Without the best sci-fi show on TV right now is the FOX series 'Fringe'. What is it about exactly? Well to put it simply it is about a cold war between our Earth and a parallel Earth which is almost exactly like ours, just a little bit different. For example they have some technology that is better than ours, they have people taking trips to the moon, there is no 'Batman', and the list goes on. Fringe is created by J. J. Abrams (Lost, Alias), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The show follows a FBI 'Fringe Division' team based in Boston, under the supervision of Homeland Security. The team uses "fringe" science and FBI investigative techniques to investigate a series of unexplained and freaky mysteries, which are related the parallel universe. The show has been described as a hybrid of The X-Files, and The Twilight Zone. Despite the Boston setting, the series is filmed primarily in New York City, Vancouver, and Toronto. So yes I do consider this to be a 'Canada' show, and being a Canadian it's a show I am quite proud of.
The series stars Anna Torv as Agent Olivia Dunham; John Noble as Dr. Walter Bishop, the 'mad scientist' sort of; and 'Dawson Creek' alumni Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop, Walter's estranged son and jack-of-all-trades. They are supported by Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick), the force's director, and Agent Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole), who assists Walter in laboratory research. And at the end of the second season all these actors (except Joshua Jackson) got to play alternate versions of their characters from the alternate universe, Jackson didn't because his alternate version is dead, that is our Earth's version of Peter bishop is dead because Peter is actually originally from the alternate universe... confused? Well you should be if you have never watched this series. If you are interested in a TV series that is smart, captivating, fascinating, dark, light and everything in between this is the series for you. The first 4 seasons are available on DVD, and last I saw they were very cheap to purchase from Wal-Mart. Season 5 just finished airing on FOX. This is a 'spoiler free' blog post as I will not go into details about specifics of the show. If you are a fan of JJ Abrams you should be watching this show.
At first it might be hard to follow, especially in it's first season as it was trying to find itself early on. But by the middle of the second season it really hits it's stride and becomes a very special show. John Noble is my favourite actor to watch on the show. He truly is an amazing actor. And the rest of the cast is great too, there really is no bad actor or character on that show.
One actor and character you need to watch out for is Michael Cerveris as September/The Observer. He is one of several "Observers", a travelling chronicler and enforcer of extraordinary events from a distant possible future. He appears in one form or another, usually in an Alfred Hitchcock-like cameo, in each episode. Most episodes he has no scenes or lines but can be seen in the background of certain scenes if you are watching carefully.
This is a great series and well worth your time to watch, trust me.
I wonder if they have 'Turkey McNuggets' in the parallel universe...
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