Star Trek: The Original Series is part of one of the longest running sci-fi franchises in television so it’s no wonder it can be linked to another series.
A new sci-fi series is set to premiere on the Syfy channel tonight, and it has a surprising connection to Star Trek: The Original Series. Created by Dean Devlin, The Ark, which will debut at 10 p.m. EST has The Original Series to thank for Devlin’s interest in science fiction as his mother guest-starred on an episode of the series back in 1967.
Pilar Seural, Devlin’s mother, played a psychic princess on Wolf in the Fold. She ends up getting killed by Scotty (James Doohan) when he is possessed by the soul of Jack the Ripper. According to an interview with the New York Post, Devlin was fascinated when his mother brought home the stunt man’s phaser. It was made of rubber and beat up, but it started Devlin’s sci-fi addiction.
The crew of The Ark has a five-year mission just like the crew of Star Trek: The Original Series.
While the Enterprise was out to explore strange new worlds and to seek out new life and new civilizations, The Ark is on a different type of five-year mission. The series is set 100 years in the future and takes place on a state-of-the art spaceship. The Ark is sent to colonize a planet to help save the people of Earth from extinction.
Much like Star Trek: The Original Series in that aspect, The Ark is on a budget. So it was shot in Serbia, which enabled the producers to get more bang for their buck, and Devlin was already familiar with the territory, having filmed another series there, “The Outpost.” was not unfamiliar terrain for Devlin and Glassner.
"“We did another show there called ‘The Outpost,’ and like that series, this show was where we had very big ambitions and very little money — so normally what you do it curtail your vision. Jonathan and I were loathe to do that, so by going [to Serbia] we were really able to get a lot more on the screen.”"
The Ark premieries February 1st at 10:00 p.m. EST. You can also catch it on Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, and fubo TV.