ReGenesis

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ReGenesis
ReGenesis season one DVD.jpg
Cover of Season 1 DVD. From left to right: Conrad Pla as Carlos Serrano, Mayko Nguyen as Mayko Tran, Peter Outerbridge as David Sandström, Maxim Roy as Caroline Morrison, Dmitry Chepovetsky as Bob Melnikov, and Sarah Strange as Jill Langston.
Genre Science fiction
Biopunk
Created by Christina Jennings
Starring Peter Outerbridge
Conrad Pla
Dmitry Chepovetsky
Wendy Crewson
Mayko Nguyen
Greg Bryk
Opening themeAnywhere But Here
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes52 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersChristina Jennings
Tom Chehak
Production company Shaftesbury Films
Original release
Network The Movie Network
Movie Central
ReleaseOctober 24, 2004 (2004-10-24) 
May 25, 2008 (2008-05-25)

ReGenesis is a Canadian science-fiction television series produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2008, revolves around the scientists of NorBAC (North American Biotechnology Advisory Commission), a fictional organization with a lab based in the city of Toronto. The organization investigates problems of a scientific nature, such as bioterrorism, mysterious diseases, or radical changes in the environment throughout North America. NorBAC is headed by David Sandström (played by Peter Outerbridge), the chief scientist, and molecular biologist. Through this character, the show often addresses topical social, political, and ethical issues related to the science at hand.

Contents

The series was originally broadcast on The Movie Network and Movie Central, with rebroadcasts on Global and Showcase in Canada. Internationally it can be seen on FX in the United Kingdom, The Science Channel, Halogen TV, and in syndication at CW Plus in the United States, and FX Latin America in Mexico; as well as numerous broadcasters in Europe and Asia. International distribution is handled by Oasis International. As of April 2012, the show can also be seen on Hulu. As of November 2018, ReGenesis is available on The Roku Channel.

Aled Edwards, the scientific consultant for the series, is a noted Canadian molecular biologist, and the director of the Structural Genomics Consortium.

Interactive and other media

ReGenesis has been an international pioneer in integrating interactive media elements into the series. The first successfully deployed alternate reality game paired with a major television broadcast is called the ReGenesis Extended Reality and was created by Xenophile Media in association with Shaftesbury Films. It won the Canadian New Media Award for Best Cross-Platform Project of 2004 and an FITC Design & Technology Award for Excellence in Convergence. [1] In 2006 the alternate reality game won the Banff World Television Festival [2] Award for Interactive Television, a Gemini Award for Best Cross-Platform, and in 2007, an International Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Program. An exploratory game, the ReGenesis Extended Reality draws viewers into a conspiracy and mystery that weaves in and out of the TV series, using the internet, email, and other media to immerse the viewer, blurring the line between fiction and reality. ReGenesis Extended Reality harnesses the power of enthusiastic fans that seed the site with discussion content and collaborative investigations. Extensive knowledge of various chemistry and biotechnology issues is required to find out why the plot in many episodes can't be true (if it can't).

Other interactive elements include ReGenesis: ReMixed, a 14-episode series of podcasts hosted by series Music Supervisor Andrea Higgins and produced by Arpix Media, featuring the music of ReGenesis, as well as exclusive interviews with some of the people involved in putting the show together. However, neither of these was continued for the third or fourth season of the series.

Characters

Main characters

Recurring characters

Music

The main title theme song for ReGenesis is "Anywhere But Here" by the Montreal band Behavior. Behavior is an alias for producer / composer Michael McCann. The show's score is primarily composed by Tom Third, with numerous contributions throughout by film/TV composer Robert Carli, and was supervised by Ron Proulx and Andrea Higgins of Arpix Media.

Home releases

On November 11, 2008, Season 1 was released in North America on DVD by Entertainment One. The four-disc set includes all 13 first-season episodes presented in a letterboxed format. Special features include a making of, photo gallery, and "The Facts Behind the Fiction" (the white papers published by the Ontario Genomics Institute). Shaftesbury Films claimed that Seasons 2, 3 and 4 would follow throughout 2009 and 2010, but as of February 2013 no such releases have emerged.

The first season has also been released in the UK through Universal Studios UK. The second season was later released to European countries by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, though it was presented in a pan and scan format. Seasons 3 and 4 have been released on DVD in Japan—Season 3 in letterboxed format and Season 4 in 16:9 widescreen. The Japanese Season 3 boxset includes a 20-minute Making of video [3] and the Season 4 boxset a 20-minute Peter Outerbridge interview titled "Pretending With Conviction". [4]

On January 30, 2015, Season 1 was released in Europe on Blu-ray by Entertainment One. [5] The three-disc set includes all 13 first-season episodes. Season 2 will be released on Blu-ray March 23, 2015. [6]

In 2016, the full series was released in Germany by Just Bridge (renamed Just Entertainment after a subsequent merger). Its 16 DVDs are presented in a box set containing two gatefold digipaks, eight in the first (seasons 1 and 2) and eight in the second (seasons 3 and 4). The set also includes "Making Of" documentaries for seasons 1 and 3. Aspect ratio is 16:9 Video format is Region 2, PAL (requiring a region-free DVD player in the show's native North America). There are two German audio tracks, and one of the original English. The disk design for each season is based on the iconic "cast in a prism" logo, but color filtering and supporting cast changes distinguish the seasons from one another. The prolifically displayed year dates are those of the series copyrights; however, the release date of the Just Bridge DVD set can be found in tiny print on each digipak, when closed, on the bottom of its outside back panel. Now out of print, the Just Bridge set is periodically available via outlets such as Ebay and Amazon Marketplace, etc. (This is a "hands on product" description. Reportedly, Just Bridge also released separate sets of Season 1 and 2.)

International broadcasts

CountryTV Network(s)
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada The Movie Network, Movie Central (first run)
Global (second run), Showcase, Vision TV
Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina Tecnopolis
Flag of France.svg France Sci Fi Channel, 13ème Rue
Flag of France.svg France, Flag of Germany.svg Germany Arte
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico FX Latin America
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil FX Latin America
Flag of Spain.svg Spain Calle 13
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal SIC Radical
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom SciFi (UK) (first run) and FX (second run, premiering 22:00 on Wednesday, 22 October 2008).
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium Canvas (Flanders), RTL TVi (Wallonia)
Flag of Korea (1899).svg Korea Science Channel
Flag of Japan.svg Japan WOWOW
Flag of the United States.svg USA Syndication, Halogen TV, MAVTV, Hulu, The Science Channel
Flag of Poland.svg Poland AXN / AXN Sci-Fi
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Russia 2
Flag of Italy.svg Italy Mediaset Premium 1
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland RSI La 1
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria Fox Crime, Vivacom Arena
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary AXN
Flag of Romania.svg Romania AXN and AXN Sci-Fi
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia Fox Crime
Flag of Finland.svg Finland YLE FST5
Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines Maxxx, Studio 23
Flag of South Africa.svg South AfricaMnet Action
Flag of Turkey.svg TurkeyDizi Smart, Dizi Smart Premium
Flag of Iran.svg Iranسلامت
Flag of Albania.svg Albania Vizion Plus
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia FX

Notes

  1. Credited as Ellen Page

References

  1. "FITC Awards -2005". FITC.ca. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  2. "Clickable Culture - 'ReGenesis' ARG Wins Gemini Award". Secretlair.com. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  3. "Peter Outerbridge Forum". pouterbridge.virtual-dreams.org. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  4. "Peter Outerbridge Forum". pouterbridge.virtual-dreams.org. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  5. "ReGenesis - Season 1". Amazon Germany. 30 January 2015.
  6. "ReGenesis - Season 2". Amazon Germany. 3 April 2015.