The Ark
The Ark
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The Ark

"The end of one world. The beginning of the next."

6.4
Yr 2023
Rt 52m
Status Returning Series
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Mystery
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

100 years in the future, planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known as Ark One encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 58 /100

Critical reception for Syfy's space drama The Ark was sharply divided. Outlets that enjoyed the series praised it as a comforting, low-stakes throwback to classic sci-fi space operas. Supporters highlighted its maximum tension right out of the gate, enjoying the focus on teamwork, pseudo-science problem solving, and the balance between episodic survival conflicts and an overarching mystery.

Conversely, negative reviews criticized the series as derivative and dispiriting, finding it a far cry from sci-fi benchmarks like Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica. Detractors pointed to generic character writing and a lack of inventive suspense, arguing that while the disaster premise works well in theory, the show fails to give audiences compelling figures to root for week after week.

“It's throwback fun and it all works; rather than feeling stale, the series is familiar and comforting.”

“...strikes a refreshing balance between season-long mysteries and episodic thrills.”

“...devoid of any big concerns or inventive suspense...”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Philo
US
Sky Go
UK
Crave
CA
Show 6 more
Fandango at Home Free
US
Crave Amazon Channel
CA
YouTube TV
US
The Roku Channel
US
Plex
US
Plex Channel
US
Why fans love it

The Ark moves with a quiet intensity that sets it apart from typical space epics. Set a century in the future during a desperate attempt to save humanity, the narrative focuses on the fallout after a catastrophic accident leaves a ship struggling to stay on course. Instead of relying on loud spectacle, the show maintains an understated tone that prioritizes internal problem-solving over high-octane action.

Christie Burke anchors this ensemble through a reflective approach to survival under pressure. Despite the grim circumstances of missing leadership and dwindling supplies, the series consistently finds room for wit and unexpected flashes of wonder. The storytelling remains impartial and calm even when the stakes are at their highest, favoring a thoughtful look at character growth rather than purely external threats. It is a portrait of people trying to hold their focus while drifting through the void.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 68
Regulars 9
Longest run 24 eps
Christie Burke
Christie Burke
as Lt. Sharon Garnet
Reece Ritchie
Reece Ritchie
as Lt. Spencer Lane / Ian
24 episodes
Richard Fleeshman
Richard Fleeshman
as Lt. James Brice
Stacey Read
Stacey Read
as Alicia Nevins
Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
as Angus Medford
Pavle Jerinić
Pavle Jerinić
as Lt. Felix Strickland
Shalini Peiris
Shalini Peiris
as Dr. Sanjivni Kabir
Christina Wolfe
Christina Wolfe
as Cat Brandice
14 episodes
Show 60 more
Tiana Upcheva as Eva Markovic Lisa Brenner as Susan Ingram 4 episodes Miles Barrow as Baylor Trent 5 episodes Dominik Čičak as Harris Beckner 4 episodes Steven William Moore as William Mulcahy 10 episodes Tamara Radovanović as Jelena Griff 20 episodes Michael Stokey as Albert Stein 9 episodes Miloš Cvetković as Sasha Novak 20 episodes Cosmo Kay as Nathan Stark 9 episodes Chris Leask as Malcolm Perry 4 episodes Tanasije Ćakić as Florian Rupnik 9 episodes Jelena Moore as Stella Cogner 12 episodes Jessica Yemi as Naomi Spencer 21 episodes Andrej Momčilov as Brother 1 episode Cecilia Eshun as Sister 1 episode Lesmay Djakovacki as Mother 1 episode Greg De Cuir as Father 1 episode Relja Janković as Scholnick 1 episode Ana Sorenović as Captain Samantha Lester 1 episode Paul Leonard Murray as William Trust 21 episodes Ebony Feare as Grace Nevins 1 episode Boris Lukman as Vito Mordi 1 episode Jonathan English as Dr. Edward Hall 1 episode Arsenije Berić as Ralph Gregor 1 episode Nenad Todorović as Tech #1 2 episodes Mercedes De La Cruz as Helena Trust 6 episodes Milica Vrzić as Reporter 1 episode Davor Perunović as Robert Strickland 2 episodes Samantha Glassner as Kelly Fowler 17 episodes Aleksandar Stoimenovski as Ross 4 episodes Vahidin Prelić as Marko 1 episode Jelena Stupljanin as Evelyn Maddox 5 episodes Jadran Malkovich as Dr. Marsh 13 episodes Nikola Karanović as Dr. Rogers 1 episode Vuk Baletić as Security Officer Gary 1 episode Andrija Labović as Officer Jefferson 1 episode Draško Anđić as Guard Vuk 1 episode Đorđe Galić as First Lieutenant (Ark 15) 1 episode Miloš Vojnović as Weapon Guard 2 1 episode Díana Bermudez as Kimimela 'Kimi' Joma 11 episodes Olivera Peruničić as Maija Lync 4 episodes Coral Mizrachi as Lati Meir 6 episodes Miroslav Borković as Dimitri 2 episodes Danilo Milenković as Leon 1 episode Howard Saddler as Captain Oliver Lane 1 episode Vasilije Batrićević as Bojan 1 episode Kieran Mortell as Milos Warren 3 episodes Nemanja Mikić as Guard 1 episode Andrija Gojković as Clone Zivko 1 episode Filip Paprić as Duro 1 episode Daniel Fathers as Avega 2 episodes Luka Jovanović Dživdžanovski as Ristic 1 episode Ivona Kustodić as Lt. Vujik 1 episode Milena Sandić as Nurse 1 episode Adnan Hasković as Branko 2 episodes Tamara Aleksić as Vesna Ilić 1 episode Zoja Milosavljević as Katheryn 1 episode Jana Vitković as Gabby Yur 1 episode Milica Vokić as Selma 1 episode Marko Zajić as Male Colonist 1 episode
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Ark overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

space colony space travel speculative meditative mysterious calm candid thoughtful philosophical unassuming reflective spacecraft accident complex wonder spaceship introspective serene inspirational provocative understated dramatic suspenseful witty admiring adoring appreciative approving audacious awestruck bold celebratory comforting commanding compassionate defiant earnest empathetic exhilarated familiar hopeful impartial instructive modest objective optimistic powerful sincere sympathetic urgent vibrant
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
February 01, 2023
Status
Returning Series
Episode Runtime
52 minutes
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
168