Poltergeist: The Legacy
Encyclopedia
Poltergeist: The Legacy is a Canadian
horror
television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society
known as the Legacy, and their efforts to protect humankind from occult
dangers. Despite bearing the Poltergeist name, there is no real connection between the show and the Poltergeist trilogy
aside from the title.
Poltergeist: The Legacy debuted on Showtime, and all first-run episodes of the first three seasons 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 Syfy
, which continued the series for another season. This same pattern was later followed by Stargate SG-1
, which also debuted on Showtime, was also sold into syndication, and was itself rescued from cancellation by Syfy.
The fourth season of Poltergeist: The Legacy featured an episode starring WWE wrestler The Undertaker as a being from Hell
who collected souls, a deliberate crossover with RAW
, which was also airing on the USA Network
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
had attempted to do by having Shawn Michaels
appear on Pacific Blue
).
, Poltergeist: The Legacy is airing on NBC Universal
's horror and suspense
-themed cable channel Chiller
.
(where the Ruling House resides in London
) in the 6th century, the Legacy was established to collect dangerous and ancient knowledge and artifacts, solve paranormal
problems and protect humanity from supernatural
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
-like mansion
on Angel Island
in San Francisco Bay
. 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.
by PMP Legacy Productions, Showtime Network Inc., and Trilogy Entertainment Group. Special effects were created by Canadian
companies C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, Gajdecki Visual Effects, Lindala Make-Up Effects Inc., Rainmaker Digital Pictures, and the American Pixel Envy and Velocity Visuals.
The series was filmed in Vancouver
and Victoria, British Columbia
, and lasted four seasons of 22 episodes each running from 1996 to 1999.
(under license from MGM
) released the first season of Poltergeist: The Legacy on DVD
in Region 1. Season two can be found on amazon.com as DVD-R under license of MGM, it will be burned on request when ordered. It is unknown when the remaining 2 seasons will be released, as rights are now held by 20th Century Fox
.
Shout! Factory
announced more Seasons releases of Poltergeist: The Legacy and The Complete Series on DVD.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
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 bearing the Poltergeist name, there is no real connection between the show and the Poltergeist trilogy
Poltergeist (film series)
The Poltergeist movies are a trilogy of American horror films distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the 1980s. The films revolve around the members of the Freeling family, who are stalked and terrorized by a group of ancient ghosts that are attracted to the youngest daughter, Carol Anne. The...
aside from the title.
Poltergeist: The Legacy debuted on Showtime, and all first-run episodes of the first three seasons premiered on that network, though they were later syndicated. After the third season, Showtime cancelled
Cancellation
A cancellation is a postal marking applied on a postage stamp or postal stationery to deface the stamp and prevent its re-use. Cancellations come in a huge variety of designs, shapes, sizes and colors...
the show, though soon after, the rights were purchased by Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, which continued the series for another season. This same pattern was later followed by Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, which also debuted on Showtime, was also sold into syndication, and was itself rescued from cancellation by Syfy.
The fourth season of Poltergeist: The Legacy featured an episode starring WWE wrestler The Undertaker as a being from Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
who collected souls, a deliberate crossover with RAW
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE 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 American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
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
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
had attempted to do by having Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
appear on Pacific Blue
Pacific Blue (TV series)
Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes...
).
, Poltergeist: The Legacy is airing on NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
's horror and suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
-themed cable channel Chiller
Chiller (TV channel)
Chiller is a 24-hour American cable and satellite television channel specializing in horror and suspense programming. conglomerate NBCUniversal.- Origin :...
.
The Legacy
Founded in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(where the Ruling House resides in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) 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 designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
problems and protect humanity from supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
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 type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
-like mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
on Angel Island
Angel Island, California
Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay that offers expansive views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin County Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. The entire island is included within Angel Island State Park, and is administered by California State Parks. It has been used for a variety of...
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 and San Joaquin 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 LintDerek de LintDick Hein de Lint is a Dutch 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. In 1986 he played the role of Anton Steenwijk in The Assault, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language...
) - The Precept of the San Francisco house. Derek is a brilliant scholar with a mysterious background, and connections to many powerful people. He is DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and holds doctorateDoctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s in anthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and theologyTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. 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 precognitionPrecognitionIn parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
that allows him to 'see' things happen before they become real. At times, this allows him to change what he sees. He had a son named Lucas who died in infancy along with Derek's former lover. Derek appeared to be killed off in the final episode of the series. - Nick Boyle (played by Martin CumminsMartin CumminsMartin 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, and though he is still revered by the Precepts, Nick is still haunted by his father's abuse. 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 ChongRobbi ChongRobbi Lynn Chong is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Chong was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong, a comedian, actor, writer and director. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scots-Irish ancestry and her mother is of African and Cherokee...
) - An African-American woman with psychometric abilities. Alex serves the Legacy as a researcher and investigator. She comes from an old CreoleLouisiana Creole peopleLouisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
family in New Orleans, and her sister also has ESP, though no one in her family has it as strongly as Alex does. 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 priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and linguistLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
from IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Philip is a compassionate man who believes that virtue and faith are the best weapons against evil, but he also struggles with sexual temptation and lapses in faith. His brother was killed in an IRA car-bombing, which destabilized his beliefs. He appeared only in the first two seasons of the series in a recurring role, but returned for a 2-part episode in the final season. - Dr. Rachel Corrigan (played by Helen ShaverHelen ShaverHelen Shaver is a Canadian actress and film and television director.-Early life:Shaver was born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, a small city located near London, Ontario, with five sisters...
) - A psychiatristPsychiatristA psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of 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, after her husband Patrick and son Connor are killed in a car accident. She is a skepticSkepticismSkepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
to a fault, refusing to believe even when confronted with the many supernatural occurrences dealt with by the Legacy. Rachel also struggles with alcoholismAlcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. - Katherine "Kat" Corrigan (played by Alexandra PurvisAlexandra PurvisAlexandra 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. More recently, she appeared in the films, Agent Cody Banks, The Santa Clause 2 and TV Miniseries Taken. She won a Leo award for...
) - 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 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 LehmanKristin LehmanKristin Lehman is a Canadian 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 HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
anthropologistAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
on leave from the Legacy House in Boston. 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. TravantiDaniel J. TravantiDanielo Giovanni "Daniel J." Travanti is an American actor best known for his starring role as Captain Frank Furillo in the 1980s television drama Hill Street Blues.-Biography:...
) - 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." - Julia Walker (played by Jordan BayneJordan BayneJordan Bayne is an American actor and short film writer/director.-Biography:Bayne's career started in 1996 with Showtime's Poltergeist: The Legacy; she appeared in two episodes of the TV series. She next appeared in A Stranger in the Kingdom with Ernie Hudson and made 1998 guest appearances on the...
) - 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.
Production
The series was created by Richard Barton Lewis and producedProduction company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
by PMP Legacy Productions, Showtime Network Inc., and Trilogy Entertainment Group. Special effects were created by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends 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 Pixel Envy and Velocity Visuals.
The series was filmed in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, and lasted four seasons of 22 episodes each running from 1996 to 1999.
DVD release
On February 7, 2006, Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentSony 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 November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
(under license from MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
) released the first season of Poltergeist: The Legacy on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in Region 1. Season two can be found on amazon.com as DVD-R under license of MGM, it will be burned on request when ordered. It is unknown when the remaining 2 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 FoxVideo, Inc....
.
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
announced more Seasons releases of Poltergeist: The Legacy and The Complete Series on DVD.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete 1st Season | 22 | February 7, 2006 |
External links
- Legacyweb: unofficial site with detailed episode guide
- Poltergeist: The Legacy at TV.com
- Info on the DVD release of the first season at TVShowsOnDVD.com
- Poltergeist: The Legacy full episodes at Hulu.com. (First two seasons Jan-2009)