For every hit sci-fi show there are dozens of sci-fi series that nobody talks about anymore. From those with cult followings such as “Farscape” to truly forgotten sci-fi shows that were canceled after one season such as “Night Sky,” TV history is littered with little-known but quality attempts at small-screen speculative fiction. Take “Continuum,” a Canadian sci-fi series that sees anti-corporate terrorists and a police officer travel back in time from the Vancouver, British Columbia of 2077 to the year 2012. It wasn’t ever a big hit, but “Continuum” received consistently positive reviews and is now available on Prime Video for those who missed its original 2012-2015 run.
Created by Simon Barry, who more recently oversaw the Netflix fantasy drama series “Warrior Nun,” “Continuum” premiered on Canadian channel Showcase in May 2012 and ran for four seasons. That wasn’t quite the seven to 10-season run Barry had in mind, but it’s a heck of a lot better than you might expect for an under-seen Canadian sci-fi series.
The creator told Flickering Myth in 2014 about the show’s origin, which began with a meeting between Showcase and Barry’s production partner, Pat Williams. “He was going in to meet with the network folks who were keen for him to bring them a project he was passionate about,” recalled Barry. The trouble was, Williams didn’t have anything to pitch. So, he called Barry. “At the time I had developed ‘Continuum’ to sell in the States which was where I was working exclusively at that point,” continued the writer, who hadn’t yet pitched any U.S. networks on his sci-fi idea. “I mentioned [‘Continuum’] to Pat and he presented the idea in broad strokes to Showcase.” The network was interested, and production on “Continuum” started soon after.
It’s future cop vs. anti-corporate revolutionaries in Continuum
Like its cult sci-fi series predecessor “Stargate SG-1,” “Continuum” was shot in Vancouver. Unlike “SG-1,” however, “Continuum” didn’t use Vancouver and its surrounding area as a stand-in for alien worlds. Instead, the show used the Western Canadian city as its actual setting, both in 2077 and 2012.
“Continuum” begins in the future timeline, where the members of a revolutionary group called Liber8 are set to be executed. Given the times in which we live, a group of anti-corporate activists dedicated to toppling the corporatocracy doesn’t seem like such a bad thing, really — especially as Joe Russo’s AI-driven garbage future looms. The problem is, the particular activists depicted in “Continuum” are full-on terrorists who decided to kill thousands of people in pursuit of their cause. It seems that, as part of their mission to topple the Corporate Congress dictatorship of the era, Liber8 destroyed two skyscrapers that housed the heads of the biggest corporations of 2077. Thousands of innocents died as a result.
Before they can be killed for their crime, however, the terrorists use a time travel device to transport themselves to the Vancouver of 2012. City Protection Service (CPS) Officer Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) attempts to stop them but is transported along with them, leaving her stranded in the past and separated from her husband and son. Once she arrives, she remains dedicated to taking down the Liber8 members, disguising herself as a special agent and teaming up with Vancouver Police Department detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster). She also works with genius hacker, Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen), all while trying to keep secret her own identity as a time traveler.
Continuum is a grounded, human-focused sci-fi series
While “Continuum” is a sci-fi series, it’s also very focused on human drama. One major complication is the fact that Alec Sadler, who acts as Kiera Cameron’s closest confidant and a guide to 2012 Vancouver in Season 1, eventually becomes the head of the biggest corporation of 2077. As such, Alec struggles with his fate and does all he can to prevent himself from becoming a corporate villain, leading to significant tumult between he and Kiera and makes the show much more than sci-fi spectacle. As creator Simon Barry told Flickering Myth, “We had to ground the show with people and a storytelling style that worked against the outrageousness of time travel. We had to firmly place it in a world that felt real.” The show mostly succeeded in that mission, garnering impressive reviews in the process.
On Rotten Tomatoes, “Continuum” has an average critic score of 88%, with Season 3 even managing to push the Tomatometer all the way to 100% (though that is based on just seven reviews). Regardless, the show was well-received throughout its four-season run.
What’s more, it remains as relevant today as it was more than a decade ago. A despotic corporatocracy ruling over an oppressed people doesn’t seem too far-fetched in an era where companies are doing all they can to usher in the death of ownership among the general populace via subscription models and licensing agreements rather than actually selling products. It’s the reason physical media still matters in an age where digital platforms can delete your digital movies whenever they want. It’s not exactly the nightmare future of “Continuum,” but it does make the show perhaps even more relevant today than it was during its original run. All four seasons await on Prime Video.
Leave a Reply