12 Monkeys (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The series won two awards for its cinematography, one by the American Society of Cinematographers and one by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers, and was nominated for four additional awards.
• Madeleine Stowe, who starred in the 1995 film, made a guest appearance in the second season in a small but pivotal role.

Cast and characters

Aaron Stanford portrays James Cole, a scavenger who travels back in time to stop the plague and redeem his troubled past. Amanda Schull plays Dr. Cassandra "Cassie" Railly, a virologist whose message about the plague's origins is recovered in the future. Kirk Acevedo appears as José Ramse, Cole's best friend, as a main cast member in seasons 1 through 3 and in a recurring role in season 4. Noah Bean stars as Aaron Marker, Cassie's ex-boyfriend and political insider, in season 1 and guest-stars in season 2.

Todd Stashwick plays Theodore Deacon, leader of the West VII survivor group, as a recurring character in season 1 and a regular from season 2 onward. Emily Hampshire portrays Jennifer Goines, a math genius and daughter of Leland Goines, recurring in season 1 and promoted to regular for seasons 2 through 4. Barbara Sukowa plays Katarina Jones, the inventor of the time machine, also recurring in season 1 and regular from season 2. Tom Noonan appears as the "Tall Man" (called "Pallid Man" by writers), the villainous face of the Army of the 12 Monkeys.

Romina D'Ugo plays Max, a scavenger from West VII and former lover of Cole, in season 1 and as a co-star in season 4. Demore Barnes portrays Marcus Whitley, a surviving U.S. military soldier. Ramon De Ocampo plays Oliver Peters, a medical researcher, in seasons 1 and 2. Alisen Down appears as Olivia Kirschner ("Striking Woman"), a high-ranking Army member.

Amy Sloan plays Elena, mother of Ramse's son, in season 1. Andrew Gillies portrays Julian Adler, a Project Splinter scientist, as a co-star in season 1 and regular from seasons 2 through 4. Michael Hogan plays David Eckland, a future scientist, in season 2. Scottie Thompson appears as "Mantis", a time traveler and mother of the Tall Man and Olivia, from season 2 onward.

Jay Karnes plays Robert Gale, a 1940s FBI agent, from season 2 onward. Brooke Williams portrays Hannah Jones ("Zeit"), Katarina and Elliot Jones' daughter, from season 2 onward. Murray Furrow plays Dr. Lasky, a Project Splinter scientist, as a co-star in seasons 1 and 2 and regular in seasons 3 and 4. Hannah Waddingham appears as Magdalena, an Army member, in season 3.

Production

Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, who had previously written together for Nikita and Terra Nova, wrote an original spec script television pilot with a time-traveling plot titled Splinter. The script reached Atlas Entertainment, which had produced the 12 Monkeys film and wanted to create a television adaptation. Matalas and Fickett agreed to transform Splinter into a 12 Monkeys adaptation; most of the pilot was changed except for the overall plot structure of stopping a man in the past, the concept of the same watch from different times, the term "splintering" for time travel, and the female lead named Cassie.

On July 22, 2013, Syfy was reported to be developing a 12 Monkeys television adaptation as a 90-minute backdoor pilot leading to a straight-to-series order, similar to the Battlestar Galactica miniseries. The pitch was submitted by Atlas Entertainment's Charles Roven and Richard Suckle; Roven had produced the original film. Jon Cassar was reported to direct. The following month, Syfy green-lit an hour-long pilot, executive produced by Roven and Suckle, with production set for November.

The series was labeled "cast contingent", so production could not proceed until the roles of Cole and Goines were cast. On April 4, 2014, Syfy green-lit the first season of 13 episodes, including the pilot filmed in 2013. The pilot was directed and executive produced by Jeffrey Reiner; Matalas and Fickett co-executive produced the season, while Natalie Chaidez served as showrunner. Chaidez credited her experience writing for Heroes and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as valuable for making 12 Monkeys work.

Matalas presented the series as a "complete reimagining" of the film, citing Looper as an inspiration for time travel visual effects.

Release

Syfy UK acquired regional broadcasting rights, premiering the series on February 27, 2015. The second season premiered in the UK on April 27, 2016, and the third on May 26, 2017; Syfy UK did not acquire the fourth season. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD and Blu-ray on January 19, 2016, and the second season on January 17, 2017, with extras including webisodes, deleted scenes, and gag reels. The third and fourth seasons were released on Blu-ray on August 14, 2018, manufactured on demand, lacking subtitles, and including only season trailers and deleted scenes.

In Australia, Via Vision Entertainment released the third season on DVD and Blu-ray on May 23, 2018, and the fourth on January 2, 2019, both without subtitles and the third season without extras. A complete series set was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment on July 14, 2020. In Australia, Via Vision released a limited edition Blu-ray set on August 19, 2020, including the four seasons, the original film, a bonus disc, and a foldout map of "The Word of the Witness".

All four seasons are available for digital purchase on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes. Hulu exclusively streamed the first season starting February 24, 2016, adding the second season on April 18, 2017, the third on May 16, 2017, and the fourth on June 15, 2019. Outside the US, Netflix made the first three seasons available in multiple regions.

Reception

Critical reception of the first season was mixed. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 60% approval rating with an average rating of 6/10 based on 42 reviews, with the consensus that the time travel is nonsensical but the execution and characters are strong. Metacritic assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. Later episodes of the first season received more positive reviews; the finale "Arms of Mine" earned a 9.4/10 from IGN and a 4.5/5 from Den of Geek, and the episode "Paradox" received a 9.3/10 from IGN and an A− from The A.V. Club.

The second season was received positively, with a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews and an average rating of 8.1/10; the consensus noted addictive twists and added thriller elements. IGN rated the second season 9.0/10, calling it one of the best sci-fi shows on television. The episodes "Lullaby" and "Memory of Tomorrow" were considered the best of the season, with "Lullaby" receiving a 9.4/10 from IGN and a perfect 5/5 from Den of Geek, and "Memory of Tomorrow" earning a 9.6/10 from IGN and a 4.5/5 from Den of Geek.

The third season received a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on ten positive reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10 and a consensus praising fresh thrills, startling twists, and titillating time travel.