Poltergeist: The Legacy

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Poltergeist: The Legacy

Poltergeist: The Legacy is a Canadian

Canada

Horror fiction

Horror fiction is fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a supernatural element into everyday human experience....
television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society

Secret society

Secret society is a term used to describe a variety of organizations. Although the exact meaning of the term is disputed, several of the definitions advanced indicate a degree of secrecy and secret knowledge, which might include denying membership or knowledge of the group, negative consequences for acknowledging one's membership, strong ties...
known as the Legacy, and their efforts to protect humankind from occult

Occult

The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g....
dangers. Despite the Poltergeist name, there seems to be no real connection between the show and the original trilogy aside from it being intended as a spin-off

Spin-off

Showtime

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Encyclopedia

Poltergeist: The Legacy is a Canadian

Canada

Horror fiction

Secret society

Occult

Spin-off

Showtime

Showtime is a Pay TV brand used by a number of channels and platforms around the world, but primarily refers to a group of channels in the United States....
, and all first-run episodes premiered on that network, though they were later syndicated. After the third season, Showtime cancelled the show, though soon after, the rights were purchased by SCI FI

Sci Fi Channel (United States)

Sci Fi Channel, often stylized SCI FI Channel, is an American cable television channel, launched on September 24, 1992, that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, horror film, and paranormal programming....
, which continued the series for another season. This same pattern was later followed by Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1

Stargate SG-1 is an United States-Canadian science fiction television series, part of the Stargate. Its story begins one year after the events of the 1994 science fiction film Stargate ....
, which also debuted on Showtime, was also sold into syndication, and was itself rescued from cancellation by SCI FI

Sci Fi Channel (United States)

World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly traded, privately controlled integrated arts and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales....
wrestler The Undertaker as a being from Hell

Hell

In many religious traditions, Hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife, often in the underworld. Religions with a linear Divinity history often depict Hell as endless ....
who collected souls - a deliberate cross-over with RAW

WWE RAW

WWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States....
, which was also airing on the USA Network

USA Network

USA Network is an United States cable television channel launched in 1977. The channel shows a variety of original and second-run programming, from syndicated TV series to edited Film....
at the time and earning the network some of the highest ratings on cable TV. It was hoped that this cameo would help boost awareness of the new show, and thus, generate a larger audience (just as USA

USA Network

Shawn Michaels

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American professional wrestling. He performs for World Wrestling Entertainment , formerly the World Wrestling Federation, on its WWE Raw WWE Brand Extension....
appear on Pacific Blue
Pacific Blue (TV series)

Pacific Blue is a one-hour Police procedural about a team of police officers who patrolled the beaches of Santa Monica, California on bicycle....
).

As of late March 2009, Poltergeist: The Legacy is airing on NBC Universal

NBC Universal

NBC Universal, Inc. is a mass media and entertainment company formed in May 2004 by the combination of General Electric's NBC with Vivendi part of the French Media Group, Vivendi Universal without Canal+ Group ....
's horror/suspense-themed cable channel Chiller

Chiller (TV channel)

Chiller is a 24-hour United States cable television channel specializing in horror fiction and suspense programming. Chiller's tagline is "Dare To Watch." It is part of the entertainment Conglomerate NBC Universal....
.

The Legacy

Founded in England

England

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
) in the 6th century, the Legacy was established to collect dangerous and ancient knowledge and artifacts, solve paranormal

Paranormal

Paranormal is a general term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation, or phenomena alleged to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure....
problems and protect humanity

Humanity

Humanity is the whole human species, human nature , and the human condition . It is also the study of one branch of the humanities, academic disciplines which study the human condition using analytic, critical, or speculative methods....
from supernatural

Supernatural

The term supernatural or supranatural pertains to an order of existence beyond the scientifically visible universe. Religious miracles are typically supernatural claims, as are Spell and curses, divination, the belief that there is an afterlife for the dead, and innumerable others....
evils. Over time, the membership expanded around the world. As the Legacy grew, it established branches in other cities and countries. Known as Legacy "Houses," these are staffed by small teams of specialist members.

Each house is ruled by a "Precept" who wears a signet ring engraved with a distinctive L (one of the original cast members notes that the whole team had rings and only when a founding team was dissolved or a member lost, the rings were taken off and worn only by the Precept thenceforth). Other houses are mentioned and occasionally seen in the series, but most of the action centers on the San Francisco house.

Dr. Derek Rayne is the Precept of the San Francisco House, set in a castle

Castle

A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territor...
-like mansion

Mansion

A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives from the Latin word mansio In the Roman Empire, a mansio was an official stopping place on a Roman road, or via, where cities sprang up, and where the villas of provincial officials came to be placed....
on Angel Island

Angel Island, California

Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay that offers spectacular views of the San Francisco, California skyline, the Marin County, California Headlands and Mount Tamalpais....
in San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean....
. It works under the guise of the Luna Foundation, a philanthropic institution which collects artifacts and antiquities. Together, the characters of Poltergeist: The Legacy search and uncover a secret world of terror as they resolve to defend the world against evil and darkness.

Characters

Dr. Derek Rayne (played by Derek de Lint
Derek de Lint

Dick Hein de Lint, known as Derek de Lint, is a Netherlands film and television actor.De Lint was born in The Hague. In 1977, he played the character Alex in the film Soldier of Orange, directed by Paul Verhoeven....
) - The Precept of the San Francisco house. Derek is a brilliant scholar with a mysterious background. He is Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
, and holds doctorate
Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree that in most countries represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field. In some countries it also refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to practice in a specific profession ....
s in anthropology
Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humans and humanity in its totality. Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences, and the humanities. In Great Britain it was originally divided into physical anthropology and cultural anthropology, which itself was divided into archaeology, technology, ethnology and sociology ....
and theology
Theology

Theology is the study of the existence or attributes of a deity or gods, or more generally the study of religion or spirituality. It is sometimes contrasted with religious studies: theology is understood as the study of religion from an internal perspective , and religious studies as the study of religion from an external perspective....
. Derek follows in the footsteps of his father, Winston, who was also a Legacy member. Winston was corrupted and killed by supernatural forces when Derek was a teenager, and eventually, that same evil attempts to do the same to Derek himself. Derek also has 'the Sight', a form of precognition that allows him to 'see' things happen before they become real. At times, this allows him to change what he sees.
Nick Boyle (played by Martin Cummins
Martin Cummins

Martin Cummins is a Canadian actor known for his role as Ames White in Dark Angel . He attended the Vancouver Actors Studio where he trained under Mel Tuck, a highly respected pioneer of Canadian theatre....
) - A former Navy SEAL who resigned after his commander caused the deaths of the other men in his unit. His father was a member of the Legacy before him. Nick had a brash and impulsive nature which often caused him to clash with the methodical Derek, although Derek once referred to Nick's lack of respect for the powers of evil as his "greatest strength". He is an expert in weapons and tactics as well as being a skilled investigator, and he becomes Precept at the end of the series.
Alexandra "Alex" Moreau (played by Robbi Chong
Robbi Chong

Robbi Lynn Chong is a Canada actress and former Model .Chong was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong, a comedian, actor, writer and director....
) - An African-American woman with psychic
Psychic

The word psychic refers to a proposed ability to perception information hidden from the senses through what is described as extrasensory perception, or to those people said to have such abilities....
abilities that enables her to sense information about people or events by touching objects associated with them. Alex serves the Legacy as a researcher and investigator. She comes from an old Creole
Louisiana Creole people

Louisiana Creole refers to people of various racial backgrounds who are descended from the colonial France/Spain settlers, African Americans, and Native Americans in the United Statess from the time before the Louisiana territory became a possession of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase....
family in New Orleans, and her sister also has ESP. Derek was her mentor in college, and it is hinted that they may also have been lovers at that time.
Father Philip Callaghan (played by Patrick Fitzgerald) - A Roman Catholic priest
Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
and linguist
Linguistics

Linguistics is the science study of natural language. Linguistics encompasses a number of sub-fields. An important topical division is between the study of language structure and the study of Meaning ....
from Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
. Philip is a compassionate man who believes that virtue and faith are the best weapons against evil. He appeared only in the first two seasons of the series.
Julia Walker (played by Jordan Bayne
Jordan Bayne

Jordan Bayne is an American actor and short film writer/director....
) - An investigator who is killed in the pilot episode. Julia was Alex's best friend and Nick's girlfriend, and her death affects the characters up until the end of the series.
Dr. Rachel Corrigan (played by Helen Shaver
Helen Shaver

Helen Shaver...
) - A psychiatrist
Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry and is certified in treating mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy....
who is helped by the Legacy in the pilot episode. Impressed by her skills and strength of character, Derek invited Rachel to join his team. Rachel is a widow with an 8-year-old daughter, Kat. She is as much a skeptic
Skepticism

In ordinary usage, skepticism or scepticism refers to:* an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object;...
as is possible to be with so many magical occurrences always happening. Rachel also struggles with alcoholism
Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions to describe the detrimental effects of alcohol intake.In common and historic usage, alcoholism refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite health problems and negative social consequences....
.
Katherine "Kat" Corrigan (played by Alexandra Purvis
Alexandra Purvis

Alexandra Purvis is a Canadian actress, who mostly worked in the late 1990s. She is mostly remembered for her role on Poltergeist: The Legacy as Katherine 'Kat' Corrigan....
) - Rachel's daughter, 8-years-old at the beginning of the series. Though not a member of the Legacy, Kat often visits the mansion and is drawn into many of their adventures. She also has latent psychic
Psychic

The word psychic refers to a proposed ability to perception information hidden from the senses through what is described as extrasensory perception, or to those people said to have such abilities....
powers, and it is hinted in several episodes that she will become a powerful force for either good or evil when she grows to adulthood.
Kristin Adams (played by Kristin Lehman
Kristin Lehman

Kristin Lehman is a Canada actress and dancer.Lehman was born in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in Vancouver and trained in classical ballet at Canada's Royal Academy of Dance for eight years....
) - A Harvard
Harvard University

Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, Harvard is the Colonial Colleges institution of higher learning in the United States....
anthropologist
Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humans and humanity in its totality. Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences, and the humanities. In Great Britain it was originally divided into physical anthropology and cultural anthropology, which itself was divided into archaeology, technology, ethnology and sociology ....
on leave from the Legacy House in Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est...
. Kristin joins the cast in the third season, but was never a formal member of the San Francisco house. She was killed in the fourth season episode "Sacrifice".
William Sloan (played by Daniel J. Travanti
Daniel J. Travanti

Daniel John Travanti is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as Frank Furillo in the television drama Hill Street Blues.Travanti, one of five children, was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Italian immigrant parents....
) - The head of the Ruling House in London. Very little is revealed about him, except that he has a troubled history with Derek. Sloan was introduced in the second season, and his character recurred a few times before giving himself over to a demon in the episode "Trapped".

Production

The series was created by Richard Barton Lewis and produced

Production company

Production company refers to a company responsible for the development and physical production of performing arts, film, radio or a television program....
by PMP Legacy Productions, Showtime Network Inc., and Trilogy Entertainment Group. Special effects were created by Canadian

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
companies C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, Gajdecki Visual Effects, Lindala Make-Up Effects Inc., Rainmaker Digital Pictures, and the American

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
Pixel Envy and Velocity Visuals.

The series was meant to be a spin-off

Spin-off

A spin-off is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one, such as a television series based on a pre-existing one, or a new company formed from a university research group or business incubator....
from the Poltergeist movies though no common storylines or characters were used, except that Zelda Rubenstein, who played the clairvoyant in the films, appears in at least one episode, playing a seer

Seer

Seer or Seers or SEER may refer to:Predicting the future* A Clairvoyance or a prophet* The Seer , a fictional character on the television series Charmed...
named Christina ("The Reckoning", Season 1, ().

The series was filmed in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region....
and Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy....
, and lasted four seasons of 22 episodes each running from 1996 to 1999.

DVD release

On February 7, 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in 1978 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment....
(under license from MGM) released the first season of Poltergeist: The Legacy on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. It is unknown when the remaining 3 seasons will be released, as rights are now held by 20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and Fox Video....
.

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
The Complete 1st Season	22	February 7 2006

External links

at TV.com