George R. R. Martin's Nightflyers Comes to Syfy

Syfy and NBC Universal flew me out to the set of Nightflyers earlier this year and I was able to [...]

By Zach Roberts

Syfy and NBC Universal flew me out to the set of Nightflyers earlier this year and I was able to see a bit of what the show was going to be. It being a Syfy show I was expecting a bit more camp, but wow, once in their studios I had that idea quickly changed. Nearly everything was to be practical sets, few green screens, Hollywood actors and Now, having watched the first episode I can tell you it's everything and more that I thought.

The set design, is Hollywood studio level amazing. The writing is better than anything Syfy has done before (no insult meant there, it's just shooting for a different caliber of broadcasting that the channel usually does). And the cast is just beyond belief. This is a show that could be on HBO or Showtime in every way. I'm actually a bit surprised that it's not - especially since it's based on Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin's short story from.

That said, don't expect dragons and don't expect a straight adaptation from the novella. I've (tried to) read it and made it about 10 pages in. To say that it's dense is an understatement. One thing that was heavily emphasized by all on the set in Ireland was - don't bother watching the movie adaptation. I still haven't - but based on the trailer and the reviews I've read - neither should anyone. The original came out of that sad era in the 80's where Hollywood was trying to dig up any scifi-ish type story that it could put to screen, thanks to the success of Star Wars.

The 2018 Syfy loose adaptation of Martin's novella is anything but Star Wars. Think - Event Horizon, with a little Sunshine and a lot more... um... sexy. While it's not Game of Thrones level sex appeal it's certainly beyond Captain Kirk's romantic trysts. The cast is an amazing, yet motley (in a good way) crew of actors that span the spectrum. There's Boardwalk Empires' Gretchen Mol who plays Dr. Agatha Matheson, Eastender's Sam Strike and The Last Ship's Jodie Turner-Smith to name a few. We'll have interviews with all of them in the coming weeks, so stay tuned in.

Nightflyers is some of the best science fiction on cable right now - you're going to want to watch this one right away. Thankfully, they've dropped the first two episodes on the Syfy website and streaming app. Also, be sure to watch the behind the scenes videos after the episode.

You can watch the entire first episode right here which slams in as much action and story as an entire movie normally would, but don't worry no need to remember the family lineages of seven different clans, like another show might make you.

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