Almost Human Banner Poster Drops Blade Runner Comparisons
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Fox’s new science fiction TV series Almost Human was originally supposed to premiere last week. However, Fox decided to bow the show a few weeks later to give it a better shot at finding a wide audience. Now Almost Human will air as a two-night event this Sunday, after Fox’s Sunday Night Football Doubleheader, and the following Monday, before Sleepy Hollow. Now Fox has released a new teaser banner that features the series’ stars and its rave reviews.
Although the quote “A Bromantic Blade Runner” seems problematic, the banner itself emphasizes the series’ core relationship between Karl Urban’s John Kennex and his android partner Dorian, played by Michael Ealy. Fox has been heavily promoting Almost Human since San Diego Comic-Con back in July, so everything should come together for its Sunday premiere date. It’s smart that the broadcast network also wants to draw viewers’ attention to the series’ producers, J.J. Abrams and J.H. Wyman. Anything with Abrams’ name attached seems like a hot ticket nowadays.
Last week, Fox released the first three minutes of Almost Human‘s series premiere. The clip reveals why John Kennex hates androids, and how he wound up with a nasty case of post-traumatic distress disorder. Machinist director Brad Anderson helmed the pilot episode, so it feels really high end with a movie-like tone. Fox also released eight minutes of footage that features Kennex’s first pairing with a synthetic cop after the accident. Needless to say, the new partnership doesn’t go well for either of them, so the LAPD assigns Kennex a new partner in the form of Dorian, who is more human-like than Kennex’s previous partner.
Almost Human recently added veteran TV star John Larroquette to its already-impressive cast. Larroquette will play the character of Nigel, a genius roboticist who is described as “sympathetic, highly intelligent and a bit broken.”
Although Fox is seen as the bad guy when it comes to prematurely canceling beloved sci-fi shows such as Firefly, Dollhouse, and Dark Angel, you’ve got to hand it to the broadcast network for at least giving these TV shows a chance when other networks wouldn’t. Delaying Almost Human‘s series premiere might seem like a bad idea at first blush, but it’s probably the best thing Fox could do to give the cop drama a better chance at higher ratings. At least Almost Human isn’t on NBC. If it were, it would undoubtedly get canceled sooner rather than later.
Almost Human is set in the year 2048, during a time when police officers are required to partner with androids. The show follows John Kennex, a once-respected LAPD police officer who, after a failed assignment that cost the lives of his fellow police officers, is left injured and emotionally distant. Although Kennex has disdain for all androids, he is nevertheless paired with Dorian, a synthetic being with personality and wit.
Almost Human also features Lili Taylor, Mackenzie Crook, Michael Irby, and Minka Kelly. The first hour of its series premiere will air on Sunday, November 17, while its concluding hour will air the next day on Monday, November 18, on Fox. Its regular timeslot will be on Monday nights, paired with Sleepy Hollow.
