that I rarely give a new series the lowest or highest Cancellation Alert statuses because there are too many variables that haven’t come into play yet that makes it harder to predict accurately how they will perform in the ratings.  That said, I did it last season with two shows (I hit on Arrow as sure to get renewed, but missed on The Neighbors as mentioned above).  And I am doing it again this season with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  (more on that at my preview page).   You can see my full predictions for all of the science fiction and fantasy over at my Fall Preview Page, and below I have a quick look at which shows are most likely to survive and which ones could face a potential date with the network executioners (note that any renewal predictions on The CW shows assumes that network doesn't fold, which is always a possibility). I also have the full list of Fall premieres below sorted by their debut date.

September 13th is when things get kicked off with the premieres of Haven on Syfy and The Legend of Korra on Nickelodeon.  You can see the full schedule of Fall 2013 shows (along with series descriptions for the new entries) with premiere dates at this link.  And keep a close eye on my Cancellation Watch column and at the Cancellation Watch Twitter Site for when the early results from the Fall season will start rolling in.  So strap yourself in because another wild season is about to start up and stick with this site to know whether your favorite shows might be facing the looming threat of cancellation.

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New shows with the best chances of surviving:

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)
The Originals (CW)
The Tomorrow People (CW)
Dracula (NBC)

Returning shows most likely to earn yet another season:

American Horror Story (FX)
Arrow (CW)
Grimm (NBC) 
Person of Interest (CBS)
Supernatural (CW)
Vampire Diaries (CW)
The Walking Dead (AMC)

New shows facing an uphill climb:

Almost Human (FOX)
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC)
Sleepy Hollow (FOX)

Returning shows with struggles ahead:

Haven (Syfy)
Revolution (NBC)

Full List of Fall Premiere Dates for Fall 2013 Science Fiction and Fantasy Shows:

The Legend of Korra (Nickelodeon)    September 13
Haven (Syfy)    September 13
Sleepy Hollow (FOX)    September 16
The Neighbors (ABC)    September 20
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)    September 24
Person of Interest (CBS)    September 24
Revolution (NBC)    September 25
Once Upon A Time (ABC)    September 29
The Originals* (CW)    October 3
Vampire Diaries (CW)    October 3
Witches of East End (Lifetime)    October 6
Beauty and the Beast (CW)    October 7
Supernatural (CW)     October 8
Arrow (CW)    October 9
The Tomorrow People (CW)     October 9
The American Horror Story: Coven (FX)    October 9
Once Upon A Time in Wonderland (ABC)    October 10
The Walking Dead (AMC)    October 13
Grimm (NBC)    October 25
Dracula (NBC)    October 25
Almost Human (FOX)    November 4
Atlantis (BBC America)    November 23

*The Originals will premiere on Thursday, Oct 3rd at 9 PM EST after the 5th season premiere of Vampire Diaries.  It will then move to its regular Tuesday 8 PM EST timeslot on Oct 9th.

See My Full Fall 2013 Science Fiction and Fantasy TV Preview at This Link

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The Summer Sci Fi/Fantasy Shows Start the First Week of June, Here's What to Expect

The 2012-13 season is all but over (Revolution has its finale on Monday and Hannibal will wrap up later in June) and it's time for the networks to start rolling out their Summer lineup.  This used to be the time when the cable channels would beef up their genre programming, and we still see some of that with the returns of Teen Wolf, Falling Skies, and True Blood.  But it appears that Syfy has no original programming planned for their usual July start (they have a couple of cast-offs that begin in June), and the broadcast networks seem to have mostly given up on original genre programming in the Summer (though CBS does have one offering, with possibly a second from NBC), mostly using it now for burn-off runs.  You can see the full schedule of genre shows (as it currently stands) at this link, and following are my thoughts on how these shows will fare in the ratings.  (And for a look at the Fall schedule, go to this link.)

Teen Wolf (MTV, Mondays 10 PM EST, Season 3 Premieres June 3rd): This teen werewolf series has done well-enough in the ratings that MTV considers it a success.  Early on, it looked like it had the potential to become the next Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but instead it decided to coast closer to the Vampire Diaries-type angsty-teen melodrama angle.  That works for its network, though, and this one should continue to pull decent enough ratings (around a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic based on the overnights) to win it a fourth season.

In the Flesh (BBC America, Thursdays 10 PM EST, Premieres June 6th):  This British zombie series is likely looking to capitalize on the current popularity of AMC's mega-hit The Walking Dead, though it offers its own twist with the zombies live amongst humans.  The first season already aired over in the UK and a second season has been ordered there.

Continuum (Syfy, Fridays 10 PM EST, Season 2 Premieres June 7th):  This Canadian export time travel series kicks off its second season in the U.S. (which is already airing up north).  Its numbers for Syfy weren't great during its late-Winter/early-Spring run (usually pulling a 0.3 or 0.4 rating), but then I don't know that it relies on those too much.  I believe its performance in Canada and worldwide will have a bigger influence on whether it gets a third season.

Sinbad (Syfy, Saturdays 9 PM EST, Premieres June 8th):  This British made retelling of the Sinbad legend has already been cancelled overseas, though apparently Syfy decided to pick up the twelve episodes produced to pad out their schedule with alleged "original" programming.

Primeval: New World (Syfy, Saturdays 10 PM EST, Premieres June 8th): Another cast-off, this Canadian spin-off of the British Primeval series was already cancelled up north.  So along with the network rejects (see below), we can call Summer Saturdays Sci Fi Burn-Off Night.

Falling Skies (TNT, Airs Sundays 9 PM EST, Season 3 Premiers June 9th):  This alien-invasion series had a lot of sci fi fans grumbling about it through its first and second seasons, but it still ranks as TNT's highest rated original drama.  Plus, they are already prepping for Season 4, so unless it has a major drop-off in the Nielsens, expect it to return again next Summer.

True Blood (HBO, Airs Sundays 9 PM EST, Season 6 Premieres June 16th):  This vampire melodrama may be getting long in the tooth (though I thought Season 5 had its moments), but it still draws a big audience over to pay channel HBO.  Consider it a lock to come back for a seventh season.

Under the Dome (CBS, Airs Mondays 10 PM EST, Premieres June 24th):  CBS typically won't touch sci fi shows during the regular season (unless they are heavily disguised as procedurals like Person of Interest), but they are giving this genre entry a chance in Summer.  It's based on the book of the same name by Stephen King and this is the show I am most looking forward to in the coming months.  With King's name attached it could actually draw a decent audience and it doesn't have to pull huge numbers in Summer to be considered a success.  It's designed as a mini-series, but they've also built in a plan for a continuation if it does well.  I give it slightly higher than average odds of succeeding, though it would probably have a better chance on one of the cable networks.

Futurama (Comedy Central, Airs Wednesdays 10:30 PM EST, Season 7.5 Premieres in June): This animated sci fi comedy returns to air out the second half of its seventh season at some point in June, but then that's it.  Comedy Central has announced the will not be continuing it beyond that.  I hear there is a fan movement to get it moved to another network, though, so the story may not be over yet.

Siberia (NBC, Airs Mondays 10 PM EST, Premieres July 1st):  The details on this show about a reality series gone wrong are still a bit sketchy, but it sounds like it could have some horror/sci fi elements as part of its premise.  Sounds interesting, but the lack of promotion makes it seem more like a cast-off show.  I'll tune in to check it out, but I don't expect an extended run from this one.

Being Human (BBC America, Airs Saturdays 10 PM EST, Season 5 Premieres July 13th):  This will be the last season for the BBC incarnation of this show (does that spell an end to Syfy's version as well?), and it seems appropriate that it will air on the Summer's Sci Fi Burn-Off Night.

Network Burn-Off Shows:  The broadcast networks cancelled several genre shows this last season and most will get their burn-off runs on Saturdays this Summer such as 666 Park Ave (ABC), Do No Harm (NBC), and Zero Hour (ABC).  The CW's Cult will air out its episodes on Fridays, though.  Check the schedule at this link for times and premiere dates, and don't expect that any of these shows will make enough ratings noise in the hot months for their networks to reverse their cancellation decisions.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com: