Syfy Greenlights Space Travel Mini-Series Ascension
The 6-episode series will air at the end of this year
Syfy is going back to outer space and back to the mini-series format, today announcing that it has given a green light to Ascension.
The 6-hour mini-series comes from writer and executive producer Philip Levens (Smallville), and will launch in November and air through December. That suggests six, 1-hour installments aired weekly — more like a limited series than a mini, which traditionally is run in 2-hour blocks over consecutive nights.
The series will be produced in Montreal by Sea To Sky Studios in association with Blumhouse Productions.
Says Syfy:
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.
Though Syfy has previously had success in the mini-series format — including Battlestar Galactica (which went on to become a regular series), Steven Spielberg’s Taken, Dune, Children of Dune, The Triangle, and Tin Man — it hasn’t greenlit one since 2009’s Alice.
“Syfy is more committed than ever to bringing to life epic event television,” Syfy president David Howe said. “We are delighted to bring this thrilling, provocative and intelligent event to our fans later this year.”
Ascension is one of the first major calls for Bill McGoldrick, Syfy’s new VP of original programming. His predecessor, Mark Stern, serves as an executive producer on the new project.
Keep it with SciFi Stream for more on Ascension!
