So you wake up one morning to find that the whole world’s shut down. Some inexplicable event has rendered technology useless *gasp* and 99.9 per cent of the population has vanished. OK, the name of the show is a slight giveaway to its post-apocalyptic theme but check out the preview of Afterworld’s first episode before you dismiss it.
We started watching to ‘research’ the Sci-Fi Channel’s ad campaign on Giz and are digging it after a dozen episodes, not least ‘cos of the slick, game-esque graphics. The studio uses Poser to build the characters, After Effects for compositing and Lightwave for the 3D extras. The backgrounds are stylised from hi-def 2D stills and animations are dropped on, anime-style.
There’s going to be 130 two-three minute episodes altogether, shown every weeknight at 7:30pm from TONIGHT, 6 August, on Foxtel/Austar’s Sci-Fi Channel (channel number 132). For the traditionalists, there will be 30-minute catchup episodes every Wednesday fortnight at 8.30pm, starting 15 August (also on the Sci-Fi Channel, with a total of 13 half-hour episodes akin to a conventional season).
Verdict: Max Payne meets Lost but BETTER.
Afterworld [Sci-Fi Channel]