''Salvation'' is an American
suspense drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
television series,
that premiered on July 12, 2017. The series was originally announced as being developed in September 2013, but received its straight-to-series 13-episode order in October 2016.
On October 18, 2017, CBS renewed the series for a 13-episode second season, which premiered on June 25, 2018. On November 20, 2018, CBS canceled the series after two seasons.
Premise
The show centers on the discovery of an
asteroid that will impact the Earth in just six months, highlighting the attempts to prevent it and its worldwide ramifications. The show looks at how different individuals and groups of people react to the impending doom.
Cast
Main
*
Santiago Cabrera as Darius Tanz, a billionaire scientist who is the founder and CEO of Tanz Industries and a pivotal player in the United States' defense against the impending asteroid. Darius briefly serves as the
Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...
before becoming president after President Mackenzie's assassination.
*
Jennifer Finnigan
Jennifer Christina Finnigan (born August 22, 1979) is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Bridget Forrester in the American soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' from 2000 to 2004, for which she won three Daytime Emmy Awards for O ...
as Grace Barrows, the
Pentagon press secretary, later senior advisor to President Mackenzie and later President Tanz; she has an intimate relationship with Harris Edwards, Deputy Secretary, and later, Secretary of Defense, and works with Darius to prevent the asteroid collision.
*
Charlie Rowe as Liam Cole,
a student at MIT and later Darius' protégé; he is one of the first people outside the government to predict the asteroid's impending collision with Earth. He and Darius work together on an
EM drive for a gravity tractor they hope to use to change the asteroid's course.
*
Jacqueline Byers as Jillian Hayes,
a science fiction writer from
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
who becomes involved with Liam and is later chosen by Darius to pick 160 survivors to leave Earth if the asteroid collision cannot be stopped.
* Rachel Drance as Zoe Barrows (season 1; recurring season 2),
Grace's daughter
* Shazi Raja as Amanda Neel (season 1),
an investigative reporter who is searching for the truth about Darius' and the government's secrets. After learning about the asteroid, Amanda is assassinated before she can publish the story.
*
Ian Anthony Dale
Ian Anthony Dale (born July 3, 1978) is an American actor. His notable roles include Adam Noshimuri on '' Hawaii Five-0'', Harris Edwards on ''Salvation'', Simon Lee on ''The Event'', Davis Lee on ''Surface'', Avatar Gamma on ''Charmed'' and Ka ...
as Harris Edwards, a graduate of the
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and U ...
who now serves as the
United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
The deputy secretary of defense (acronym: DepSecDef) is a statutory office () and the second-highest-ranking official in the Department of Defense of the United States of America.
The deputy secretary is the principal civilian deputy to the sec ...
and is one of the few people in Washington, D.C. who knows of the asteroid's impending impact. He is described as a skilled operative but an even better bureaucrat. After his superior is fired, he is promoted to
Secretary of Defense.
*
Ashley Thomas
Ashley Thomas is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by John Middleton. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 December 1996. It was announced on 22 October 2015 that Middlet ...
as Alonzo Carter (season 2),
a detective with the D.C. police who is investigating the disappearance of Claire Rayburn
*
Melia Kreiling as Alycia Vrettou (season 2),
a brilliant computer scientist, former protégé of Darius Tanz, and member of RE/SYST, leading an international group of captive scientists to come up with a plan to prevent the asteroid collision
Recurring
*
Dennis Boutsikaris as Malcolm Croft, a professor at MIT and Liam's mentor
*
Erica Luttrell
Erica Luttrell is a Canadian actress.
Personal life
Luttrell was born in Toronto, Ontario to a Tanzanian mother and an American father. Luttrell is the youngest of four sisters. She can speak some French and Swahili. In August 2019, Luttrell ...
as Claire Rayburn, Senior Adviser and later
White House Chief of Staff to President Monroe Bennett.
*
Tovah Feldshuh
Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh (born December 27, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for more than four decades, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations f ...
as Pauline Mackenzie, the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
* Josette Jorge as Karissa (season 1), Darius' assistant
*
Sasha Roiz as Monroe Bennett, the
vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
, and later president, of the United States
*
Mark Moses
Mark W. Moses (born February 24, 1958) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Paul Young in the ABC comedy-drama ''Desperate Housewives'' (2004–2011) and as Herman "Duck" Phillips in the AMC period drama ''Mad Men'' (2007–2014).
...
as Hugh Keating, Grace's father and former CIA agent
*
Brian Markinson
Brian Markinson (born September 1, 1961) is an American-Canadian actor who has appeared in a wide variety of films and television shows. Some of Markinson's best known roles include a U.S. Attorney General in ''Shooter'', an unscrupulous industr ...
as Randall Calhoun (season 1), the
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...
who is later fired by President Mackenzie and replaced by Harris Edwards.
*
Jeffrey Nordling
Jeffrey Richard Nordling (born March 11, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Manning in ''Once and Again'', Larry Moss in '' 24'', Nick Bolen in ''Desperate Housewives'', and Gordon Klein in '' Big Little Lies'', as wel ...
as Daniel Hayes (season 1), Jillian's father and a bookseller
*
John Noble as Nicholas Tanz,
Darius' uncle and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Tanz Industries.
* Raven Dauda (season 1) as Harris' secretary
*
Autumn Reeser
Autumn Reeser (born September 21, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Taylor Townsend on the Fox series '' The O.C.'', Lizzie Grant on HBO's '' Entourage'', Katie Andrews on ABC's ''No Ordinary Family'', and Leslie Bel ...
as Theresa (season 1), aka Tess, Darius' first love
*
André Dae Kim as Dylan Edwards (recurring season 1, guest season 2), Harris' son and a member of the hacker organization RE/SYST
*
Taylor Cole as Fiona Lane (guest season 1; recurring season 2),
a bartender with whom Harris Edwards has an affair, but who later is revealed to have a connection to Darius' plans to save humanity
* Madison Smith as Nate Ryland (season 2), a co-worker, a later friend, of Jillian's in the White House
*
Jonathan Silverman
Jonathan Elihu Silverman (born August 5, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles in the comedy films ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'', ''Weekend at Bernie's'', and its sequel ''Weekend at Bernie's II''.
Early life and education
Silverman was ...
as Roland Kavanaugh (season 2),
the
White House Counsel
*
Anjali Jay as Dr. Rosetta Stendahl (season 2),
an old friend of Darius' and a brilliant scientist. She joins Darius and leads the project to prepare a rail-gun intended to help divert the asteroid.
*
Luke Arnold as Bass Shepherd (season 2), the spiritual leader of Children of Planet Earth (COPE), a support group that Jillian joins
*
Manoj Sood as Dr. Chandra (season 2), an international specialist in Orbital Dynamics and General Purturbation Theory
*
James Lesure
James Lesure (born September 21, 1970) is an American television actor, best known for roles on the NBC/The WB sitcom ''For Your Love'' (1998–2002), and NBC comedy-drama ''Las Vegas'' (2003–2008), '' Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' (2017–20 ...
as Trey Thompson (season 2), a two-term
congressman and former
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
pilot who is later named
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
under Tanz.
Episodes
Season 1 (2017)
Season 2 (2018)
Production
The first season was filmed in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, Ontario.
The show relocated to
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, British Columbia for its second season.
Reception
On the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the series has an approval rating of 47% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 5.75/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Neither remarkably bad nor impressively well-made, Salvation is stereotypical summer television – a low-stakes diversion that may pass the time well enough for undemanding audiences without ever being particularly memorable along the way." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the series has a score of 48 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Ratings
Season 1
Season 2
Awards and nominations
Home media
References
External links
*
{{Portal bar, Television, United States
2010s American drama television series
2010s American science fiction television series
2017 American television series debuts
2018 American television series endings
2010s American political television series
American thriller television series
Apocalyptic television series
English-language television shows
CBS original programming
Television series by CBS Studios
Television shows filmed in Toronto
Television shows filmed in Vancouver
Television shows set in Washington, D.C.