TV News: SyFy Casts Riverworld and Phantom
The newly dubbed SyFy channel is gearing up for their new shows, which from the outside looking in seems to be a big stuff for them with a lot of new programming coming down the pipe. Stargate fans already await the 2 hour premiere of SGU. But newly branded company designed to stream original programming outside the realm of trekkies, trekkers and gateheads is gearing up a few TV movie pilots in hopes of series to follow.
We reported a month ago that SyFy was gearing of for 3 new TV movie pilots circulating around Riverworld - the critically acclaimed book series, The Phantom - the legendary comic series and a Alice in Wonderland Retelling.
Battlestar Galactica/Dollhouse’s veteran Tahmoh Penikett and Smallville’s Supergirl, Laura Vandervoort will star in Riverworld, a fantasy series based on the acclaimed novel series by Philip Jose Farmer.
Penikett is best known for playing Helo on BSG but he is also making a name as Agent Ballard on Fox’s Dollhouse series.
Riverworld is about a photojournalist Matt Ellman (Penikett) who along with his fiancee (Vandervoort) is transported to a mysterious world after dying and they discover it is occupied by everyone who has ever lived on Earth. SyFy believes this project is the best of the 3 and the one most likely to get a series pick-up. Alan Cumming is set to guest star as the Caretaker; Jeananne Goossen and Mark Deklin also have been cast.
[Source: THR]
Ryan Carnes (Desperate Housewives) has been cast as the Phantom. SCI FI’s version of The Phantom takes the character to the modern day, with Carnes as Chris Walker, the modern day Phantom, Isabella Rossellini as the villainous Lithia, Cameron Goodman as Chris Walker’s love interest, Renny, and Sandrine Holt playing Guran, the Phantom’s trusted adviser.
[Source: THR]
