Extinct (2017 TV series)

Lore & Background

The series is set 400 years after aliens exterminated humanity. Three revived humans—Ezra, Abram, and Feena—are brought back by a friendly alien faction to restart civilization, while contending with the genocidal aliens that destroyed humanity. The main cast includes Chad Michael Collins as Ezra, Victoria Atkin as Feena, and Yorke Fryer as Abram, among others.

The project was originally conceived as a film, but BYUtv producer Adam Abel expressed interest in a television series, leading Card and Johnston to rewrite the scripts for the format. Filming took place across various Utah locations, including Zion National Park and the LDS Motion Picture Studio in Provo.

Reader's Guide

Extinct holds significance as BYUtv's second scripted series, marking an expansion of the network's original programming. Despite positive reception from some critics—such as Post Apocalyptic Media's Derek Dwilson calling the finale 'impressive' and Paste magazine deeming the first season 'worth paying attention to'—the show was cancelled after one season. Writer Orson Scott Card attributed the cancellation to new management at BYUtv, stating that despite positive reception, 'it didn't grow in their own garden, so they didn't want it.' The series is noted for its family-friendly label being disputed by critics, who pointed to its depiction of mass grave sites, killer viruses, and aggressive antagonists. Its legacy is that of a short-lived but thoughtfully produced sci-fi entry on a niche network.

Did You Know?

• The series was originally written as a film before being reworked into a television series.
• The first two episodes premiered commercial free on BYUtv on October 1, 2017.
• Episodes 9 and 10 were released online as a 2-hour finale on November 19, 2017.
• The show was filmed in multiple Utah locations including Zion National Park and the Salt Flats.

From Film to Series: The Making of Extinct

The project began as a feature film written by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston. BYUtv producer Adam Abel saw potential in the material and pushed for a television adaptation, prompting Card and Johnston to restructure their scripts to fit episodic television formats. The series was directed by Ryan Little and became BYUtv's second scripted series after Granite Flats. The network ordered ten episodes, which premiered on October 1, 2017. This development path—from standalone film concept to a ten-episode limited series—gave the writers a chance to expand their narrative across multiple installments rather than compressing it into a single runtime. The involvement of Card, already well known in science fiction literature, lent the project a distinctive literary sensibility that permeated the show's storytelling approach.

Premise and Principal Cast

Set four centuries after an alien genocide wiped out all of humanity, the series centers on three resurrected individuals—Ezra, Abram, and Feena—who are brought back to life by a faction of aliens with the stated goal of restarting human civilization. The narrative threads together the trio's attempts to build a working relationship with their alien restorers while simultaneously navigating threats from the genocidal alien faction responsible for humanity's destruction. Chad Michael Collins, Victoria Atkin, and Yorke Fryer anchor the main cast as the three leads, supported by Jaclyn Hales as Lynn, Jack Depew as Silas, Matthew Bellows as Jax, and Jake Stormoen as Duncan. The drone characters—Red, Yellow, and Blue—are voiced by Kirby Heyborne, Anna Vocino, and Aaron Johnston respectively. The story weaves together themes of survival, trust, and the ethics of rebuilding a species from scratch under the watchful eyes of its former destroyers.

Filming Across Utah and the Release Strategy

Principal photography took place across multiple Utah locations, giving the series a distinctly Western visual palette. Filming locations included Zion National Park, the Salt Flats, St. George, Kanab, Payson, and Fillmore, alongside the main set constructed at the LDS Motion Picture Studio in Provo. This combination of sweeping natural landscapes and controlled studio work allowed the production to balance epic post-apocalyptic vistas with intimate interior scenes. The release strategy was unconventional for its time: the first two episodes aired commercial-free on BYUtv on October 1, 2017, while episodes three through eight were simultaneously made available for streaming on byutv.org and the dedicated site extinct.tv. The final two episodes were held back for a two-hour television finale on November 19, 2017, with online streaming released at the same time. This staggered rollout gave the show a built-in cliffhanger structure across its ten-episode run.

Critical Response and the Cancellation

Despite positive critical attention, Extinct was cancelled after its single ten-episode season. Orson Scott Card publicly attributed the decision to a change in leadership at BYUtv, noting that the network's new management did not feel the show had grown organically within their audience base, summarizing the situation with the observation that it "didn't grow in their own garden, so they didn't want it." Critics, however, were largely favorable. Derek Dwilson of Post Apocalyptic Media called the season finale "impressive" and argued the series deserved renewal. Paste magazine praised the first season as "worth paying attention to," while Abby White noted that despite the network's family-friendly branding, the show featured mass grave sites, lethal viruses, and aggressive antagonists—yet its cinematography, editing, and writing made it feel tamer than most science fiction television. Deseret News praised the pilot's intriguing backstories and suspenseful ending, even while acknowledging some uneven pacing.