Fans of The Magicians, Syfy US’s TV series-length adaptation of the acclaimed fantasy book trilogy from Lev Grossman, will be delighted to hear that the magic will continue for at least another year, with it recently being confirmed that the show will return for a second series at some point in 2017.
Created by Sera Gamble (Supernatural) and John McNamara (Jericho, Aquarius), The Magicians follows budding wizard Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) as he enrols at the inventively named Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, where he discovers that the magical events he read about as a child. Concurrently, his childhood friend Julia (Stella Maeve) is denied entry, prompting her to seek magical abilities elsewhere – which may or may not lead her on a dark path.
Thus far, reception to the series has been mixed, currently garnering a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, judging by comments from fans and critics, there’s enough here to suggest a great deal of promise, and with only four episodes having aired at the present time, there’s license for it to improve. As with every adaptation there have been changes to the source material, not all of which have been popular, but regardless, the fact that it has already been renewed has to be seen as a positive step, and one that will hopefully give the show’s creators more confidence going forward.
In addition to Ralph and Maeve, the series also stars Olivia Taylor Dudley (Chernobyl Diaries), Hale Appleman (Smash), Arjun Gupta (How To Get Away With Murder), Summer Bishil (The Last Airbender), Jade Tailor (Cam2Cam) and Charles Mesure (Once Upon A Time).
The Magicians is airing now on Syfy in the US, with a UK air date and channel to be announced. For more news about the biggest TV shows, pick up the latest issue of SciFiNow.
