Fringe (TV series)

Fringe
The "Prime Universe" title card used for seasons 1–3.
Genre
Created by
Showrunners
Starring
Theme music composerJ. J. Abrams
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes100 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locations
Running time
  • 81 minutes ("Pilot")
  • 50 minutes (Season 1)
  • 43 minutes (Seasons 2–5)
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseSeptember 9, 2008 (2008-09-09) –
January 18, 2013 (2013-01-18)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. It premiered on the Fox television network on September 9, 2008, and concluded on January 18, 2013, after five seasons comprising 100 episodes. An FBI agent, Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv); a genius but dysfunctional scientist, Walter Bishop (John Noble); and his son with a troubled past, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), are all members of a newly formed Fringe Division in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the team uses fringe science to investigate a series of unexplained and often ghastly occurrences which are related to a parallel universe.[1]

The series has been described as a hybrid of fantasy, procedural dramas, and serials, influenced by films like Altered States and television shows such as Lost, The X-Files, and The Twilight Zone. The series began as a traditional mystery-of-the-week series and became more serialized in later seasons. Most episodes contain a standalone plot, with several others also exploring the series' overarching mythology.[2]

Critical reception was lukewarm at first but became more favorable after the first season, when the series began to explore its mythology, including parallel universes with alternate timelines. The show, along with cast and crew, was nominated for many major awards. Despite its move to the "Friday night death slot" and low ratings, the series developed a cult following. It also spawned two six-part comic book series, an alternate reality game, and three novels.

  1. ^ Sasaguay, Chris (September 9, 2023). "'Fringe' Was Never Afraid to Take Big Risks". Collider. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  2. ^ Bojalad, Alec; Mellor, Louisa; Ahr, Michael; Burt, Kayti; Howard, Kirsten; Kelley, Shamus (August 10, 2023). "Best Sci-Fi TV Shows of the 21st Century". Den of Geek. Retrieved May 7, 2024.