I really enjoyed the pilot of this show! It's based on
some books (that I've never read), but it will no doubt
remind you slightly of "Harry Potter" only because it's
about young magicians going to a special school to learn
about magic, and trying to avoid being tempted by the dark
side. However, these are not young children in England.
These are young adults - graduated students - in America.
They get drunk, do drugs, and have sex. This is
definitely not a children's story whatsoever.
It's very well done, though. The main character, or hero
of the story, is a young nerdy guy named Quentin Coldwater
(Jason Ralphi). He's very good-looking but troubled. We see
a lot of what's happening through his adventures. He thinks
that he's got mental problems because he's obsessed with
magic and has magical powers that he can't quite use. He
ends up getting invited to test for magic, along with his
best friend, Julia (Stella Maeve).
We meet a lot of young students at the school, called
Brakebills University. Like Hogwarts, it's hidden from
non-magic-users. Anyway, if you like shows about
magic, supernatural, fantasy etc. then you should like this
show as much as I do. It's got good characters, interesting
plot that surprises you, and great special effects.
You can watch the first episode
here!
Read Our
Interview with Sera Gamble and Jason Ralph of "The
Magicians" on Syfy 1/19/16
Trailer
MORE INFORMATION:
"The Shannara Chronicles" is an epic television event
based on the sweeping, best-selling fantasy book series
by Terry Brooks. Set thousands of years in the future,
the story follows three heroes, Elf-Human hybrid Wil,
Elvin Princess Amberle, and Human Rover Eretria, as they
embark on a quest to stop an evil Demon army from
destroying the world. The 10-episode first season of
“The Shannara Chronicles” will premiere January 5 at
10:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, immediately following the
return of fan-favorite, "Teen Wolf" at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Episode 101/102 – "CHOSEN" PARTS 1 AND 2
Thousands of years after the fall of Humankind, the Four
Lands is in grave danger. The fate of the world rests on
the shoulders of an unlikely trio: an Elvin Princess who
dreams of a life outside of the palace walls, a
beautiful, wild and wily Human Rover and a half-elf, who
knows nothing of the great destiny that runs through his
veins.
Having seen an apocalyptic vision of the world’s
destruction, Amberle leaves the palace in search of
answers. But when Wil and Allanon realize that she is
the key to saving the Four Lands, they set out to
find the princess before the Dagda Mor’s Demons hunt her
down.
“The Shannara Chronicles” stars genre favorites, John
Rhys-Davies (“Lord of the Rings”) and Manu Bennett
(“Spartacus”), along with young Hollywood
stars-on-the-rise, Austin Butler (“The Carrie Diaries”),
Poppy Drayton (“When Calls The Heart”) and Ivana Baquero
(“Pan’s Labyrinth”).
“The Shannara Chronicles” is written for television by
and executive produced by Al Gough and Miles Millar. Jon
Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, Terry Brooks and Dan Farah
also serve as executive producers. The first two
episodes were directed by Jonathan Liebesman (“Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles”). MTV is producing with
Sonar Entertainment, which is also distributing the
series worldwide. - See more at: http://thepub.viacom.com/sites/mtvpress/shows/pages/The-Shannara-Chronicles-.aspx#dvOverview
"The Shannara Chronicles" is an epic television event
based on the sweeping, best-selling fantasy book series
by Terry Brooks. Set thousands of years in the future,
the story follows three heroes, Elf-Human hybrid Wil,
Elvin Princess Amberle, and Human Rover Eretria, as they
embark on a quest to stop an evil Demon army from
destroying the world. The 10-episode first season of
“The Shannara Chronicles” will premiere January 5 at
10:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, immediately following the
return of fan-favorite, "Teen Wolf" at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Episode 101/102 – "CHOSEN" PARTS 1 AND 2
Thousands of years after the fall of Humankind, the Four
Lands is in grave danger. The fate of the world rests on
the shoulders of an unlikely trio: an Elvin Princess who
dreams of a life outside of the palace walls, a
beautiful, wild and wily Human Rover and a half-elf, who
knows nothing of the great destiny that runs through his
veins.
Having seen an apocalyptic vision of the world’s
destruction, Amberle leaves the palace in search of
answers. But when Wil and Allanon realize that she is
the key to saving the Four Lands, they set out to
find the princess before the Dagda Mor’s Demons hunt her
down.
“The Shannara Chronicles” stars genre favorites, John
Rhys-Davies (“Lord of the Rings”) and Manu Bennett
(“Spartacus”), along with young Hollywood
stars-on-the-rise, Austin Butler (“The Carrie Diaries”),
Poppy Drayton (“When Calls The Heart”) and Ivana Baquero
(“Pan’s Labyrinth”).
“The Shannara Chronicles” is written for television by
and executive produced by Al Gough and Miles Millar. Jon
Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, Terry Brooks and Dan Farah
also serve as executive producers. The first two
episodes were directed by Jonathan Liebesman (“Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles”). MTV is producing with
Sonar Entertainment, which is also distributing the
series worldwide. - See more at: http://thepub.viacom.com/sites/mtvpress/shows/pages/The-Shannara-Chronicles-.aspx#dvOverview
"The Shannara Chronicles" is an epic television event
based on the sweeping, best-selling fantasy book series
by Terry Brooks. Set thousands of years in the future,
the story follows three heroes, Elf-Human hybrid Wil,
Elvin Princess Amberle, and Human Rover Eretria, as they
embark on a quest to stop an evil Demon army from
destroying the world. The 10-episode first season of
“The Shannara Chronicles” will premiere January 5 at
10:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, immediately following the
return of fan-favorite, "Teen Wolf" at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Episode 101/102 – "CHOSEN" PARTS 1 AND 2
Thousands of years after the fall of Humankind, the Four
Lands is in grave danger. The fate of the world rests on
the shoulders of an unlikely trio: an Elvin Princess who
dreams of a life outside of the palace walls, a
beautiful, wild and wily Human Rover and a half-elf, who
knows nothing of the great destiny that runs through his
veins.
Having seen an apocalyptic vision of the world’s
destruction, Amberle leaves the palace in search of
answers. But when Wil and Allanon realize that she is
the key to saving the Four Lands, they set out to
find the princess before the Dagda Mor’s Demons hunt her
down.
“The Shannara Chronicles” stars genre favorites, John
Rhys-Davies (“Lord of the Rings”) and Manu Bennett
(“Spartacus”), along with young Hollywood
stars-on-the-rise, Austin Butler (“The Carrie Diaries”),
Poppy Drayton (“When Calls The Heart”) and Ivana Baquero
(“Pan’s Labyrinth”).
“The Shannara Chronicles” is written for television by
and executive produced by Al Gough and Miles Millar. Jon
Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, Terry Brooks and Dan Farah
also serve as executive producers. The first two
episodes were directed by Jonathan Liebesman (“Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles”). MTV is producing with
Sonar Entertainment, which is also distributing the
series worldwide. - See more at: http://thepub.viacom.com/sites/mtvpress/shows/pages/The-Shannara-Chronicles-.aspx#dvOverview
"The Shannara Chronicles" is an epic television event
based on the sweeping, best-selling fantasy book series
by Terry Brooks. Set thousands of years in the future,
the story follows three heroes, Elf-Human hybrid Wil,
Elvin Princess Amberle, and Human Rover Eretria, as they
embark on a quest to stop an evil Demon army from
destroying the world. The 10-episode first season of
“The Shannara Chronicles” will premiere January 5 at
10:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, immediately following the
return of fan-favorite, "Teen Wolf" at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Episode 101/102 – "CHOSEN" PARTS 1 AND 2
Thousands of years after the fall of Humankind, the Four
Lands is in grave danger. The fate of the world rests on
the shoulders of an unlikely trio: an Elvin Princess who
dreams of a life outside of the palace walls, a
beautiful, wild and wily Human Rover and a half-elf, who
knows nothing of the great destiny that runs through his
veins.
Having seen an apocalyptic vision of the world’s
destruction, Amberle leaves the palace in search of
answers. But when Wil and Allanon realize that she is
the key to saving the Four Lands, they set out to
find the princess before the Dagda Mor’s Demons hunt her
down.
“The Shannara Chronicles” stars genre favorites, John
Rhys-Davies (“Lord of the Rings”) and Manu Bennett
(“Spartacus”), along with young Hollywood
stars-on-the-rise, Austin Butler (“The Carrie Diaries”),
Poppy Drayton (“When Calls The Heart”) and Ivana Baquero
(“Pan’s Labyrinth”).
“The Shannara Chronicles” is written for television by
and executive produced by Al Gough and Miles Millar. Jon
Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, Terry Brooks and Dan Farah
also serve as executive producers. The first two
episodes were directed by Jonathan Liebesman (“Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles”). MTV is producing with
Sonar Entertainment, which is also distributing the
series worldwide. - See more at: http://thepub.viacom.com/sites/mtvpress/shows/pages/The-Shannara-Chronicles-.aspx#dvOverview
SYFY AND UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS’ THE
MAGICIANS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND
ON DEMAND STARTING JANUARY 8
ADDITIONAL SEASON ONE GUEST CASTING ALSO ANNOUNCED
--
13-Episode Season Debuts With Two-Episode Premiere on
Syfy
Monday, January 25 at 9 PM
--
NEW YORK – January 8,
2016 – Syfy today announced that the first episode of its
highly-anticipated series THE MAGICIANS
will be available on Syfy.com and On Demand cable, satellite
and telco TV platforms starting Friday, January 8. The
episode will also be available on Facebook, YouTube, Perk TV
and Roku the week of January 11. The series, from Universal
Cable Productions, will debut on Syfy with a two-episode
premiere on
Monday, January 25 at 9PM ET/PT.
Additionally, Michael Cassidy (Men at Work),
Spencer Garrett (Aquarius), David Call
(Smash), Kacey Rohl (Hannibal),
Tembi Locke (Eureka) and Hiro Kanagawa (iZombie)
will all appear in recurring guest roles over the course of
the first season.
Starring Jason Ralph (Quentin Coldwater), Stella Maeve
(Julia), Olivia Taylor Dudley (Alice), Hale Appleman
(Eliot), Arjun Gupta (Penny) and Summer Bishil (Margo),
THE MAGICIANS is based on Lev
Grossman’s best-selling novels. The series centers on
Quentin, a brilliant grad student chosen to attend
Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate
New York university specializing in magic. He and his
20-something friends soon discover that the magical fantasy
world they read about as children is all too real
– and poses grave danger to humanity.
Playing recurring roles in Season One of THE
MAGICIANS are:
·
Michael Cassidy
as James, the well-educated, privileged and confident,
long-time best friend to Quentin Coldwater and also Julia’s
boyfriend. Cassidy is best known for his starring role in
TNT’s Men at Work. He started his career with a
recurring role on Fox’s The O.C., before being cast
on The CW’s Smallville and Privileged. Recent
TV credits include guest appearances in ABC’s Scandal
and Castle and Showtime’s Masters of Sex. On
the big screen, he has appeared in Argo and The
Guild Trip, and will be seen in Batman v. Superman:
Dawn of Justice.
·
Spencer Garrett
as Ted Coldwater, Quentin’s mild-mannered – to the point of
seeming indifference – father who surfaces at a stressful
time in his son’s life. Garrett
can be seen in the feature films No Escape,
Blackhat and HOB’s All the Way. In the TV world,
he is recurring on NBC’s Aquarius, USA’s
Satisfaction, Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse and
TNT’s Murder in the First.
In the past, he has recurred on HBO’s Luck and booked
guest leads on AMC’s Mad Men, Showtime’s Masters
of Sex, Netflix’s House of Cards and TNT’s
Major Crimes.
·
David Call
as Pete, a mild-looking, buttoned-down guy who is equally
comfortable being relaxed and laid back as he is being
dangerous. Best known for his
extensive work in NY independent films, Call starred with
Lena Dunham in her feature film Tiny Furniture. He
can be next seen as the lead role in Americana with
Kelli Garner and James White with Christopher Abbott.
His TV credits include recurring roles on Fox’s Fringe,
The CW’s Gossip Girl and NBC’s Smash.
·
Kacey Rohl
as Marina, a bookish young woman who gives off the
impression of being both depressed and underemployed to
cover up a very different persona. Rohl got her start on TV
playing Sterling Fitch on AMC’s The Killing and
appeared as Prudence in the dark fantasy film Red Riding
Hood. Most recently, she appeared on NBC’s Hannibal
and Working the Engels.
·
Tembi Locke
as Doctor London, a psychiatrist on a psychiatric ward in a
New York City hospital who is charged with Quentin’s care.
Locke has appeared as recurring characters on series include
Syfy’s Eureka, NBC’s Windfall and Fox’s
Sliders and as a guest star on ABC’s Castle, CBS’
NCIS and Fox’s Bones. She was recently seen in
the movie Dumb and Dumber To.
·
Hiro Kanagawa
as Professor March, one of the Brakebills professors tasked
with instructing students in magic and watching over their
safety. Kanagawa is an
award-winning actor and writer based in Vancouver.
Noteworthy acting credits include Principal James Kwan
in The CW’s Smallville and Cyrus Xander on Syfy’s
Caprica. Most recently he appeared as the mysterious Lt.
Suzuki on the CW hit, iZombie and will be a recurring
guest star on Man in the High Castle and Heroes
Reborn.
Previously announced Season One recurring guest stars are
Rick Worthy as Dean Fogg, Anne Dudek as Professor
Sunderland, Jade Tailor as Kady and Esmé Bianco as Eliza.
Groundswell Productions' Michael London and Janice Williams
(Milk) will executive produce THE
MAGICIANS. John McNamara (Aquarius) and
Sera Gamble (Supernatural), writers of the pilot,
will serve as executive producers. Mike Cahill (I Origins)
directed the pilot. Universal Cable Productions will serve
as the studio.
Lev Grossman’s The Magicians
trilogy is an international sensation, published and widely
praised in more than twenty countries. The epic conclusion
to the series, The Magician’s
Land, opened at #1 last summer on the New York Times
Hardcover Best Seller’s list, and was widely acclaimed as
one of the best books of the year.
THE MAGICIANS
joins other high profile 2016 Syfy originals, including the
epic space drama THE EXPANSE, starring Thomas Jane,
Steven Strait and Shohreh Aghdashloo; the acclaimed time
travel thriller 12 MONKEYS, returning for its second
season in April; and HUNTERS, a 13-episode thriller
from The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne
Hurd, set to premiere in April. 12 MONKEYS and
HUNTERS are also from Universal Cable Productions.
LINKS:
Web:
syfy.com/themagicians
Facebook:
facebook.com/TheMagiciansSyfy
Twitter:
@MagiciansSyfy #TheMagicians
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