BACK TO LIFE
The human race gets a restart in Extinct
You know how invading ETs, however powerful, usually get sent packing by the human race? New TV drama Extinct takes place 400 years in a post‑ apocalyptic future, where an alien faction has to resurrect three Reborns to restart human civilisation. But the trio must overcome new dangers, uncover secret agendas and battle the aliens that killed off humanity in the first place.
“This is a show about second chances,” executive producer Aaron Johnston tells Red Alert. “We find ourselves in the worst possible circumstances. The human race doesn’t exist anymore. Everything that gives us joy, everything that defines us as human beings, is gone. This isn’t a show that wallows in human suffering. This is a show about hope. This show is about finding redemption.”
On an unusually warm Thursday in February, a quick tour of Extinct’s Utah set reveals a ragtag, deserted settlement with graves lining the grounds. Close by, a fortified courtyard and watch towers stand tall.
“When these people initially get here, they have no idea what their objective is,” Johnston explains. “They’re told their uber‑goal is to restore the human race. In some aspect, that’s true. But, our principal villains are these parasites, the Skinriders. When a Skinrider dies, the crystal – which is the brain of the parasite and resides in the back of a person’s neck – is removed and it preserves all the memories of the Skinrider parasites. The Ancestor is this enormous structure that exists in a cave, the mind of all the Skinriders, and the humans’ objective is to destroy it because it’s impeding the regeneration of the human race.”
Johnston says that flashbacks will provide some background information on the Reborns. “We go back in time,” he explains. “We learn who they were. We also learn that all of them are seeking some degree of redemption. There’s a purpose as to why these people were reborn.”
Extinct airs on BYUtv in the US from 1 October.