Move over ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ Syfy has a new crew of misfit humans struggling for the survival of the human race in the upcoming mini series ‘Ascension.’ Check out the trailer below:
In 1963, the U.S. government launched a covert space mission sending hundreds of men, women and children on a century-long voyage aboard the starship Ascension to populate a new world. Nearly 50 years into the journey, as they approach the point of no return, a mysterious murder of a young woman causes the ship’s population to question the true nature of their mission.”
The show stars Brian Van Holt (‘Cougar Town’) as the captain of the intrepid ship, while ‘Battlestar Galactica’ veteran Tricia Helfer stars as his commanding wife, a major player aboard the vessel. Syfy is pushing the show as a 6 hour mini-series, but rumor has is that if the show proves successful, it may be picked up for additional episodes.
The trailer, though only 30 seconds, shows a lot about the show, and most of it looks very intriguing. From the action and the look of the 50s era spaceship designs, it looks like a lot of thought went into the series, and the premise of being 50 years into the journey and at the point of no return should provide plenty of dramatic tension and character drama, and most importantly, stakes. In my opinion, the only weak point I can see is the lack of a recognizable villain, as shows like ‘Battlestar Galactica’ or ‘Firefly‘ thrived in space because the characters were out there all alone and had to unite against common enemies, common villains that were very clear to the audience. Based on the trailer, it looks like a lot is happening aboard the ‘Ascension,’ but we have no idea who or what is behind it. And I worry that if its simply a matter of people going crazy aboard a spaceship, it might start to feel a little “been there, done that.” But it’s only a 30 second trailer, and I think it’s enough to give the show a shot. So here’s hoping Syfy has landed another winner.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
