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FlashForward

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This article is about the 2009 ABC TV series. For other uses, see Flashforward (disambiguation).
FlashForward
FlashForward title screen
GenreDrama
Science fiction
Created byBrannon Braga
David S. Goyer
Based on the novel by Robert J. Sawyer
StarringJoseph Fiennes
John Cho
Jack Davenport
Zachary Knighton
Peyton List
Dominic Monaghan
Brían F. O'Byrne
Courtney B. Vance
Sonya Walger
Christine Woods
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersBrannon Braga
David S. Goyer
Marc Guggenheim
Jessika Goyer
Vince Gerardis
Ralph Vicinanza
Production locationLos Angeles, California
Running time42 minutes
Production companyABC Studios
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 24, 2009 –
May 27, 2010

FlashForward is an American television series, adapted for TV by Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer, which aired on ABC between September 24, 2009 and May 27, 2010. It is based on the 1999 novel Flashforward by Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer.

The series revolves around the lives of several people as a mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for two minutes and seventeen seconds on October 6, 2009. During this "blackout," people see what appear to be visions of their lives on April 29, 2010, a global "flashforward."

Premise

A mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 137 seconds, during which people see what appear to be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future—a global “flashforward”. A team of Los Angeles FBI agents, led by Stanford Wedeck (Vance) and spearheaded by Mark Benford (Fiennes) and his partner Demetri Noh (Cho), begin the process of determining what happened, why, and whether it will happen again. Benford contributes a unique perspective on the investigation; in his flashforward, he saw the results of six months of investigation that he had done on the flashforward event, and he and his team use those clues to recreate the investigation.

The team investigates a number of events related to the flashforward, including "Suspect Zero", who did not lose consciousness during the event, the sinister "D. Gibbons/Dyson Frost", and a similar mass loss of consciousness in Somalia in 1991. Meanwhile, personal revelations contained within the flashforwards occupy the personal lives of the principal characters. Mark Benford sees himself relapsing into alcoholism; his wife sees herself with another man; Demetri Noh sees nothing, which could mean that he will not be alive to see the day everyone else has glimpsed or, perhaps, that his future wasn't set on the day of the flashforward. Other characters grapple with similarly unexpected or surprising revelations in their flashforwards.

The last episode which aired on May 27,2010 included the world blacking out for the second time, showing them 5 years in the future. Agent Benford was suspected to have blacked out in the building before he reached the window, the last images showed people blacked out across the world. The next image is of Charlie (Benford's Daughter) 5 years older facing the window when someone asks her what happened, this person is presumed to be Dylan, with Charlie saying "They found him", presuming she means her father Mark. The Federal Bureau Building has had two bombs detonated completely destroying it. It is left unknown whether Benford survived the blast.

Characters

Main article: Characters in FlashForward (television show)

FlashForward began with nine star billed roles. From episode six on, Dominic Monaghan is billed as a regular cast member.

  • FBI Special Agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) — Mark's flashforward guides the investigation of the events of October 6. The husband of Olivia Benford and father of Charlie Benford, he is a recovering alcoholic. In his flashforward, he sees himself working on the Mosaic investigation when armed masked men enter his office. He also sees himself drinking, which he tries to hide from his wife.
  • FBI Special Agent Demetri Noh (John Cho) — Mark Benford’s partner at the FBI. He had no flashforward and fears that means he will die, especially after he receives a phone call telling him that he will be murdered. He is engaged to Zoey, a lawyer who believed her flashforward was about their wedding until she realized it was possibly his funeral. But Demetri survives March 15th thanks to Mark and he walks away free.
  • Dr. Lloyd Simcoe (Jack Davenport) — An academic at Stanford. Lloyd's estranged wife and mother of his son died during the blackout. He has a son with autism, Dylan, who knows Olivia and whom Charlie mysteriously recognizes. His research partner is Simon Campos, and Lloyd believes they are responsible for the blackout but, according to Simon's Uncle Teddy, they only amplified it, causing it to affect the whole world.
  • Dr. Bryce Varley (Zachary Knighton) — A surgical intern reporting to Dr. Olivia Benford. He was on the verge of committing suicide due to a diagnosis of stage 4 renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) when the blackout occurred. After the blackout he experiences a renewed will to live, and sees his vision as a gift. In Course Correction, Bryce learns that his cancer is in remission.
  • Nicole Kirby (Peyton List) — A 19-year-old student and Charlie Benford's babysitter. She was a childhood friend of Aaron Stark's daughter, Tracy. Nicole's flashforward shows her being held underwater by a stranger. She is able to speak Japanese.
  • Dr. Simon Campos (Dominic Monaghan) — A quantum physicist and research partner of Stanford academic Lloyd Simcoe, who doesn't believe he is responsible for the blackout. He told people that in his flashforward he sees himself fighting and later killing a man, which was actually a lie. In Revelation Zero (Part 2), we find out that he is "Suspect Zero;" he was given a ring that kept him awake during the blackout. His uncle is the middle man in the deal, and Simon's younger sister is kidnapped by the people that want to control the blackouts. Simon's uncle had previously killed Simon's father, and after he also kills Simon's professor, Simon kills him.
  • Aaron Stark (Brían F. O'Byrne) — A recovering alcoholic, he is Mark Benford’s AA sponsor and close friend. His daughter, Tracy, was presumed killed in action in Afghanistan, but his flashforward showed his daughter alive. In The Gift, he comes home to find Tracy in his living room. Jericho later kidnaps Tracy from his home, and in The Garden of Forking Paths, Agent Wedeck provides him assistance in getting to Afghanistan to find Tracy.
  • FBI Assistant Director Stanford Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance) — Head of the FBI Los Angeles field office. He oversees Mark Benford's team and the October 6 investigation. His flashforward shows him on a toilet reading a newspaper.
  • Dr. Olivia Benford (Sonya Walger) — Mark's wife and a successful surgeon at a major hospital. She supervises Dr. Bryce Varley. In her flashforward, she is romantically involved with Dr. Lloyd Simcoe, although she had never met him before the blackout. They meet when she treats his autistic son, Dylan.
  • FBI Special Agent Janis Hawk (Christine Woods) — Works at the Los Angeles field office as part of Mark Benford's team. In her vision she was pregnant and having a sonogram, which she finds hard to believe because she is single and a lesbian. She is in charge of watching over Simon later in the series. In Queen Sacrifice, it was revealed that she is a mole reporting to those responsible for the blackout. In Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, we find out she is actually a double agent for the FBI and CIA at Agent Vogel's request.

Title sequence images

Each episode's title sequence includes a hidden image within the FlashForward logo to show a piece of what the episode is about. On DVD or episodes recorded on DVR devices, these images are visible when the sequence is paused at the right time.

Episodes

Main article: List of FlashForward episodes
Season Episodes Original Airing Rank Viewers
(in millions)
Series Premiere Series Finale TV Season
1 22 September 24, 2009 May 27, 2010 2009–2010 7.15

! 1 - Series has been cancelled.

Production

The pilot was written by David S. Goyer (who also directed) and Brannon Braga, from Robert J. Sawyer's novel, with Goyer and Braga executive producing alongside Jessika Borsiczky Goyer, Vince Gerardis, and Ralph Vicinanza.[1]

FlashForward was originally developed at HBO, which sold its option because it thought the show would be a better fit for a broadcast network. After purchasing the series and ordering a pilot ABC picked up FlashForward for thirteen episodes in May 2009[2]. On October 12, 2009, ABC picked up the series for a 22 episode season. Later the same day, it was announced ABC had ordered a further three episodes for a 25 episode first season, which was later adjusted to 24.[3][4][5][6]

On October 21, 2009, it was announced that executive producer Marc Guggenheim would leave ABC's FlashForward. Co-creator and executive producer David S. Goyer stepped in to replace him as show runner.[7] On February 5, 2010, Goyer announced he would be stepping down as show runner to focus on feature films and directing. He remained involved with the show, however. Goyer was replaced as showrunner by his wife, Jessika, along with Lisa Zwerling and Timothy J. Lea.

On May 13, 2010, it was reported that FlashForward would not be renewed for a second season.

Home video releases

Season 1, part 1 of the series was released on DVD on February 23, 2010. The DVD has the first 10 episodes plus bonus material. The full series will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in August 2010.[8]

Reception

Critical reception

FlashForward has received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 72 out of 100, based on 26 critic reviews.[9] In September 2009, Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle deemed the series "enormously entertaining" with a "tantalizing premise",[10] while Ginia Bellafante of the New York Times wrote that it "begins in such a spirit of bracing suspense that [she was] challenged to recall another pilot that lured [her] so quickly into addiction."[11] Variety's Brian Lowry gave a more measured review, opining: "it's an intriguing, mind-bending concept that's mostly well executed [...] there's a solid desire to see more, but not such wonderment as to proclaim unwavering fealty until the show peers a little farther down the road."[12] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker graded the series "B+", stating: "FF isn't perfect. Much thought has been given to plot and character, but not enough to the visuals: This is one of the most drablooking of intelligent shows. Thematically, FF makes major philosophical points— living in the moment, etc.—but instead of dramatizing them, it often just has its characters speak them." Tucker described the show as "combin[ing] sci-fi-ish conspiracy suspense with excellent prime-time-soap drama".[13]

Public reception

Although launching to large audiences of 12.47 million viewers in the US, the show's ratings rapidly declined to ratings about one-third that figure. [14] The show's scheduling in the US has been held to blame by some. However in other countries such as the UK, where the show is given prime time scheduling on terrestrial television, ratings have also dwindled.[15]

Awards and nominations

In November 2009, FlashForward received a nomination in the category of Favorite New Television Drama at the People's Choice Awards.

  • Nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the Image Awards for Gabrielle Union.
  • Nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Episodic/Pilot Television for Jeffrey Jur in the episode "The Gift" at the American Society of Cinematographers.[16]

International distribution

FlashForward has sold in over 100 territories worldwide. Overseas air-dates are typically close to the original American broadcasts, in an attempt to limit piracy.[17] The series airs on AXN in Mexico,[18] Argentina,[19] Chile,[20] Brazil,[21] Bulgaria,[22] Colombia,[23] the Czech Republic,[24] Hungary,[25] Japan,[26] Portugal,[27] Romania,[28] Serbia,[29] Venezuela[30] and Uruguay.[31] It airs in Australia on the Seven Network,[32] in Austria on ORF1,[33] in Canada on /A\,[34] and in Estonia on Fox Life.[35] In Greece it is broadcast on FX,[36] in Hong Kong on TVB Pearl, [37] in New Zealand on TV2,[32] and in Russia on Channel One.[17] In Singapore it is shown on MediaCorp Channel 5,[32] in Slovenia on TV3 Slovenia,[38] in South Africa on M-Net,[39] and in Turkey on Dizimax.[40] In Western Europe, FlashForward airs on Kanal 5 in Denmark,[41] Nelonen in Finland,[42] TF1 in France,[17] ProSieben in Germany,[43] RTÉ Two in Ireland,[44] TV 2 in Norway,[17] Cuatro in Spain,[45] TV4 in Sweden,[46] SF zwei in Switzerland[47], Five in the United Kingdom[48] and Fox in Italy[49].

References

  1. ^ "Flash Forward New Companion for Lost". www.comingsoon.net. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  2. ^ "The Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. 2009-05-08. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  3. ^ "ABC Confirms Episode Orders". The Futon Critic. 2009-12-08. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  4. ^ Levine, Stuart (2009-10-12). "ABC picks up more 'FlashForward'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-10-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Michael Ausiello (2009-10-12). "This just in: 'FlashForward' gets full season". The Ausiello Files. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-10-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (2009-10-12). "ABC Orders Full Season of 'FlashForward'". ArtsBeat: The Culture at Large. The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Joyce Eng. "FlashForward Changes Showrunners". TVGuide.com.
  8. ^ Flashforward - Buy the DVD - ABC.com
  9. ^ "FlashForward". Metacritic. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  10. ^ Goodman, Tim (September 24, 2009). "Tim Goodman: The future looks very promising". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 32010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ Bellafante, Ginia (September 23, 2009). "Fearing a Future They've Seen". New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  12. ^ Lowry, Brian (September 23, 2009). "FlashFoorward". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  13. ^ Tucker, Ken (October 23, 2009). "FlashForward". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  14. ^ http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/03/28/flashforwards-ratings-blame-the-show-not-the-scheduling/46408
  15. ^ "FlashForward makes poor ratings return". Digital Spy. March 24, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  16. ^ "American Society of Cinematographers Reveals Nominees in Annual TV Competition". http://www.theasc.com. Retrieved 2010-05-06. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ a b c d Hopewell, John; Keslassy, Elsa (October 5, 2009). "Disney sells 'FlashForward' worldwide". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  18. ^ "FlashForward | Latin America AXN". Mx.axn.com. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
  19. ^ "FlashForward | Latin America AXN". Ar.axn.com. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  20. ^ "FlashForward | Chile AXN". cl.axn.com. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  21. ^ "FlashForward | Brasil AXN". Br.axn.com. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  22. ^ "Flash Forward trailer BG | Видео | Bulgaria AXN". Axn-bulgaria.com. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  23. ^ "FlashForward | Latin America AXN". Ar.axn.com. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  24. ^ "Flash Forward". AXN.cz. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  25. ^ "Műsorbeosztás | Hungary Axn". Axn.hu. 2009-11-16. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  26. ^ "AXN Japan: Coming soon". 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  27. ^ "AXN.pt - FlashForward mini-site". axn.pt. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  28. ^ "Acasă | Romania AXN". Axn.ro. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  29. ^ "Početna strana | Serbia AXN". Axn.rs. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  30. ^ "AXN estrena ,FlashForward". Retrieved 2010-02-28.
  31. ^ http://uy.axn.com/shows/flashforward
  32. ^ a b c Elizabeth Guider (September 21, 2009). "FlashForward inks Asia Pacific deals". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  33. ^ "tv.ORF.at". tv.ORF.at. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  34. ^ "Canadian author Robert J. Sawyer to debut TV series with literary fans". The Canadian Press. 2009-09-23.
  35. ^ Kersti Raud (October 5, 2009). "Flashforwardi tutvustus". elu24.ee. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  36. ^ "FX - Σειρές - Flash Forward | Home". Fxtv.gr. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  37. ^ "Pearl 明珠台 - tvb.com". Pearl.tvb.com. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  38. ^ Zabec.net (www.zabec.net). "PO SLEDEH PRIHODNOSTI - Serije - TV3". Tv3.si. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  39. ^ "M-NET - Flash Forward". Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  40. ^ "Digiturk". Digiturk. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  41. ^ "Kanal 5 - programmer [ serier ]". Kanal5.dk. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  42. ^ Mitä sinä näit?. "FlashForward". Nelonen.fi. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  43. ^ "Frühlingsoffensive: ProSieben ab März mit 7 neuen Serienstaffeln - Serien - Serienjunkies". Serienjunkies.de. 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  44. ^ "RTÉ Television - Programmes - Drama - FlashForward". Rte.ie. 2009-12-23. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  45. ^ "Flashforward En". Cuatro.com. 2008-12-31. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  46. ^ "Premiärdatum för FlashForward i TV4". TVplanetens tv-blogg. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  47. ^ "Was läuft im Fernsehen - TV-Programm von SF". Tvprogramm.sf.tv. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  48. ^ "FlashForward". Five. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  49. ^ "FlashForward". FoxTV. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
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