Syfy Debuts the Three-Night Event Series Ascension

Ascension is the new six-hour event series on Syfy that will debut on December 15, airing for three straight nights on the cable network at 9 PM.

In 1963, the U.S. government launched a covert space mission sending hundreds of men, women and children on a century-long voyage aboard the starship Ascension to populate a new world. Nearly 50 years into the journey, as they approach the point of no return, a mysterious murder of a young woman causes the ship’s population to question the true nature of their mission.

Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) plays Viondra Denniger, a beautiful, manipulative and dangerous power broker on the Ascension, who is married to William Denniger (Brian Van Holt from Cougar Town), the captain of the Ascension. William is a natural leader, who quickly rose through the ranks after playing a heroic role in a fire early in the spacecraft’s voyage. While his professional life is solid, William’s marriage to Viondra is anything but.

Andrea Roth (Rescue Me) plays Juliet Bryce, head doctor of the Ascension. Her relationship with her daughter, Nora (relative newcomer Jacqueline Byers) is difficult and strained. Nora, for her part, is a young woman under intense pressure to follow in the family’s footsteps of being a doctor despite her own dreams.

The cast also includes Brandon P. Bell (Switched at Birth) as First Officer Oren Gault, who was born on the lower decks of the ship to maintenance workers and must investigate the aforementioned murder; Tiffany Lonsdale (Justice for Natalee Holloway) as Chief Astronomer Emily Vanderhaus, the older sister of the murder victim; PJ Boudousque (Pretty Little Liars) as James, one of the ship’s maintenance workers; and Al Sapienza (Person of Interest) as Councilman Rose.

Ascension will air on Syfy on December 15, December 16 and December 17 at 9 PM each night.