AMC Orders ‘Orphan Black: Echoes’ Spin-Off To Series
AMC is getting the “clone club” back together, as they announce a ten-episode spin-off series titled ‘Orphan Black: Echoes‘.
For those of you unfamiliar with the original ‘Orphan Black’ series (it’s on Netflix, go check it out), it followed Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), an English con artist who witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks exactly like her. Stealing the woman’s identity, Sarah becomes Beth Childs, a London police detective, and discovers Beth was not the only doppelgänger out there, as it leads her down an ever-deepening rabbit hole. Sarah discovers a vast conspiracy involving evil scientists, assassinations, detrimental illnesses, and clones… lots and lots of clones…
Set in the near future, the new series will follow a group of women as they weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unravelling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal.
The new series comes from Anna Fishko (‘Pieces of Her’), who serves as showrunner and executive producer with John Fawcett, co-creator and director of the original drama. David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg from Boat Rocker Media, who both worked on the original, return to exec produce, alongside Katie O’Connell Marsh, Nick Nantell and Kerry Appleyard.
“We started our journey down the Orphan Black rabbit hole when Sarah Manning watched Beth Childs inexplicably jump in front of an oncoming train. Since then, a passionate fandom has joined us for a wildly entertaining ride,” said David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, Co-Executive Chairmen, Boat Rocker Media. The two also exec produced Orphan Black and will carry on with Echoes. “We’re delighted to be partnering with AMC and Anna Fishko and joining forces again with John Fawcett, to boldly reenter the Orphan Black universe. Once again, we welcome Clone Club along for the ride and look forward to adventuresome new fans taking the leap. Strap yourselves in and hold on!”
The original series starred Tatiana Maslany, who won an Emmy for her epic, phenomenal, tour-de-force performance as regular “clone” characters Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Helena and Rachel, plus a number of other clones they met along the way. Supporting her were Jordan Gavaris as Felix, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Siobhán, Kristian Bruun as Donnie and Kevin Hanchard as Art. Tip of the hat also goes to Ari Millen, who had the job of playing all the male clones in the later seasons. Whoever lands the lead role this time is in for an amazing (if probably very exhausting) ride!
“I am thrilled to begin this new chapter in the world of Orphan Black,” said writer Anna Fishko. “Creating a story that embraces the legacy of the original show has been so gratifying, and I’m excited for audiences to embark on a new journey that explores the big questions of what makes us who we are. I’m incredibly lucky to have such supportive partners in Boat Rocker, John Fawcett and AMC, and can’t wait to introduce audiences old and new to the next instalment of this beloved story.”
‘Orphan Black: Echoes‘ will air on AMC+ and their linear networks in the USA in 2023. No idea where the show will land in the UK, but if you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
