Extinct (2017 TV series)

Reader's Guide

Extinct is notable as BYUtv's second scripted television series, following Granite Flats. The series was cancelled after one season, which Card attributed to new management at BYUtv, stating that despite positive reception, 'it didn't grow in their own garden, so they didn't want it.' Reception was mixed but generally positive: Post Apocalyptic Media's Derek Dwilson called the season 1 finale 'impressive' and said the show 'deserves to be renewed.' Paste magazine noted the first season is 'worth paying attention to,' despite questioning BYUtv's family-friendly claims. Abby White observed that the show features mass grave sites, killer viruses, and aggressive antagonists, but is 'arguably a lot tamer than most sci-fi TV.' Deseret News praised the pilot for its 'intriguing backstories and a suspenseful ending,' despite uneven pacing. The series' premise—set 400 years after humanity's extermination by aliens, with revived humans navigating relationships with alien restorers and conflicts with genocidal aliens—offers a unique take on post-apocalyptic science fiction.

Did You Know?

• The series was originally written as a film before being adapted for television.
• It was filmed in multiple Utah locations including Zion National Park and the Salt Flats.
• The first two episodes premiered commercial-free on BYUtv.

From Film Concept to Television Series

The journey of Extinct from initial concept to screen was shaped by a pivotal creative pivot. Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston originally developed the project as a feature-length film, envisioning a standalone cinematic experience. However, when BYUtv producer Adam Abel expressed interest in adapting the material into a serialized television format, the writing team undertook a significant rewrite to restructure their scripts for episodic storytelling. This transformation allowed the narrative to unfold across ten episodes rather than a single sitting. The resulting series, directed by Ryan Little, became BYUtv's second scripted television production following Granite Flats. The show premiered on October 1, 2017, marking a notable expansion of the network's programming ambitions into the science fiction genre. The collaboration between Card, a name well known in speculative literature, and Johnston, who also contributed voice work to the series, gave the project a distinctive literary sensibility that set it apart from typical network fare.

A World Rebuilt from Ashes

Extinct constructs its narrative in a world where humanity has been entirely wiped out by an alien species, with the story set four centuries after that catastrophic extinction. The central drama revolves around three resurrected humans, Ezra, Abram, and Feena, who are brought back to life by a faction of aliens with the stated goal of reestablishing human civilization. Chad Michael Collins, Yorke Fryer, and Victoria Atkin portray these three protagonists, supported by a cast that includes Jaclyn Hales as Lynn, Jack Depew as Silas, Matthew Bellows as Jax, and Jake Stormoen as Duncan. The alien presence is represented partly through voiced drone characters: Kirby Heyborne lends his voice to the Red Drone, Anna Vocino to the Yellow Drone, and Aaron Johnston himself voices the Blue Drone. The tension driving the plot comes from the dual challenge of building trust with the alien restorers while simultaneously confronting the hostile, genocidal faction responsible for humanity's original destruction.

Filming Across Utah's Landscape

The production of Extinct took advantage of Utah's diverse and dramatic terrain to create its post-apocalyptic visual world. Filming locations spanned multiple regions across the state, including the towering sandstone formations of Zion National Park, the stark white expanse of the Salt Flats, and the smaller communities of St. George, Kanab, Payson, and Fillmore. These varied backdrops provided the show with a sense of vast, empty wilderness that complemented its theme of a world stripped of human habitation. In addition to these outdoor locations, the principal interior sets were constructed at the LDS Motion Picture Studio in Provo, which served as the production's main base. The release strategy was also distinctive: 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 for a two-hour television finale on November 19, 2017, with an online release coinciding with that broadcast.

Critical Response and an Abrupt End

Despite earning praise from reviewers, Extinct was cancelled after its single ten-episode season. In a post-cancellation interview, Orson Scott Card pointed to a change in leadership at BYUtv as the decisive factor, remarking that despite the show's positive reception, it did not grow in their own garden, so they did not want it. Critics, however, had been notably favorable. Derek Dwilson of Post Apocalyptic Media described the season finale as impressive and argued the series deserved renewal. Paste magazine called the first season worth paying attention to, while Deseret News praised the pilot for its intriguing backstories and suspenseful conclusion. A recurring point of discussion was the tension between BYUtv's marketing of the show as family-friendly and its actual content, which included mass grave sites, lethal viruses, and violently aggressive antagonists. Abby White observed that despite these darker elements, the show's cinematography, editing, and writing rendered it comparatively restrained by the standards of science fiction television.