The Librarians (2014 TV series)

The Librarians
Title card from the series' premiere episode
Genre Adventure
Fantasy
Based on The Librarian
by David Titcher
Developed by John Rogers
Starring
Composer(s) Joseph LoDuca
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 42 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Paul F. Bernard
Geoffrey Thorne
Production location(s) Portland, Oregon
Cinematography David Connell
Editor(s) Sonny Baskin
Jeremy Bertstein
Kate Rorick
Running time 42-58 minutes[1]
Production company(s)
Release
Original network TNT
Original release December 7, 2014 (2014-12-07) – February 7, 2018 (2018-02-07)
Chronology
Related shows The Librarian

The Librarians is an American fantasy-adventure television series developed by John Rogers and broadcast on TNT, which premiered on December 7, 2014. It is a direct spin-off of The Librarian film series, sharing continuity with the films. In March 2018, TNT cancelled the series.

Plot

The series follows four people, Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn), who is chosen by the Library to be the new Guardian, as well as Ezekiel, Cassandra and Jacob, who were asked to apply to the Library to become The Librarian, but for some reason didn't show up to the "auditions". In their place, the current Librarian Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) is searching for the Library (which is lost in time and space during the pilot). The four become a new team of Librarians in order to solve impossible mysteries, recover powerful artifacts, and fight against supernatural threats, especially the forces of the Serpent Brotherhood, led by the mysterious immortal Dulaque (Matt Frewer).[2]

The second season offered up a pair of new villains, both from fiction: Prospero (Richard Cox), from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and Moriarty (David S. Lee), Sherlock Holmes' chief nemesis. The former is positioned as the greater evil, attempting to use magic to destroy the world in order to remake it more to his liking. Moriarty is more of a gray villain—generally aligned with Prospero but willing to side with the Librarians when it suits his own interests.

The third season introduces a new villain, Apep, the Egyptian God of Chaos. After being defeated by the first Librarian, Judson and his Guardian, Charlene, he is mysteriously resurrected while possessing numerous people as he embarks on his mission to release pure evil into the world. While trying to stop Apep, the Librarians' actions are being closely investigated by General Cynthia Rockwell (Vanessa Williams) from a new secret government agency, called D.O.S.A. (Department of Statistical Anomalies).

The fourth season does away with season-long story arcs in favor of stand-alone episodes, yet there is an overlapping theme of Flynn and Eve undertaking a ceremony to become immortal to bind the Library to Earth, as well as the return of Nicole Noone, Flynn's first Guardian, and a conflict between the Librarians over former Librarian Darrington Dare's assertion that there can only be one Librarian at a time or the result will be a disaster like the one that caused the Dark Ages.

Episodes

On February 12, 2015, TNT renewed the series for a 10 episode second season,[3] which aired from November 1 to December 27, 2015.[4] On December 15, 2015, TNT renewed the series for a 10-episode third season, which aired from November 20, 2016 to January 22, 2017.[5] On January 24, 2017, TNT renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on December 13, 2017.[6][7]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
110December 7, 2014 (2014-12-07)January 18, 2015 (2015-01-18)
210November 1, 2015 (2015-11-01)December 27, 2015 (2015-12-27)
310November 20, 2016 (2016-11-20)January 22, 2017 (2017-01-22)
412December 13, 2017 (2017-12-13)February 7, 2018 (2018-02-07)

Cast

Main

  • Rebecca Romijn as Colonel Eve Baird, a former NATO agent whom the Library chose as the "Guardian", tasked with protecting and training the new Librarians. In "And Santa's Midnight Run", it's revealed that her first name is the result of having been born on Christmas Eve.
  • Christian Kane as Jacob Stone, an Oklahoma laborer and genius with an IQ of 190 and an extensive knowledge of art history and architecture. Fearing disapproval from his family, he has hidden his talents from them. While he initially does not trust Cassandra after her betrayal in "And The Crown of King Arthur", he eventually accepts her as a valued member of the team.
  • Lindy Booth as Cassandra Cillian, a mathematician who has auditory and sensory hallucinations linked to memory retrieval, as well as a rare condition called synesthesia. She has a brain tumor, diagnosed in childhood, which causes pain if she thinks hard enough. Because of the extreme pain, Stone has taught her to connect to a peaceful memory during her thoughts. In season 3, she has the tumor successfully removed, and finds her mental abilities are further enhanced.
  • John Harlan Kim as Ezekiel Jones, an Australian thief, "master of technologies" and fan of classic crimes who enjoys playing the role of international man of mystery. He is an expert thief, having hacked the London Police's security network, NSA, and numerous other law enforcement agencies. He prefers to rely on his luck and wit, not showing much concern for others until he gets to a point of realizing something important about the current case.
  • John Larroquette as Jenkins (Galeas/Galahad), the Annex's reluctant, sometimes cantankerous caretaker; he has worked there "for longer than anyone knows" and has extensive knowledge of ancient lore. He is also seen to have a connection to Dulaque, as revealed in "And the Apple of Discord". It is later explained that they are both immortal because of a spell Dulaque cast 1,000 years earlier after the fall of Camelot. He was known during King Arthur's reign as Sir Galahad, as revealed in "And the Loom of Fate". He has also known Morgan le Fay (Alicia Witt) for centuries and considers her to be his archenemy, as he blames her for Arthur's death.

Recurring

  • Noah Wyle as Flynn Carsen, a veteran Librarian who periodically works alongside the team.
  • Matt Frewer as Dulaque, the mysterious immortal leader of the Serpent Brotherhood, who has a past relationship with Jenkins. He was known during King Arthur's reign as Sir Lancelot du Lac as revealed in "And The Loom of Fate", and has devoted himself to reversing the events that brought about the fall of Camelot. In the same episode, he is briefly restored to his younger self (Jerry O'Connell), only to be erased from existence by Flynn.
  • Lesley-Ann Brandt as Lamia, Dulaque's second-in-command in the Serpent Brotherhood, who serves him faithfully until he betrays and kills her in "And The Loom of Fate". Her name is a reference to the mythical Libyan queen of the same name.
  • Jane Curtin as Charlene, a doleful Library employee who interviewed Flynn for the job of the Librarian. In the third season, it is revealed that she was the first Guardian, and that she is immortal.
  • Bob Newhart as Judson, the first Librarian, who now acts as a mentor to those who take up the mantle. In the third season, it is revealed that he founded the Library in Alexandria during the time of Ancient Egypt after defeating Apep.
  • Richard Cox as Prospero, the fictional protagonist of The Tempest, who comes to life seeking to regain his sorcery and conquer the world. During the finale of the second season, ("And The Final Curtain"), he merges with Shakespeare himself, only to be banished back to his original story by the Librarians.
  • David S. Lee as Professor Moriarty, the archenemy of Sherlock Holmes, who is summoned by Prospero to assist him. He is eventually returned to his story by Prospero after betraying him in "And The Final Curtain".
  • Hayley McLaughlin as Ariel, a fairy who was accidentally written into The Tempest by Shakespeare. She serves Prospero, using her powers to assist him and his followers. In "And The Happily Ever Afters", she manages to disguise herself as a human and contacts Flynn, helping him break her master's control over the other Librarians in exchange for her freedom.
  • Beth Riesgraf as the Lady of the Lake, an enigmatic figure that acts as the spokesperson for an intellectual collective that truly comprehends the scientific constructs behind magic and who takes an interest in Cassandra due to her unique abilities. In "And The Final Curtain", she helps Flynn and Eve defeat Prospero in the past by providing them with Arthur's sword, Excalibur.
  • Rachel Nichols as Nicole Noone, Flynn's first Guardian (portrayed in the first movie The Librarian: Quest for the Spear by Sonya Walger).

Production

A scene for The Librarians being filmed at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem

TNT ordered a ten-episode weekly series version of The Librarians, following the original cast that includes Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart, and Jane Curtin, as well as five new characters who work for The Library. The series films in Portland, Oregon. Some scenes were filmed at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.[8] A teaser trailer aired right after the Falling Skies season finale.

On March 8, 2018, Dean Devlin announced that TNT had cancelled the series and that he was in the process of shopping the series to other networks;[9] however, in June, Devlin announced that negotiations were unsuccessful.[10]

Broadcast

The series premiered in over 100 countries on Universal Channel within 24 hours of its premiere in the United States.[11] In Canada, the series premiered December 7, 2014, on Space.[12] In the United Kingdom, the series was originally set to premiere on Universal Channel, however, it was announced it would instead air on Syfy, premiering December 8, 2014.[13] In Australia, the series premiered on Universal Channel on December 9, 2014,[14] and returned for season 2 on November 5, 2015.[15] The series premiered in New Zealand on The Zone on February 17, 2015.[16]

Syndication

The first two episodes also appeared as a feature film on December 12, 2014 on The CW.[17]

Novels

A tie-in novel, titled The Librarians and the Lost Lamp, was published in October 2016. The events follow the characters of the television series as they attempt to find Aladdin's lamp, both in the past and the future. The novel was written by Greg Cox, and published by Tor Books.[18]

A second and third novel, also by Greg Cox, have been written into the universe as well.

Critical reception

The Librarians scored 63 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 11 "generally favorable" reviews.[19] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 70% critics rating with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 based on 14 reviews. The website consensus reads: "It's familiar stuff, but The Librarians offers family-friendly fun with a mixture of silliness and adventure".[20]

Accolades

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2018 44th Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Television Series The Librarians Nominated [21]
Best Supporting Actor on Television Christian Kane Nominated
Best Guest Performance in a Television Series Rachel Nichols Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "Amazon.com: The Librarians, Season 1 [HD]". Amazon. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (April 10, 2014). "TNT Orders Librarians Series Starring Rebecca Romijn, Leverage Fave; Noah Wyle to Recur". TVLine. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 12, 2015). "'The Librarians' Renewed by TNT for Second Season". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ Mays, K. (September 1, 2015). "The Librarians Official Website". Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  5. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 15, 2015). "TNT Renews Major Crimes, Librarians". TVLine. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  6. ↑ Roots, Kimberly (January 24, 2017). "The Librarians Renewed for Season 4". TVLine. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  7. ↑ "TNT's "The Librarians" Moves to Dec. 13". The Futon Critic. November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  8. ↑ Wright, Carlee (April 30, 2014). "Noah Wyle, Rebecca Romijn Film 'The Librarian' in Salem". Statesman Journal. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  9. ↑ Dean Devlin [@Dean_Devlin] (March 8, 2018). "Just got the official call. TNT has cancelled #TheLibrarians - I will immediately begin the process of trying to move the show elsewhere. Please keep your fingers crossed for us!" (Tweet). Retrieved March 8, 2018 – via Twitter.
  10. ↑ Dean Devlin [@Dean_Devlin] (June 6, 2018). "Sad news" (Tweet). Retrieved June 7, 2018 – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ Seikaly, Andrea (June 25, 2014). "'The Librarians' TV Series to Premiere Worldwide With Universal Networks International". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Space Checks into the Magical Realm of THE LIBRARIANS with Exclusive Canadian Premiere, December 7" (Press release). Bell Media. November 13, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  13. ↑ Munn, Patrick (November 11, 2014). "'The Librarians' Jumps To Syfy UK, Premiere Set For December 8th". TV Wise. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  14. ↑ Knox, David (December 1, 2014). "Airdate: The Librarians". TV Tonight. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  15. ↑ Knox, David (October 23, 2015). "Returning: The Librarians (US)". TV Tonight. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  16. ↑ @SKYNZ (February 17, 2015). "They're filing 'evil' under history – The Librarians are in @TheZoneNZ tonight, 7.30pm" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ↑ "Episode Title: (#101/102) "And the Crown of King Arthur/And the Sword in the Stone" (Repeat)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  18. ↑ Lewis, Andy (October 29, 2015). "TNT's 'The Librarians' Gets Book Spinoff". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  19. ↑ "The Librarians (2014): Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  20. ↑ "The Librarians: Season 1 (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  21. ↑ McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
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