Origin (TV series)


Origin is an American science fiction drama web television series created by Mika Watkins that premiered on November 14, 2018, on YouTube Premium. Watkins also serves as a writer for the series and executive produces alongside Andy Harries, Rob Bullock, Suzanne Mackie, Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg. On March 25, 2019, YouTube cancelled the series after one season.

Premise

Origin follows "a group of strangers stranded on a spacecraft bound for a distant planet. The abandoned passengers must work together for survival, but quickly realize that one of them is far from who they claim to be."

Cast and characters

Main

Production

Development

On October 26, 2017, it was announced that YouTube had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes set to premiere in 2018. The series was created by Mika Watkins who was also expected to serve as a writer and executive producer alongside Andy Harries, Rob Bullock, and Suzanne Mackie from Left Bank and Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Midnight Radio, Left Bank Pictures, CiTVC, and Sony Pictures Television.
On January 24, 2018, it was reported that the series would premiere sometime around the end of 2018. On April 26, 2018, it was announced that Paul W. S. Anderson would direct the series' first two episodes. On August 27, 2018, it was announced on the show's official Twitter account that the series would premiere on November 14, 2018. On March 25, 2019, it was confirmed that YouTube had cancelled the series.

Casting

On April 26, 2018, it was announced that Natalia Tena, Tom Felton, Sen Mitsuji, Nora Arnezeder, Fraser James, Philipp Christopher, Madalyn Horcher, and Siobhán Cullen had been cast as series regulars and that Adelayo Adedayo, Nina Wadia, Johannes Johannesson, Wil Coban, and Tara Fitzgerald would also appear in the series.

Filming

Principal photography for the series took place in 2018 in South Africa.

Release

On July 19, 2018, a teaser trailer for the series was released. On October 4, 2018, the first full-length trailer was released.

Reception

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 69% approval rating with an average rating of 6.2 out of 10 based on 16 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Origins overstuffed space drama mimics many genre classics to varying degrees of success; thankfully, its stellar cast and withholding premise are intriguing enough to encourage exploring its mysterious -- if familiar -- corridors."