Extant (TV series)
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''Extant'' is an American
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
created by Mickey Fisher and, as
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
, Steven Spielberg. The story revolves around
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
Molly Woods ( Halle Berry) who returns home to her family inexplicably pregnant after 13 months in
outer space Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
on a solo mission. On August 7, 2013,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
announced that it had placed a 13-episode straight-to-series order, bypassing the traditional
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
stage. Steven Spielberg served as one of the executive producers. Production began in Los Angeles on February 10, 2014. The series was broadcast in the United States on the CBS television network, and was a production of Amblin Television. ''Extant'' premiered on July 9, 2014. On October 9, 2014, CBS renewed ''Extant'' for a second season, which premiered on July 1, 2015, and concluded on September 9, 2015. On October 9, 2015, CBS cancelled ''Extant'' after two seasons.


Premise

Molly Woods, an astronaut with ISEA (International Space Exploration Agency) is assigned a 13-month solo mission aboard space station ''Seraphim''. She returns home to her husband John, a robotics engineer who created their son Ethan, a prototype android called a "humanich". When Molly discovers that she has mysteriously become pregnant despite years of infertility, she begins a search for answers.


Cast


Main cast

* Halle Berry as Molly Woods, an ISEA
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
and scientist who mysteriously becomes pregnant after seeing her dead former lover while on the ''Seraphim''
space station A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time, and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station i ...
. *
Goran Visnjic Goran may refer to: Ethnic groups *Gorane, or Goran, an ethnic group of northern Africa *Goran (Kurdish tribe), an ethnic group of the Middle East *Gorani (ethnic group), an ethnic group of the southeastern Europe Other uses *Göran, a Swedis ...
as Dr. John Woods, Molly's husband, a
robotics Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
engineer heading the Humanichs Project. (season 1, guest season 2) *
Pierce Gagnon Pierce Gagnon (born July 25, 2005) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the film ''Looper'' and in the CBS series ''Extant'', as well as voicing Tim Templeton in the Netflix series '' The Boss Baby: Back in Business''. Personal life ...
as Ethan Woods, Molly and John's son, a humanoid
robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
and the
prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
for the Humanichs Project. *
Grace Gummer Grace Jane Gummer (born May 9, 1986) is an American actress. She received a Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of '' Arcadia''. Her television work includes recurring roles in '' The Newsroom'' and '' American Horror ...
as Julie "Jules" Gelineau, John Woods' assistant on the Humanichs Project. *
Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' (1982), Ryuji Takayama in '' Ring'' (1998), Seibei Iguchi in ''The Twilight Samurai'' (2002), Ujio in ' ...
as Hideki Yasumoto, owner of the Yasumoto Corporation. (season 1) * Michael O'Neill as Alan Sparks, Director of ISEA. (season 1) *
Camryn Manheim Debra Frances "Camryn" Manheim (born March 8, 1961) is an American actress known for her roles as attorney Ellenor Frutt on ABC's '' The Practice'', Delia Banks on CBS's '' Ghost Whisperer'', Gladys Presley in the 2005 miniseries '' Elvis'', and ...
as Dr. Sam Barton, a physician employed by ISEA and Molly's friend. (season 1) *
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966) is an American actor of television and film, best known for playing the character Negan in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2016–2022), for which he has received critical acclaim. He ...
as James Daniel "JD" Richter (season 2), a cop working special patrol ( bounty hunting) who teams up with Molly.


Recurring cast

*
Tyler Hilton Tyler James Hilton (born November 22, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Hilton began his professional career in music in 2000. '' Rolling Stone magazine'' compared him to his contemporary, Howie Day, while others have compared H ...
as Charles "Charlie" Arthurs, the Chief Coder on the Humanichs Project alongside Julie. *Lynnanne Zager as the voice of G.I.N.A., the Woods family's personal home A.I. system and helper. *Shannon Merrill Brown as the child "Offspring".


Season 1

*
Annie Wersching Annie Wersching (March 28, 1977 – January 29, 2023) was an American actress. She was known for her television roles as Renee Walker in '' 24'', Julia Brasher in '' Bosch'', and Emma Whitmore in '' Timeless'', as well as the voice and performan ...
as Femi Dodd, a member of the Yasumoto Corporation Board of Directors. She's highly skeptical of the Humanichs Project and is revealed to be part of Odin's underground group that seeks to eradicate advanced technology from Earth. *
Brad Beyer Brad Beyer (born September 20, 1973) is an American actor. He may be best-known for his role in the CBS series '' Jericho'', playing Stanley Richmond. Early and personal life Beyer was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Catho ...
as Harmon Kryger, an ISEA astronaut who saw his dead mother on the ''Seraphim''; he faked his own suicide and now lives in isolation. *
Maury Sterling Charles Maury Wallace Sterling (born September 1, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Max Piotrowski in ''Homeland'', Rafferty in the comedy film '' Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' and Lester Tremor in the action film ''Smokin' Ace ...
as Gordon Kern, the new deputy director of ISEA. *Sergio Harford as Marcus Dawkins, an astronaut and Molly's deceased lover, who died in the car accident in which he and Molly were involved years ago. *
Tessa Ferrer Tessa Rosiola Ferrer (born March 30, 1986) is an American actress. She is known for playing Dr. Leah Murphy, a surgical intern then resident, in ''Grey's Anatomy''. She is the daughter of singer Debby Boone and Gabriel Ferrer. Career In 2012, S ...
as Katie Sparks, an astronaut and daughter of Alan and Anya Sparks. She died in space under mysterious circumstances. *
Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...
as Quinn, a retired doctor and Molly's undependable, estranged father. *
Charlie Bewley Charles Martin Bewley (born 25 January 1981) is an English actor and producer best known for his role as the vampire Demetri in '' The Twilight Saga'' films, Charles Wentworth on '' Nashville'', and Galen Vaughn on ''The Vampire Diaries''. Pe ...
as Gavin Hutchinson (alias Odin James), a man Julie begins dating. He secretly leads an underground organization dedicated to eradicating advanced technology, and has targeted the Humanichs Project. *
Jeannetta Arnette Jeannetta Arnette is an American actress. She became known for her television role as Miss Meara on the situation comedy ''Head of the Class''. She has also appeared in numerous films, including 1992's ''Ladybugs'' and 1999's '' Boys Don't Cry'' ...
as Anya Sparks, Alan's ex-wife and mother of Katie. *Adam O'Byrne as Ryan Jackson, the new ISEA Director, replacing Alan Sparks. Kern says Molly can trust him as he was unaware of the conspiracy between Yasumoto and Sparks. *
Enver Gjokaj Enver Leif Gjokaj ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as Victor in the science fiction television series ''Dollhouse'' and as Daniel Sousa in '' Agent Carter'', a role he later reprised ...
as Sean Glass, an ISEA astronaut. *
Jimmy Jean-Louis Jimmy Jean-Louis (born August 8, 1968) is a Haitian actor and producer. Born in Pétion-Ville, he moved to Paris at a young age with his family in search of a better life. His early roles were in French television commercials and Spanish musical ...
as Pierre Lyon, a French astronaut. *
Eric Martsolf Eric Martsolf (born July 27, 1971) is an American television actor. Since November 2008, he has played the role of Brady Black on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' for which he won a Daytime Emmy in 2014. He also played the role of Ethan ...
as the voice of B.E.N., the on board, sentient computer aboard the ''Seraphim''. *
Owain Yeoman Owain Sebastian Yeoman is a Welsh actor. His credits include '' The Nine'', '' Kitchen Confidential'', AMC's '' Turn'' (as Benedict Arnold) and the HBO series '' Generation Kill''. Additionally, he portrayed CBI Agent Wayne Rigsby in ''The Men ...
as Dr. Mason, a scientist assigned by Yasumoto to help Molly.


Season 2

*Henderson Wade as the adult "Offspring" (known as a "Hybrid" in the second season), now self-christened with the name Ahdu. *Brody Nicholas Lee as the teenage "Offspring". *Mckenna Roberts as Adult Terra *Genneya Walton as Teenage Terra *
David Morrissey David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...
as General Tobias Shepherd, Head of the Global Security Commission. Shepherd has a personal history with Molly Woods, a fact that complicates his work (and his life) in the face of a deadly new threat to humanity. * Necar Zadegan as Shayna Velez (fka Martine), a former Lt. Colonel, now Chief of Staff to Tobias Shepherd. Strong, smart, opinionated, her agenda does not always jibe with her boss's — which may bring her into direct conflict with Molly Woods. *
Hilarie Burton Hilarie Ros Burton (born July 1, 1982) is an American actress, businesswoman, author and producer. A former host of MTV's ''Total Request Live'', she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The WB/ CW drama '' One Tree Hill'' for six seasons (2003–2009). Po ...
as Anna Schaefer, a government operative charged with overseeing the militarization of the Humanichs program. *
Kiersey Clemons Kiersey Nicole Clemons (born December 17, 1993) is an American actress. She is known for her role in the 2015 comedy-drama film '' Dope'', playing Cassandra "Diggy" Andrews. Subsequently, she went on to co-star in '' Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising ...
as Lucy, a more advanced humanoid robot and Ethan's new sister. *
Lyndon Smith Lyndon Smith (born June 7, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Natalie in the NBC drama '' Parenthood'' (2013–2015) and Dierdre in the TNT police drama ''Public Morals'' (2015). Life Smith is from Pensacola, Florida ...
as Kelsey Richter; JD's estranged and rebellious daughter. *
Michael Gladis Michael Gladis (born August 30, 1977) is an American actor. He played Paul Kinsey in the television series ''Mad Men''; he appeared in the series' first three seasons, and as a guest star in the show's fifth season. Early life Gladis grew up ...
as Nate Malone; a GSC (Global Security Commission) biologist who works with Molly to crack the genetic code of the hybrids. * Kate Burton as Fiona Stanton, the president of GSC who oversees the progress of Lucy and the Humanichs. * Cleo Anthony as Ares.


Episodes


Season 1 (2014)


Season 2 (2015)


Reception


Critical reception

''Extant'' has received generally favorable reviews. On
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the first season holds a score of 68 out of 100, based on 31 critics, and season 2 has a score of 63 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the first season holds a "certified fresh" rating of 81% based on 42 reviews, with the consensus reading: "While many of its ideas are clearly borrowed from other sources, ''Extant'' benefits from a unique approach to some familiar stories and a strong lead in Halle Berry." The second season holds a "fresh" rating of 73% based on 11 reviews, with the consensus reading: "Extant amps up the action in Season Two, adding much-needed stamina to shore up Halle Berry's compelling performance."


Ratings

Including Live + 3 day (DVR) viewing, the series premiere was watched by 11.88 million viewers and attained an 18-49 rating of 2.2.


Accolades

In 2014, ''Extant'' was chosen, along with six others, for the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series was one of the award categories presented annually by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association. It was introduced in 2011 when the event was first initiated and last presente ...
.


Home media releases

On December 16, 2014,
CBS Home Entertainment CBS Home Entertainment (formerly CBS Video Enterprises, Inc., MGM/CBS Home Video, CBS/Fox Video and CBS Video, currently branded as CBS DVD for DVD releases and CBS Blu-ray for Blu-ray releases) is a home entertainment company owned by Paramoun ...
released the first season on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 1. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 15, 2015.


Broadcast

The series is available for streaming on
Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
devices four days after broadcast on CBS. In Canada, the series premiered on July 9, 2014, on
Global Television Network The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after ...
. In Australia, the series premiered on July 13, 2014, on
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2014, on Amazon Video. It made its television premiere on January 20, 2015, on
Syfy Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
. In New Zealand, it debuted on July 23, 2014, on
Prime A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
.


References


External links

* * * * * {{Twitter, name=''Extant'' 2014 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings 2010s American drama television series 2010s American science fiction television series Androids in television CBS original programming English-language television shows Television series about robots Serial drama television series Space adventure television series Television series about space programs Television series by Amblin Entertainment Television series by CBS Studios Television series set in the future