User:Ditto51/Continuum Sandbox/Continuum (TV series)

Continuum is a Canadian science fiction series created by Simon Barry and produced by Reunion Pictures Inc., Boy Meets Girl Film Company, and GK-TV.

The series centers on the conflict between a group of rebels from the year 2077 who time-travel to Vancouver, BC, in 2012, and a police officer who accidentally accompanies them. In spite of being many years early, the rebel group decides to continue its violent campaign to stop corporations of the future from replacing governments, while the police officer endeavours to stop them without revealing to anyone that she and the rebels are from the future.

The show premiered on Showcase on May 27, 2012. The first season has 10 episodes. On August 25, 2012, Showcase renewed Continuum for a second season of 13 episodes which premiered on April 21, 2013 (Showcase) in Canada, May 23, 2013 (Syfy) in the UK and on June 7, 2013 (Syfy) in the US. On June 5, 2013, Continuum was officially renewed for a third season also of 13 episodes which premiered on March 16, 2014 on Showcase in Canada and April 4, 2014 on Syfy in the US. During an interview in May 2014, Simon Barry revealed that he has 7 to 10 seasons in mind for Continuum  while Rachel Nichols also hinted at a "completely different Kiera" for Season 4. After much deliberation and silence,         Showcase announced on December 8, 2014 that Continuum had been renewed for a fourth and final season of six episodes, slated to air in 2015.

Prelude
Episodes of the first two seasons began with the plot of the show narrated by a voiceover from the point of view of Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols).

"2077. My time, my city, my family. When terrorists killed thousands of innocents, they were condemned to die. They had other plans. A time travel device sent us all back 65 years. I want to get home, but I can't be sure what I will return to if history is changed. Their plan: to corrupt and control the present, in order to win the future. What they didn't plan on was me."

Starting with the third season, the narration was replaced by a new sequence that contains a CGI version of the time travel device, scenes from previous seasons, and cast credits, before finishing with Kiera Cameron holding the device, followed by the title card.

Plot
City Protective Services (CPS) law enforcement officer Kiera Cameron lives a quiet, normal life with her husband and son in 2077-era Vancouver. Under the corporatocratic and oligarchic dystopia of the North American Union and its "Corporate Congress," life goes on in apparent freedom under a technologically-advanced high-surveillance police state.

When a group of self-proclaimed freedom fighters known as "Liber8" escape execution by fleeing to the year 2012, Kiera is involuntarily transported with them into the past. Joining with Detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster) and the Vancouver Police Department, and enlisting the help of teen computer genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen), Kiera works to track down and thwart Edouard Kagame (Tony Amendola) and his followers in the present day while concealing her identity as a time-traveler from the future.

Kagame and the members of Liber8 plot to alter the past to avert the rise of what they see as a dictatorial and Orwellian corporate regime to be stopped at all costs. Meanwhile, Kiera knows that Alec Sadler will become the future corporate mogul and head of SadTech, one of the mega-corporations that dominate the world in 2077, and she later discovers that the elderly Alec was responsible for sending her and Liber8 back in time to try and alter his path in life.

In the conclusion of the second season finale, Alec travels back in time a week to rescue Emily, which is what eventually causes the timeline to split and creates an alternative finale. Following these alterations, the future is altered and Brad Tonkin (Ryan Robbins) is sent back in time from 2039 by an elderly Kellog after the future is altered for the worse.

Time travel
Throughout the series, multiple theories are suggested as to the nature of time travel and its effect on the timeline of events leading from 2012 to 2077.

In discussion with Kiera, Alec posits that his future self recalled his interactions with Kiera in the past, potentially inspiring the creation of his own cybernetic technology from her futuristic implants and equipment and leading to a "time loop" whereby conditions in 2077 cannot be altered. Otherwise, Alec and Kiera consider that Kiera and Liber8's presence in the past may have already altered the timeline and created a separate chain of events, and thus the state of the world in 2077 is no longer certain.

Evidence for each possibility is presented over the course of the series. Ultimately, the first season finale, "Endtimes", reveals that the elderly Alec Sadler orchestrated the time jump that sent Kiera and the members of Liber8 back in time and that he knew precisely what was to occur in 2012. At the start of the second season, the contents of a message sent from the 2077-era Alec to his younger self reveal that his apparent goal is to avert the corporate-dominated future that his actions and inventions created.

Following the second season finale where Alec traveled back in time a week to rescue Emily, a secondary timeline was produced while the original one ceased to exist. Following these alterations, more time travellers, this time from 2039 travelled back due to stop the modelings of Alec and Liber8 as the future had been altered for the worse.

Series creator and executive producer Simon Barry has confirmed that the creative staff have established a set of "rules" for the version of time travel depicted, which will be further explored as the series progresses.

Technology
Kiera came through the portal with her standard City Protection Service equipment: Suit, enabling enhanced strength, bulletproof protection, complete invisibility with color-changing camouflage, an electric taser system, capable of emitting an energy shield bubble and advanced computer processing capabilities with built-in screens for data access in her wrists. Kiera is cybernetically enhanced with Cybernetic visual implants with functions that include biorhythm detection, heat detection and vision, night vision and telescopic vision. When Kiera's suit is in proximity, she gains additional functionality, including complete personnel information on targets as well as vitals, and forensic data processing and computing. Kiera also has an electronic Multi-tool: a hand-held device that features wireless frequency generation (capable of matching current model wireless car door locks and other devices), a fingerprint duster that is electronically linked to her visual implants, a magnetic field generator, and a medical injector for various drugs from truth serum to stimulants. Kiera's neural implants also offer an onboard psychoanalyst during times where she lets her emotions get the best of her. Kiera also has a fold-away gun that travelled back with her which also houses a biometric scanner that causes the gun to lashout against anyone but its registered user.

Her eyes have cybernetic implants as well which passively record everything she sees, this allows her to pause, rewind and apply various filters to see previously unseen details or use heat vision to locate hidden targets.

Cast



 * Note

<!--* Victor Webster as Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Detective Carlos Fonnegra, Kiera's partner with the present-day police; he learns the truth about her time-traveler status in the second season episode "Second Truths". Throughout the course of the second season, Fonnegra becomes disillusioned with the VPD's changing police procedures and is seen shaking hands with and joining Julian (Theseus) at the conclusion of the episode "Second Time" with colleague Betty Robertson.
 * Rachel Nichols as City Protective Services (CPS) Protector Kiera Cameron, is one of three central characters and is the sole female protagonist. She is a member of the City Protective Services (CPS) in 2077. She is transported back in time during the first episode, A Stitch in Time while watching over the execution of the terrorist group Liber8. In the present she works with Portland P.D. to take down Liber8. During the second season, Kiera becomes more of a lone wolf and fights Liber8 and their supporters using her invisibility. The third season showed Kiera's gradual release of her past and embracing her new life in 2012 following Alec's alteration of the timelines, and she eventually forms a close relationship with Brad Tonkin, a time traveller from a different future.  Rachel Nichols has hinted at a "completely different Kiera" for Season 4.
 * Erik Knudsen as the young Alec Sadler. As a teenager, before he went on to found SadTech, Alec is reclusive and prefers to spend time in his computer lab; there, he is able to communicate with Kiera through her cybernetic implants, which he discovers to be based on his own inventions.
 * Stephen Lobo as Matthew Kellog, a former member of Liber8. Kellog deserts from the group in Season One and hopes to build a new and wealthy life for himself in the past using his knowledge of the future.
 * Roger Cross as Travis Verta, a member of Liber8 and super-soldier, Kagame's right-hand man and former lover of Sonya Valentine. Since Kagame's death, he has been opposed to Valentine, Kagame's designated successor, seeking more violent methods and recruiting criminals into his version of Liber8. Travis appeared to die after falling to his death in "Second Time".
 * Lexa Doig as Sonya Valentine, a member of Liber8 and former lover of Travis Verta who is designated Kagame's official successor as leader after his death, and now seeking to reform the world through ideas rather than violence, and recruiting middle and working class people into her version of Liber8. She commits suicide in "The Dying Minute" while attempting to kill Dillon. (Regular Season 1–3)
 * Tony Amendola as Edouard Kagame, the leader and spokesman of Liber8; he sacrificed himself in the first season finale as part of a larger plan. (Regular Season 1, recurring afterward)
 * Omari Newton as Lucas Ingram, a member of Liber8 and former SadTech engineer who was forced to defect to Liber8's cause. He is not a soldier, but his technical skills remain crucial to his colleagues in Liber8. He sided with Sonya during the Liber8 civil war. His mental status is questionable in recent developments of the conflict, and has been committed to a psychiatric ward, although he later escaped.
 * Luvia Petersen as Jasmine Garza, a soldier and member of Liber8. Garza is physically strong, agile and lethal, but mentally damaged from corporate imprisonment. She sided with Travis during the Liber8 civil war, and claimed to become Travis's current lover. Garza also has a connection with elderly Alec: apparently she intended to serve as his "insurance policy" if his younger self seems to deviate from his plans, although as with everyone else, she doesn't know if the purpose is to change Alec's path or ensure it.
 * Jennifer Spence as Vancouver Police Department Detective Betty Robertson, a colleague of Detective Fonnegra, who generally handles the computer side of their cases; recent evidence has suggested that she has begun to sympathize with Liber8's motives to the point of providing them with information for which she is arrested and placed in ankle monitor surveillance when her connection to Liber8 is revealed. She is later killed by a mercenary working for Greypoint Security when she was close to discovering their illegal operations. (Regular Season 1–3)
 * Brian Markinson as Vancouver Police Department Inspector Jack Dillon, Carlos and Betty's superior officer; he respects Kiera's insights despite the mysteries of her past. The red tape and politics of police work, that sees him joining Piron board of directors, begins to set him down a dark path that alienates Carlos and Betty and even surprises Kiera. He was critically injured in an attempted murder-suicide by Sonya in "The Dying Minute"-->

Development
Series creator Simon Barry explains how the show was picked up by Showcase:

International Broadcast
The series premiered in the U.S. on January 14, 2013 on Syfy, with season 2 returning June 7, 2013, and season 3 on April 4, 2014.

The series premiered in the UK on September 27, 2012 on Syfy, with season 2 returning on May 23, 2013.

The series premiered in Australia on SF on February 21, 2013, and returned for season 2 on October 3, 2013. Season 3 premiered on Syfy (Australia) (the replacement to the now defunct SF) on May 5, 2014.

In Canada, the series debut in Canadian French on addikTV on November 6, 2013 with season 2 airing on September 12, 2014.

Reception
Reviewer Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times described the series as "slick" and highlighted its attention to detail. Reviewer David Hinckley of the New York Daily News compared Continuum positively to Life on Mars, another series with a time travelling police officer, and gave the show three stars out of five. According to Hinckley, the series has potential to do well, and if it "doesn't aim to soar, it executes the basics well". <!--== Awards == The series connected with Canada's television arts organizations. On January 15, 2013, the day after the U.S. launch, the Canadian Screen Awards (now one group after the merger of the Genie and Gemini Awards) nominated Continuum for 5 Screenies: Best Drama Series, Writing, Direction, Music and Visual Effects. It won in the latter category.

On February 20, 2013, Continuum was cited by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror (Saturn Awards) for Best Television Presentation. This category represents the best TV show of 10 or fewer episodes. There was a special circumstance as the Saturns' eligibility period is based on a calendar year (from January 1 to December 31). Since Continuum didn't debut in the U.S. until 2 weeks afterwards, an exception was made to include it in the TV Presentation lineup. It eventually lost, however, to Breaking Bad.

It was followed later that week by a nomination for the season 1 finale from the Writers Guild of Canada, only to be upset April 23 losing to The L.A. Complex.

The show was showered with an all-time record 16 Leo Award nominations. The awards were handed out June 6 and 7 of 2013, competing against titles such as The CW's Arrow and CBC's Arctic Air. Continuums nominations included:
 * Best Dramatic Series (Winner)
 * Best Direction: William Waring, "Family Time" (Winner)
 * Best Direction: Patrick Williams, "Endtimes"
 * Best Screenwriting: Simon Barry, "Endtimes" (Winner)
 * Best Cinematography: David Pelletier, "Endtimes"
 * Best Editing: Allison Grace, "Family Time" (Winner)
 * Best Editing: Allan Lee, "Endtimes"
 * Best Production Design: Chris August, "Endtimes"
 * Best Costume Design: Maya Mani, "A Stitch in Time" (Winner)
 * Best Stunt Coordination: Kimani Ray Smith, "Wasting Time"
 * Best Male Guest Performance: Jesse Moss, "Matter of Time"
 * Best Male Guest Performance: Ian Tracey, "Endtimes" (Winner)
 * Best Supporting Actor: Richard Harmon, "Family Time" (Winner)
 * Best Supporting Actor: Brian Markinson, "Endtimes"
 * Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Spence, "Playtime"
 * Best Supporting Actress: Lexa Doig, "Endtimes"

For 2014, the Leo Award Nominations included:
 * Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series: Jamie Alain (Winner)
 * Best Dramatic Series (Winner)
 * Best Screenwriting: Simon Barry (Winner)
 * Best Cinematography: Michael Wale (Winner)
 * Best Make-Up in a Dramatic Series: Jennifer Kipps (Winner)
 * Best Stunt Coordination in a Dramatic Series: Kimani Ray Smith (Winner)
 * Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series: Lexa Doig (Winner) for episode "Split Second".
 * Best Direction in a Dramatic Series: William Waring
 * Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series: Roger R. Cross
 * Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series: Jennifer Spence for episode "Second Opinion".

On March 9, 2013 the Constellation Awards announced their nominations; Continuum was cited in four categories. Ultimately, on June 22, it won three: Best Sci-Fi TV Series, Best Sci-Fi Film or TV Script, and the first-ever acting award of any kind for Rachel Nichols (Best Female Performance in a Sci-Fi TV Episode).

In 2014, the show was nominated for 2 Canadian Screen Awards (Supporting Actress, Luvia Petersen and visual effects, again winning the latter), 3 Saturn Award nominations (Best Cable Series, Best Actress-Rachel Nichols and Best Supporting Actor-Erik Knudsen. The Constellation Awards on March 10 nominated Continuum for the same three awards it won last year.  On April 24, the show received a record 21 Leo Award nominations, tied for the fourth largest nomination haul by a comedy or drama series...in North American television history.  The Leos will be handed out May 30-June 1 in Vancouver, the Saturns on June 26 in Burbank, CA and the Constellations on July 5 in Toronto.-->

Online game
Zeros 2 Heroes Media Inc. has created an alternate reality game website, Continuum The Game.

Online comics
The game site also includes a Comics section, featuring Continuum: The War Files, which is an eight part graphic novel that tells of the war going on in 2065, between the Corporations and Liber8. For now, the comic is available only in Canada.

Trading cards
Rittenhouse released a trading card set based on the show in June 2014.