Filmed on virtual sets like that in Sin City and 300, Sanctuary starred Amanda Tapping, who was part of the creative team as well as starring as Dr. Helen Magnus. Sanctuary was the first show to debut first on the internet in high definition, and was a fan favorite.
Tapping, along with creator Damian Kindler and director Martin Wood have worked together on the Stargate franchise for some time now. With this connection to the Sci Fi Channel already made, it was a natural step for them to chat about bringing Sanctuary to the television. When a trio of DVD’s containing two one-hour blocks of webisodes was provided to the Sci Fi high-ups, the talks moved up a notch.
"We were blown away by the level of quality they have been able to achieve on a Web budget," Sci Fi exec vp original programming Mark Stern said. "We loved the world they'd created, and we particularly loved their approach, since we had been looking for a way to apply the virtual-set CGI environment from films like '300' and 'Sin City' to a television series."
Stern went on to add that"this is the first time the technology is mature enough and inexpensive enough to do it."
This news is good news for those of us who are simply biding time until the internet is our primary source of entertainment. Already companies like Revision 3 and Cnet have been producing content for the internet, and have been rewarded. Announced only a few days ago, Revision 3 have landed a deal with Virgin Airlines to screen their shows on flights.
Sanctuary was originally a subscription model, but not surprisingly many of its webisodes made their way to YouTube and other video sharing sites. And, with the recent writers strike shining a glaring spotlight on the flaws in the traditional form of media production and distribution, time will see many more of these shows make their way to the television screens.