CBS Gives Series Order to ‘Extant,’ A Sci-Fi Show from Steven Spielberg

Right now CBS and Steven Spielberg are enjoying the success of their series adaptation of “Under the Dome.” While the venture was originally supposed to be a limited series, a second season has already been ordered to keep the story based on Stephen King’s book alive. Now the network and Spielberg are re teaming for another sci-fi series.

THR reports CBS has already given a series order to “Extant,” a dramatic sci-fi thriller series from Amblin Entertainment that follows a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. Her experiences lead to events that ultimately change the course of human history.

Much like “Under the Dome,” this new series is made for the summer, something that Spielberg has become accustomed to since his series “Falling Skies” also airs in the same season on TNT. CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler says:

“Extant is a very original concept with layers of humanity, mystery and surprise that reveal itself throughout the script. Our partnership with Amblin for Under the Dome showed that viewers respond to high-quality event programming in the summer. We look forward to building on that with Extant and offering CBS audiences another high-concept, unique event for summer television.”

“Under the Dome” was also picked up straight to series, which doesn’t seem like that much of a feat with someone like Steven Spielberg attached, but with another summer program booked, CBS is really making waves towards having big original series airing all year long as opposed to the standard schedule from fall to spring with a break over winter. Plus, it’s important to note that this is another limited series, which has become all the rage at all networks, and makes it easier for fans to stick around and not get bored with longer seasons.

In 2014, Spielberg will have four series on the air with the second and fourth seasons of “Under the Dome” and “Falling Skies” respectively, and also another new drama series called “Lucky 7,” an adaptation of British drama “The Syndicate,” which follows seven employees of a service station in Queens whose lives are changed in unexpected ways when they win a lottery jackpot. Sounds like it could have flares of ABC’s “Six Degrees” but with less melodrama.

(Via Geeknation)