Nightflyers (TV series)
A 2018 Syfy series based on George R. R. Martin's novella and short stories (not the 1987 film).
Nightflyers is an American horror science fiction television series. It first aired on Syfy in the United States on December 2, 2018, and became available on Netflix internationally on February 1, 2019. The show is adapted from George R. R. Martin’s novella and related short stories of the same name. Its first season ran for ten episodes, ending on December 13, 2018. Syfy canceled the series in February 2019.
The story is set in 2093. A team of scientists travels into space aboard the advanced ship Nightflyer, tasked with making first contact with alien life. As violent and terrifying events start happening on board, the crew members begin to suspect one another. They eventually realize something else is present on the ship with them. The crew must save themselves and complete their mission.
The main cast includes Eoin Macken as astrophysicist Karl d’Branin, the expedition’s leader; David Ajala as the reclusive captain Roy Eris; Jodie Turner-Smith as Melantha Jhirl; Angus Sampson as xenobiologist Rowan; Sam Strike as L-1 telepath Thale; Maya Eshet as cyberneticist Lommie Thorne, who communicates with the ship’s computers through a neuro-port in her arm; Brían F. O’Byrne as chief engineer Auggie; and Gretchen Mol as Agatha Matheson, a psychiatrist specializing in telepaths. Recurring roles include Phillip Rhys, Gwynne McElveen, Zoë Tapper, Miranda Raison, Bronte Carmichael, Youssef Kerkour, Joplin Sibtain, Josette Simon, Brielle Olaleye, Daniel Adegboyega, Olwen Fouéré, and Ned Dennehy.
Development began in 2016 after Syfy acquired the rights. The series is based directly on George R. R. Martin's novella and short stories, not the 1987 film adaptation. George R. R. Martin was not directly involved due to his exclusive HBO contract but received credit as an executive producer. Production started in early 2018 in Limerick, Ireland, and at Troy Studios, with Daniel Cerone as showrunner. Cerone also served as executive producer alongside Gene Klein, David Bartis, Doug Liman, Alison Rosenzweig, Michael Gaeta, Lloyd Ivan Miller, and Alice P. Neuhauser. Spin VFX handled the main visual effects, with Territory Studio providing user interfaces and Switch Visual Effects offering additional support. The effects were designed to blend with the large practical set built for the ship.
Netflix joined as a co-producer, securing international airing rights and secondary U
- Based on
- George R. R. Martin's novella and short stories (not the 1987 film)
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction / Horror / Psychological thriller
- Based On
- Nightflyers · George R. R. Martin
- Starring
- Eoin Macken / David Ajala / Jodie Turner-Smith / Angus Sampson / Sam Strike / Maya Eshet / Brían F. O'Byrne / Gretchen Mol
- Composer
- Will Bates
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 10
- Executive Producer
- Daniel Cerone / George R. R. Martin / Jeff Buhler / Gene Klein / David Bartis / Brian Nelson / Doug Liman / Alison Rosenzweig / Michael Gaeta / Lloyd Ivan Miller / Alice P. Neuhauser
- Producer
- Robert Jaffe / Andrew McCarthy
- Editor
- Toby Yates
- Location
- Ireland
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series was developed by Syfy in 2016 after acquiring the rights, and is based directly on George R. R. Martin's novella and short stories, not the 1987 film adaptation. George R. R. Martin was not directly involved due to his exclusive contract with HBO but was credited as an executive producer. Production began in early 2018 on location in Limerick, Ireland, and at Troy Studios, with Daniel Cerone serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside others from Hypnotic, Gaeta Rosenzweig Films, and Lloyd Ivan Miller Productions.
Reader's Guide
Nightflyers received mixed to negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 33% approval rating based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 5.41/10; the critical consensus notes that the series is 'unsettling without being particularly scary' and suffers from 'low-budget aesthetics and over-reliance on homage.' Metacritic assigned a score of 47 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Critics such as Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club praised the visual style and Maya Eshet's performance but found the show lacking depth and failing to upend genre conventions. The series was canceled by Syfy in February 2019 after one season.
Did You Know?
- The series is based on George R. R. Martin's novella and short stories of the same name, not the 1987 film adaptation.
- Netflix joined as a co-producer, securing international airing rights and secondary U.S. rights.
More in Television series about extraterrestrial life 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record