Underwater & under-rated
A mermaid walking on land and refugees from the future turn sad Saturdays to super-sci-fi fun with Siren and The Crossing.
The Crossing Season 1 Saturdays (from 16 February) M-Net City (*115) 19:10 Siren
Season 1 Saturdays (from 16 February) M-Net City 20:50 Sci-fi shows Siren (2018- current) and The Crossing (2018) didn’t get the attention that they deserved the first time they aired on M-Net City last year and that’s mostly due to late-night slots or unannounced breaks in the US for sports events, political rallies and other special- event coverage. But they really do warrant a second look and you can do just that on Saturday nights. “We have a very big shift in the traditional mermaid mythology,” explains Eline Powell of Siren. “They are not the friendly type that you grew up with in cartoons. They are apex predators and men are in trouble. As soon as they sing their siren songs, someone is going to die.” The Crossing meanwhile is somewhat like a reversed version of The Leftovers (2014-2017). Instead of people disappearing into thin air, in this show, survivors claiming to be from the future arrive in a sleepy bayside town and Sheriff Jude Ellis (Steve Zahn) tries to maintain calm while also keeping everyone safe.
TOPICAL ISSUE
The 47 survivors in The Crossing say that they’ve fled a holocaust-like event in their world, 180 years in the future. That makes them refugees, which series creators Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin say is taken from the current global refugee situation. “We saw a photo, one of many in the press. But it was a special photo, of a father holding his little boy. They crossed the Mediterranean in a raft from Syria to Greece.” The futuristic element was added to give the show a double-meaning, that the future might not be as bright and cheery as everyone hopes.
BEST INTENTIONS
Sheriff Jude is met with opposition at every turn, no matter what he does. If it’s not the townsfolk who want the strangers gone, it’s the government who refuse to tell him what is really going on. “This is something that we see in the world daily,” adds Steve. “There is a lot of bad stuff going on, especially to people who are desperate just to live. Yes, we’ve got killer cyborgs waiting to murder the survivors, but it is a story about hope. About fighting to survive. If that doesn’t resonate with viewers, nothing will.”
WATERY GRAVE
Ryn too is trying to save her kind when she first arrives in Bristol Cove in Siren. “Her sister has been caught by fishermen and she’s trying to find her and get her back to their world,” explains Eline. Series creator Eric Wald adds that choosing an alternate mermaid version was key to the show’s success because “it’s different. It’s not sweet and innocent and lovely. It’s terrifying and there is an appeal in that, being frightened by something that you have been taught to think of as safe. We are exploring that mythology while we explore our characters”.
BITE SIZE
Eric and his writers took cues from 1975 shark horror movie Jaws. “It’s such a great monster movie. The small town is the feeding ground for a shark with rows of deadly teeth. That’s where we came up with our mermaid design – like a predator, like a shark. That’s what will make you think twice before dipping your toes in the murky sea again.” But while the mermaids are usually ready to serenade and snap up men, Ryn takes a liking to marine biologist Ben (Alex Row). He doesn’t know about her fishy secret and she doesn’t know about his family’s dark legacy in Bristol Cove. “Many many years ago, his family were responsible for a mermaid genocide. That is not going to sit well with Ryn if she ever finds out and she may swap snacking on rats at the pier for biting off Ben’s head,” says Alex.
Whether you’re looking for lasers and time travellers or something from the depths, Saturdays have become a serving plate of tasty sci-fi treats.