Sanctuary (2008 series)
Summary
"Some hide, they seek. There are monsters loose in the world, and they are the key to the future of our race. Even things that go bump in the night need protection." Beginning as a 2007 internet mini-series and evolving into a 2008 television series, Sanctuary follows the exploits of Dr. Helen Magnus and her quest to protect various cryptids, legends, and abnormal animals/people with certain extraordinary powers and abilities (what most people would consider "monsters"). She heads the Sanctuary Network, which consists of large facilities known as "Sanctuaries" scattered throughout the world serving as safe havens for these "Abnormals". She is initially aided in her quest by her reluctant protégé Will Zimmerman; her intrepid, if somewhat reckless, daughter Ashley; the talkative geek and lycanthrope Henry Foss, a computer and security expert; and her taciturn, Homo heidelbergensis-like assistant (unnamed, but listed as "Bigfoot" in the show's credits).
Details
- Release Date: 2007-2011
- Country/Language: Canada, English
- Genres/Technical: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Drama, Adventure (monster-of-the-week), web mini-series (2007 season)
- Runtime: (TV series generally formatted for a 1-hour commercial television slot; web mini-series was generally formatted in 15-minute episodes)
- Starring: Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Emilie Ullerup, Christopher Heyerdahl
- Creator: Damian Kindler
- Producer/Production Co: Sanctuary 1 Productions, Stage 3 Media, Entertainment One, Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
- View Trailer: (link)
- TVTropes: (link)
- IMDB Page: (link), (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: (not rated) (perhaps equivalent to a TV-14 for Violence, and mild Profanity and Adult Content)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- S____ (One Tentacle: Debateably Lovecraftian; has almost no direct connection to Lovecraft's work)
Not particularly "Lovecraftian", beyond the basic premise of a secret organization dedicated to helping the persecuted monsters among us to survive, which might serve as an interesting alternative to the usual Call of Cthulhu RPG campaign.
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- (review needed)
Synopsis
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
Sanctuary follows the exploits of Dr. Helen Magnus and her quest to protect various cryptids, legends, and abnormal animals/people with certain extraordinary powers and abilities (what most people would consider "monsters"). She heads the Sanctuary Network, which consists of large facilities known as "Sanctuaries" scattered throughout the world serving as safe havens for these "Abnormals". She is initially aided in her quest by her reluctant protégé Will Zimmerman; her intrepid, if somewhat reckless, daughter Ashley; the talkative geek and lycanthrope Henry Foss, a computer and security expert; and her taciturn, Homo heidelbergensis-like assistant (unnamed, but listed as "Bigfoot" in the show's credits).
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
- One of the only television series to shoot extensively on green screen with virtual sets, the first television series in North America to start production using the new RED camera exclusively, capturing images at four times the resolution of a high definition camera, and also the first web series to become a full-season television series.
- Compare to the television shows Eureka (2006 series), Warehouse 13 (2009 series), Haven (2010 series), and Helix (2014 series), shows which shared some of the same writers, cast, etc.
Associated Mythos Elements
- TO DO
- race: Tentacle Monster
- race: Vampires
- race: Deep Ones
- organization: Sanctuary (organization), a secret group dedicated to protecting persecuted monsters
- organization: The Cabal (organization), a secret group dedicated to hunting, capturing, and experimenting on monsters
- organization: Operation Paranormal, a group of clueless "ghost hunter" hobbyists who sometimes threaten to expose peaceful hidden monsters in their quest to find the truth about ghosts, UFOs, and cryptids
Keeper Notes
- A group of investigators work for the Sanctuary, a secret organization founded for the purpose of protecting the persecuted monsters that hide among humans.
