SYFY 2023 Winter Programming Preview: ‘The Ark’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THE ARK -- Episode 101 -- Pictured: (l-r) Dominik Cicak as Harrison Beckner, Richard Fleeshman as Lt. James Brice, Reece Ritchie as Lt. Spencer Lane -- (Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY)

Stories that are focused on a voyage to the stars, tend to be supremely optimistic in nature and rightfully so. For we see space as the last great frontier, a place where humanity and its best aspects can thrive, so why not show us stories that feature a better tomorrow amongst the stars… or even spin darkness into a second chance for our species? Since there are a great deal of tales that see Earth in peril, and those that venture out into the void to create a new home for humanity, carry hope and the belief that round two for humanity will go better than it did the first time around. Which are, wonderful storylines for audiences to enjoy and they do indeed lift our spirits and give us the hope we desire in these troubled times. 
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However, as with any story, such a design does have its drawbacks. In that such stories rarely feature real conflict. They feature external problems for everyone to solve and they often feature a happy ending. Granted, that doesn’t mean they are devoid of meaning, since the conflicts in question do often feature commentary on our modern world. But to date, few shows have really grappled with the human condition in the raw and tested their crews and their spirts like never before. But that is about to change. For a brand-new series on SYFY from the mind of science fiction legend, Dean Devlin, makes its debut tomorrow, and The Ark just so happens to be… a sci-fi series that defies expectations and norms by offering up a grittier and far more realistic series. 

A feat that it accomplishes by providing us with a refreshing and unique plot. One that takes place one hundred years in the future, aboard a colony vessel known as Ark One, and well… the crew of this ship is in peril. For they have sustained critical damage close to their destination and that has awakened the crew and its passengers and put them at a crossroads. Wherein they must figure out how to survive in a sustainable manner before they reach their new home and well... that is a plot that is an absolute reinvention of this type of show. For there is no noble quest here, no carrying of the flags and ideals of the world. Just crisis and worry and uncertainty and that allows for some stunning sequences to take place as the story plays out.

The kind that does indeed put the crew and the passengers to the test. Which leads to breathtaking and intense storytelling, the kind that actually manages to tackle real-world topics and conflicts and asks hard questions about who we are as a species. All of which makes for an engaging experience for the audience, one that truly surprises and offers plenty for the viewer to chew upon. Not to mention, it is heavily grounded in scientific concepts that have real-world merit, giving rise to a series that feels as though you’re plunged in the moment. All of which speaks to a series that was crafted with incredible care through and through and rightfully so. Since Dean Devlin, co-showrunner Jonathan Glassner, and the cast spoke with passion and excitement about this project at the 2023 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour. 

Making it clear that this is a show made for fans by fans, and that everyone involved wanted to really offer up a refreshingly creative and inventive series and they most certainly have. For you walk away from every single episode, eager for more and with plenty of questions in mind regarding some of the surprises the show throws your way. All of which makes this the first real must-see science fiction series of 2023, and the best news of all… is that you don’t have to wait all that much longer to enjoy all the wonder this series has to offer. For The Ark drops on SYFY on February 1, 2023, at 10 p.m. EST, and we here at NTG hope you give it a look and join us back here for our detailed breakdowns of this refreshing and dynamic sci-fi series.

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 Notable Quotables from the TCA Panel for ‘The Ark’

Dean Devlin (Executive Producer/Co-Showrunner) Regarding His Passion for This Series
“So, yeah, this tickled every creative bone I have. It's all the things that I love about making fiction. And the best part of all of it was getting to work with some incredible people.”
 
Jonathan Glassner (Executive Producer/Co-Showrunner) Regarding the Show’s Realism
“We did a lot of research in writing scripts. Now, it's science fiction, and so we have to cheat a little bit or it would be ‑‑ nothing would happen. But we tried to base everything that we could on actual science or actual theoretical science that NASA's working on for SpaceX or some other companies.”
 
Series Stars Christie Burke, Reece Ritchie, and Richard Fleeshman Regarding the Excitement They Experienced in Joining the Show
CHRISTIE BURKE: “I felt like literally exactly what Dean just said, like I was a 12-year-old getting to do all the bucket list things.”
 
REECE RITCHIE: “… everybody was just so energetic and bright and played their parts so intelligently that for me, at least, it made it such a joy to work on.”
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RICHARD FLEESHMAN: “And the best thing about this for me personally, as I've said before, is kind of every day was a new box of toys that we got to open.  So, every so often, you'd find this new gadget or this new thing or this new suit or this new shuttle you had to fly.  And, so, it was the gift that kept on giving, really.  It was amazing.”