Mass Effect (TV series)


 * ''This article is about the television series based on the game series. For the game series, see Mass Effect. For other uses, see Mass effect (disambiguation).

Mass Effect is an American science fiction television series that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 2013 to March 6, 2015, consisting of three seasons. The television series is based on the science fiction events and settings of the Mass Effect video game series. Both the television series and the game series were produced by BioWare, a company owned by Electronic Arts.

Mass Effect proved to be a surprising success, winning numerous industry awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for US primetime Outstanding Drama Series in September of 2015.

Cast and characters
While much of the show is live action, alien characters whom producers claim would be to hard to portray by a person in a costume, such as, were created using advanced three-dimensional computer animation, and voiced by the same individuals who had voiced them in the games.

The protagonist of Mass Effect is a male and the default player in the game series, the earthborn war hero,, who is portrayed by Matthew Fox. While in the game series, Shepard's behavior is determined by the choices made by the player, the television series' John Shepard is for the most part, Paragon in his. John Shepard's personality and history was intended so that he would appeal to most audiences as "a good man with a pure heart, despite the odds due to his rough childhood."

Shepard's static love interest throughout the series is Gunnery Chief, whom he affectionately addresses as "Ash", and is played by Canadian actress Erica Cerra. Ashley does not appear in season two of Mass Effect, in accordance with the pre-established storyline, however, she does make a comeback in the third and final season. Staff Lieutenant, a close friend of Shepard's who appears only in the first season due to his untimely death on , is played by Rapheal Sbarge, his voice actor in the games. Captain, later Admiral, the previous captain of the , and an old friend of Shepard's, is played by Keith David.

, the  serving Shepard's squad is played by Laura Bertram. Flight Lieutenant is portrayed by Seth Green. is played by Brandon Keener. is voiced by Ash Sroka. Urdnot Wrex is voiced by Steven Barr.

Of the additional characters introduced in season two, the is portrayed by Bruce Davison. is played by Adam Lazarre-White. is played by Yvonne Strahovski. , the 's, is voiced by Tricia Helfer. is voiced by Stephen Blum, and like Urdnot Wrex, appears as a computer animated character. The equally dangerous, or 'Subject Zero', is played by Noomi Rapace. , an enigmatic thief and tech expert, is played by Kym Lane (credited as Kym Hoy). , the gestalt consciousness formed by 1,183 programs inhabiting a unique "mobile platform", is voiced by D.C. Douglas. , the professor and "science expert" of Shepard's team, is computer animated and voiced by Michael Beattie. , the asari is played by. , a talented assassin, was portrayed by Keythe Farley. Lastly,, the skilled bounty hunter serving in Shepard's team is played by Robin Sachs.

Setting and plot
The events of Mass Effect occur in the