The Librarians (2014 TV series)
American fantasy-adventure television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American fantasy-adventure television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Librarians is an American fantasy adventure television series developed by John Rogers that premiered on TNT on December 7, 2014. The show is a direct spin-off of the Librarian film series, sharing continuity with the films. The Librarians are an ancient organization dedicated to protecting an innocent world from a magical and fantasy-like secret reality hidden from view. TNT cancelled the series in March 2018, days after the final episode of the fourth season. A spin-off called The Librarians: The Next Chapter will premiere during the 2024–25 broadcast season.
The Librarians | |
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![]() Title card from the series' premiere episode | |
Genre | |
Based on | The Librarian by David Titcher |
Developed by | John Rogers |
Starring | |
Composer | Joseph LoDuca |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 42 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production location | Portland, Oregon |
Cinematography | David Connell |
Editors |
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Running time | 42–58 minutes[1] |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | TNT |
Release | December 7, 2014 – February 7, 2018 |
Related | |
The Librarian |
The series follows four people newly recruited by The Library: Colonel Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn), of the NATO Anti-Terrorist Unit, destined to be the new Guardian; Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim), a consummate thief who can hack an NSA computer as easily as he can steal a Fabergé egg; Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth), a brilliant scientist and mathematician who possesses a trace of magic; and Jacob Stone (Christian Kane), polymath, linguist, expert in architecture, art, art history, archaeology and world cultures of the past and present, including Native American cultures, and other fields too numerous to mention, including bar fighting. The latter three received invitations from the Library at the same time as the current Librarian, Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle), but for various reasons didn't show up for their interviews. Their lives are threatened in the first episode in the series. At the end of the second episode the Library reissues their invitations.
In a break with the concept established in the films that there can be only one Librarian at a time, the first episodes reveal that the state of the world is so dire that it needs a team of Librarians, with Baird serving as Guardian of all four. With the help of Jenkins/Galahad (John Larroquette), immortal manager of the Library’s Annex, they solve impossible mysteries, rewrite and fix key moments in history, recover powerful magical artifacts, fight against supernatural threats, and learn important things about themselves and each other. In the first season, they battle the forces of the Serpent Brotherhood, led by the mysterious immortal Dulaque (Matt Frewer).[2] Carsen, who spends the first season searching for the main Library (removed from time and space at the beginning of the series) appears in some episodes.
The second season offers up a pair of new villains, both from fiction: Prospero (Richard Cox), from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and Moriarty (David S. Lee), Sherlock Holmes' chief nemesis. The former is positioned as the greater evil, attempting to use magic to destroy the world in order to remake it more to his liking. Moriarty is more of a gray villain—generally aligned with Prospero but willing to side with the Librarians when it suits his own interests.
The third season introduces a new adversary, Apep, the Egyptian God of Chaos. Defeated centuries before by the first Librarian, Judson (Bob Newhart), and his Guardian, Charlene (Jane Curtin), he is resurrected when his sarcophagus is opened and embarks on a mission to release pure evil into the world, possessing many different people along the way. While they are trying to stop Apep, the Librarians' actions are closely monitored by General Cynthia Rockwell (Vanessa Williams) from a new secret government agency, called DOSA (Department of Statistical Anomalies).
The fourth season does away with season-long story arcs in favor of stand-alone episodes, with three ongoing issues. One storyline builds on the season three revelation that the Library is a conscious entity; before the vernal equinox, Flynn and Eve must undertake a ceremony that will bind them to each other and to the Library, as Charlene and Judson did before them. They will become immortal and bind the Library to Earth, giving it a human connection and a human heart rather than the cold, implacable and dangerously self-centered attitude that would characterize it without that bond. The second storyline involves the return of Nicole Noone, Flynn's first Guardian; believed dead and now immortal, her presence raises many questions. The third storyline is the conflict that arises between the Librarians over former Librarian Darrington Dare's assertion that there can only be one Librarian at a time, or the result will be disastrous. All three stories are resolved in the last episode.
The first season concluded on January 18, 2015. On February 12, 2015, TNT renewed the series for a 10-episode second season,[3] which aired from November 1 to December 27, 2015.[4] On December 15, 2015, TNT renewed the series for a 10-episode third season, which aired from November 20, 2016 to January 22, 2017.[5] On January 24, 2017, TNT renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on December 13, 2017.[6][7]
TNT ordered a ten-episode weekly series version of The Librarians, following the original cast that includes Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart, and Jane Curtin, as well as five new characters who work for The Library. The series filmed in Portland, Oregon. Some scenes were filmed at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.[8] A teaser trailer aired right after the Falling Skies season finale.
On March 8, 2018, Dean Devlin announced that TNT had cancelled the series and that he was in the process of shopping the series to other networks;[9] however, in June, Devlin announced that negotiations were unsuccessful.[10]
The series premiered in over 100 countries on Universal Channel within 24 hours of its premiere in the United States.[11] In Canada, the series premiered December 7, 2014, on Space.[12] In the United Kingdom, the series was originally set to premiere on Universal Channel, however, it was announced it would instead air on Syfy, premiering December 8, 2014.[13] In Australia, the series premiered on Universal Channel on December 9, 2014,[14] and returned for season 2 on November 5, 2015.[15] The series premiered in New Zealand on The Zone on February 17, 2015.[16]
In Australia, Region 4, the entire series has been released on DVD individually and as a complete series box set.
The first two episodes also appeared as a feature film on December 12, 2014 on The CW.[22] The show was acquired by UPtv and premiered on March 13, 2019.[23] The show moved to Ovation in 2019.
Three tie-in novels have been published, all written by Greg Cox: The Librarians and the Lost Lamp (2016) follows the characters of the television series as they attempt to find Aladdin's lamp, in both the past and the future.[24] In The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase (2017), the characters attempt to find various sections of the original Mother Goose story book before a descendant of the original Mother Goose is able to recombine the parts and use its power. In The Librarians and the Pot of Gold (2019), the Serpent Brotherhood have returned, and the Librarians learn the truth behind the story of St. Patrick driving the "snakes" out of Éire, with the help of a Librarian.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 79% rating for the show's first season, with an average rating of 6.9/10 and based on 19 reviews. The website's consensus reads: "It's familiar stuff, but The Librarians offers family-friendly fun with a mixture of silliness and adventure".[25] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the season has a score of 63 out of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
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2018 | 44th Saturn Awards | Best Fantasy Television Series | The Librarians | Nominated | [27] |
Best Supporting Actor on Television | Christian Kane | Nominated | |||
Best Guest Performance in a Television Series | Rachel Nichols | Nominated |
In May 2023, The CW announced that a spinoff called The Librarians: The Next Chapter will premiere during the 2024–25 broadcast season.[28] On August 23, 2024 it was announced that TNT had acquired the series from The CW. [29]
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