"Childhood's End" Miniseries will premiere on Dec. 14 at 9 p.m. on Syfy.
According to the official synopsis from the cable network, "Childhood's Ends" will revolve around the aftermath of an alien invasion that supposedly brought peace on Earth. Few decades later, the so-called "peaceful" Overlords began to show their true mission which might lead to the sacrifice of the entire human race.
The story will focus on Ricky Stormgen (Mike Vogel), a farmer in Missouri. He was chosen by Karellen (Charles Dance) to become the "Blue Collar Prophet" as the sole connection between the alien Overlords and humans. He is described as a "reluctant leader" before he realized the good things that the aliens have done for them.
Created by "Life on Mars" showrunner Matthew Graham, "Childhood's End" is directed by Nick Hurran. It is produced by Akiva Goldsman, Michael De Luca, Matthew Graham and Alissa Phillips under Universal Cable Productions.
Members of the cast also include Julian McMahon, Yael Stone, Daisy Betts, Ashley Zukerman, Charlotte Nicdao, Osy Ikhile, Hayley Magnus and Colm Meaney.
"Childhood's End" is based on the classic sci-fi novel of the same name by Arthur C. Clarke in 1953. Since its publication, there were several attempts raised for its adaptation, but none of them came into fruition. A collaboration with Clarke was only made in partnership with acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick in the movie, "2001: A Space Oddysey."
In an interview with Star-Telegram, Graham expressed his thoughts on the issue regarding the long period before the novel was successfully adapted on TV after 60 years.
“I think it’s mostly due to the fact that people approached it as a movie project, only to find that the book was too big to cram everything into just two hours," Graham said.
Graham noted that today is the perfect age for its adaptation as the "Childhood's Ends" will be accepted by modern viewers for its "character and idea-driven" storyline.
Meanwhile, the lead star of the series, Mike Vogel, shared the on-going pattern of his TV roles in the sci-fi genre. The actor was known for his roles in Stephen King's "Under the Dome" and a small role in A&E's "Bates Motel."
Vogel said that choosing his roles just boils to the quality of the stories. Vogel also praised Syfy for offering a different idea during the holiday seasons aside from the usual classic movie marathons and special live musical episodes.
Vogel added: “I love a premise that allows you to pose big ideas, maybe even dress them up as something else, and to start a conversation. I love a premise that gives you permission to dream big, where a more grounded story relative to our everyday lives wouldn’t give you as much freedom. That’s the aspect of sci-fi that I’m drawn to.”
The three-part miniseries will kick off with "Night One: The Overlords" on Dec. 14, "Night Two: The Deceivers" on Dec. 15 and "Night Three: The Children" on Dec. 16.
"Childhood's End" will premiere on Syfy along with "Expanse."
