SCI FI PI

Impossible is what they do best!

There’s a new gang in town, Alphas, and they’ll be premiering on SCI FI Channel Australia on Friday, February 3, from 9:30pm.

Alphas is about a team of supernaturally gifted humans (called, funnily enough, Alphas) operating with the Defence Criminal Investigation Services of the U.S. Department of Defence, and led by preeminent neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Lee Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn), an expert in Alpha phenomena.

The team investigates cases that point to others with Alpha abilities. As they work against the clock to solve this new brand of crime, they must prevent their own personality differences and disparate backgrounds from interfering with their ultimate mission to catch the enemy.

The show is a Sy Fy Channel production - and comes from writers Zak Penn and Michael Karnow.

Zak Penn… that name rings a bell, right? Yep. He’s the screenwriter for the upcoming The Avengers. As well as having written X-Men: The Last Stand and, ahem, Elektra (but don’t hold that against him).






Alphas has received some great reviews from its first season in the US, and promisingly has just been given the greenlight for a second season.

It’s well worth tuning in for - you never know your luck - you might just find your favourite new show!



In the meantime, meet the cast of Alphas - the weird and wonderful characters, and check out their abilities:




Dr Lee Rosen – David Strathairn

Dr. Lee Rosen is a preeminent neurologist and psychiatrist with a long history of hands-on work with patients suffering from neurological disorders. His fascination with Alphas -- ordinary people with very extraordinary abilities known as 'Alpha Skills' -- has led to the formation of a group of highly evolved humans specialising in solving Alpha-related cases. Though not an Alpha himself, he has become the unconventional leader of the team and his nurturing personality and fatherly wisdom are instrumental in holding the group together when stresses and personality conflicts threaten to tear them apart.





Cameron Hicks – Warren Christie

Cameron Hicks has lived a hard life, the scars of which are evident in his personality. His run-ins with the law and the medical and military establishment have created a deep sense of distrust in authority. A former army sniper and minor league baseball pitcher, Hicks has an unusual condition called "hyperkinesis," wherein the mind's imaging systems and muscle control are perfectly in tune with the motor skills center of the brain. As a result he possesses flawless aim, perfect balance, and greatly enhanced motor skills.







Nina Theroux – Laura Mennell

Nina Theroux is worldly and sophisticated, attractive and intelligent, complex and manipulative. In short, she gives new meaning to the idea that a woman "always gets what she wants." Her alpha skill is called "influencing" and it involves the disruption of the specific neural pathways in the cerebral cortex that leave the brain vulnerable to suggestion. It's Nina's curse to know that those aware of her ability, cannot distinguish if she is being genuine or if she is controlling them.







Rachel Pirzad – Azita Ghanizada

Rachel Pizad is a pretty, timid girl in her early twenties, sheltered from society by her protective parents.  Rachel is that of a "synesthete", which allows her to enhance one sense while rendering her remaining senses temporarily useless—often leaving her vulnerable to danger.








Gary Bell – Ryan Cartwright

Gary Bell is in his twenties, sensitive to many factors of his environment, and dependent upon rigorous routine. Despite any perceived limitations, Gary is also a "transducer" -- a human antennae. His neural synapses have the ability to "read" a wide range of frequencies including television, radio, and cell phone signals in the same way people typically hear the everyday sounds around them. Gary's alpha skill is incredibly effective and allows him to intercept communications and encrypted messages. However, it can also be overwhelming for him when he is unable to turn these signals off.






Bill Harken – Malik Yoba

Bill Harken is a former FBI agent who strictly adheres to procedure and protocol. He is also a hyperadrenal Alpha -- an everyday person with a very special physical ability. Bill is able to summon amazing strength by consciously activating the "fight-or-flight" response. With a flood of adrenaline, pain receptors are subdued and for a short bursts of time, he experiences super human strength and a resistance to harm that borders on invulnerability.



Watch the premiere of Alphas, on Friday, February 3, from 9:30pm!