Halle Berry
Pierce Gagnon
Grace Gummer
Goran Visnjic
Hiroyuki Sanada
Michael O’Neill
Camryn Manheim

Created by:
Mickey Fisher

2014-
Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
CBS
TV-14

“Extant” starts off as a credible entry into the television sci-fi genre. Executive producer Steven Spielberg’s aesthetic and professionalism shines through in its first episode. It doesn’t look new, but it works; for television, it looks wonderful. It’s on par with many mid-level sci-fi films; that’s a compliment.

Along with good production values, the first episode of “Extant” introduces some interesting ideas. And the development of those ideas throughout its TV run will either make it or break it. It gives you a bit of Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity,” Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus,” Steven Sodebergh’s “Solaris,” and Spielberg’s “A.I.” It’s set in a well-planned future world that’s not too conspicuous.

The main question I have after the pilot is: What’s going on? That’s exactly as it should be. The writing and acting are professional and committed, though not perfect. That’s fine, too. I have hope for “Extant” because of its thoroughly solid beginning and pedigree. …

The second episode of “Extant” features terrible writing (what happened?); it’s embarrassing at times. But the ideas are still there. I hope that the writing doesn’t get in the way of the story anymore; none of the actors could do much with it in this episode. Hmmm. We’ll see. …

While “Extant” has great ideas, it has turned into a sci-fi show that’s afraid of science. What a shame.

Verdict: OK (at best)

About: (Source: extant)

Academy Award winner Halle Berry will star in EXTANT, a serialized drama from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and CBS Television Studios. In August, the CBS Television Network announced a straight-to-series order for EXTANT, to be broadcast in summer 2014.

In a thrilling drama, Berry will play an astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission in space and tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.