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Poltergeist: The Legacy
GenreHorror
Created byRichard Barton Lewis
Starring
Music byJohn Van Tongeren
Steven M. Stern
Aaron Martin
Country of originUnited States
Canada
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes88 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time44 minutes per episode
Production companiesPMP Legacy Productions
Trilogy Entertainment Group
MGM Television
Original release
Network
ReleaseApril 21, 1996 (1996-04-21) –
November 12, 1999 (1999-11-12)

Poltergeist: The Legacy is a horror television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society known as the Legacy and their efforts to protect humankind from occult dangers. Despite bearing the Poltergeist name, the only connection between the show and the Poltergeist trilogy is the concept of the Legacy, which helped retrieve Carol Ann in the first film.[citation needed]

Poltergeist: The Legacy debuted on Showtime, and all first-run episodes of the first three seasons premiered on that network, though they were later syndicated. After the third season, Showtime cancelled the show, and the rights were purchased by Sci-Fi Channel which continued the series for another season.

Overview

Founded in England (the Ruling House is located in London) in the 6th century, the Legacy was established to collect dangerous and ancient knowledge and artifacts, solve paranormal problems, and protect humanity from supernatural evils. Over time, the membership expanded around the world. As the Legacy grew, it established branches in other cities and countries. Known as Legacy "Houses", these are staffed by small teams of specialist members.

Each House is ruled by a "Precept", who wears a signet ring engraved with a distinctive L (one of the original cast members[who?] notes that the whole team had rings and only when a founding team was dissolved or a member lost, the rings were taken off and worn only by the Precept thenceforth). Other Houses are mentioned and occasionally seen in the series, but most of the action centers on the San Francisco House.

Dr. Derek Rayne is the Precept of the San Francisco House, set in a castellated mansion on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco House operates under the guise of the Luna Foundation, a philanthropic institution that collects artifacts and antiquities.

Episodes

Main article: List of Poltergeist: The Legacy episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
12221 April 1996 (1996-04-21)20 September 1996 (1996-09-20)Showtime
2229 March 1997 (1997-03-09)17 August 1997 (1997-08-17)
32223 January 1998 (1998-01-23)21 August 1998 (1998-08-21)
42219 March 1999 (1999-03-19)12 November 1999 (1999-11-12)Sci-Fi

Characters

Julia Walker was played by Jordan Bayne in the series pilot episode. She was a Legacy investigator who is killed. Julia was Alex's best friend and Nick's girlfriend, and her death affects the characters up until the end of the series.

Production

The series was created by Richard Barton Lewis and produced by PMP Legacy Productions, Showtime Network Inc., and Trilogy Entertainment Group. Special effects were created by Canadian companies C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, Gajdecki Visual Effects, Lindala Make-Up Effects Inc., Rainmaker Digital Pictures, and the American Pixel Envy and Velocity Visuals.

The series was filmed in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, and lasted four seasons of 22 episodes each, running from 1996 to 1999.

Proposed spin-off

Following the conclusion of Poltergeist: The Legacy in November 1999, there were informally discussed plans to create a spin-off series for the show at Sci-Fi in 2000. The spin-off was given the name Poltergeist: The Beginning and early discussions and ideas began in early 2001, however, these plans never materialized and were abandoned by 2002.

Home media

On February 7, 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (under license from MGM) released the first season of Poltergeist: The Legacy on DVD in Region 1. Season two can be found on Amazon.com as DVD-R under license of MGM; it will be burned on request when ordered.

DVD set Episodes Release date
The Complete 1st Season 22 February 7, 2006
The Complete 2nd Season 22 March 3, 2010
The Complete Series 88 July 7, 2017

On the October 16, 2013, Australia released Poltergeist The Legacy Complete Collection on 20 discs.

On July 7, 2017, Visual Entertainment released Poltergeist: The Legacy- The Complete Collection (16 discs) on DVD in Region 1.[1]

References