Wikipedia

Astrid & Lilly Save the World

Astrid and Lilly Save the World is a Canadian supernatural teen comedy-drama television series. It premiered on January 26, 2022.[1]

Astrid & Lilly Save the World
Genre
Created by
  • Noelle Stehman
  • Betsy Van Stone
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Producer
  • Samantha Levine
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCTV Sci-Fi Channel
ReleaseJanuary 26 (2022-01-26) –
March 30, 2022 (2022-03-30)

The series centres on Astrid (Jana Morrison) and Lilly (Samantha Aucoin), two high school outcasts who unexpectedly open a portal to another dimension, and must battle monsters to save the world.[2]

Produced by Blue Ice Pictures, the series aired on CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada, Syfy in the United States, and was released on ITVX in the United Kingdom in late 2022.[3] It is also available for streaming on Tubi in the United States and Crave in Canada.[4][5]

Plot

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"High school is hard enough when you're different, but when outcast BFFs Astrid (Jana Morrison) and Lilly (Samantha Aucoin) accidentally crack open a portal to a terrifyingly quirky monster dimension, it gets a lot more complicated. It's up to them to vanquish the creepy creatures and save the world, becoming the badass heroes they were meant to be. That is, if they can survive the horrors of high school."[6]

Cast and characters

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Main

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  • Jana Morrison as Astrid Bell: Feisty, a bit edgy and intelligent, but not above an obsessive crush. Astrid spends all her time with Lilly imagining themselves as "Olivia Benson types" while they spy on their classmates and collect data about what cool kids are into. A high school junior, Astrid's unshakeable belief in herself and Lilly gives the pair the confidence they need.
  • Samantha Aucoin as Lilly Fortenberry: She provides the counter-balance to Astrid. Lilly lives with her supportive moms and condescending "well-connected" younger sister. Sweet natured and timid, Lilly shares Astrid's passion for sleuthing and adventure, but she hasn't quite figured out who she is and what she wants.
  • Olivier Renaud as Brutus: Arriving through an inter-dimensional portal, the hunky, face-horned Brutus introduces and appoints himself as Astrid and Lilly's guide & trainer for all things relating to monsters. His origins and intentions are unclear, but he seems extremely interested in '90s pop culture and testing the girl's monster hunting abilities.
  • Geri Hall as Christine Powell: An unstoppable force, Candace's over-protective religious mom Christine steamrolls over everyone- from her own daughter to teachers with questionable motives.
  • Julia Doyle as Candace Powell: Effortlessly popular, Candace is the head mean girl at Pine Academy and Lilly’s former best friend. Everything seems to come easy for Candace, but she seems to have more secrets than people realize.
  • Kolton Stewart as Tate Hudson: A soccer jock, Tate is the hottest boy in school. He and his girlfriend Candace are King and Queen of Pine Academy but he also has a challenging relationship with his father.
  • Spencer MacPherson as Sparrow Donovan: A dreamy, smirky, brooding alt kid. Sparrow comes across as an aloof bad boy but Astrid is determined to break through his steely exterior.
  • Christina Orjalo as Valerie Long: The ultimate theatre kid, Val's obsession with becoming a star is all she cares about. A bridge between the cool kids and Astrid & Lilly.
  • Michael McCreary as Egon "Eggs" Walczak: A brilliant and inquisitive nerd on the spectrum. Smart and insightful, Eggs always has a fact to share regardless of its level of appropriateness.
  • Megan Hutchings as Michelle Knight: Conceited and insecure, she is vice principal of Pine Academy, and serves various roles at the school like social director, coach, and drama teacher.

Guest

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  • Sheila McCarthy as Razor: a terrifying monster with 23,371 teeth and a taste for testosterone.
  • Prominent Canadian businesswoman, Jessica Pike, appears in season 1 epsiode 2 as a background actress.

Production

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NBCUniversal announced the series during the upfronts in May 2021.[7] Casting was reported by Deadline on August 31, 2021.[8][9][10]

The series was shot on location in St. John's, Newfoundland during the fall of 2021.[8][11] The production hired women and non-binary people in nearly every key creative position, including every single writer and director.[12]

In January 2023, Syfy confirmed that the series had been canceled after one season.[13]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [14]USA viewers
1"Tontoom"Jill CarterBetsy Van Stone & Noelle StehmanJanuary 26, 2022 (2022-01-26)363,000[15]
Astrid and Lilly accidentally open a portal to another dimension and become monster hunters to save humanity.
2"Teeth"Jill CarterBetsy Van Stone & Noelle StehmanFebruary 2, 2022 (2022-02-02)252,000[16]
A monster attacks bullies at school. Will Astrid and Lilly decide to join her or defeat her?
3"Amygdala"J StevensAlexandra MircheffFebruary 9, 2022 (2022-02-09)267,000[17]
A monster manifesting everyone’s worst fear terrorizes Pine Academy, including Astrid and Lilly.
4"One Rib"J StevensVeronika PazFebruary 16, 2022 (2022-02-16)217,000[18]
Everyone does a new “viral” dance. Astrid and Lilly feel excluded — until they learn it’s a monster.
5"A-borg"Audrey CummingsAlix MarkmanFebruary 23, 2022 (2022-02-23)246,000[19]
A haunting monster forces everyone to relive their worst childhood memory.
6"Toenail"Audrey CummingsVeronika PazMarch 2, 2022 (2022-03-02)225,000[20]
Principal Varshidi gets possessed with a demonic ego, and Astrid and Lilly must perform the exorcism.
7"Lips"Danishka EsterhazyAlexandra MircheffMarch 9, 2022 (2022-03-09)234,000[21]
When a sexy new monster comes to town, passion runs high...and deadly.
8"Hair"Danishka EsterhazyNoelle Stehman & Betsy Van StoneMarch 16, 2022 (2022-03-16)221,000[22]
Lilly has detention and has to deal with a nightmare monster, but is fighting with Astrid even scarier?
9"Doppelkopfel"Jordan CanningAlix MarkmanMarch 23, 2022 (2022-03-23)170,000[23]
It's double trouble when a doppelganger monster arrives on the day of the school play.
10"Guts"Jordan CanningNoelle Stehman & Betsy Van StoneMarch 30, 2022 (2022-03-30)204,000[24]
Astrid and Lilly finally go head-to-head with the big bad. Can they actually save the world?

Reception

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Astrid and Lilly Save the World has been positively received by critics.[1][25][26] Time described the series as "Buffy minus the male gaze."[27] Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Astrid & Lilly has a "charm all its own — not as a copy of what’s come before it, but as a worthy successor", and praised the show's dialogue, humor, and chemistry between the leads.[1] Bleeding Cool called Astrid & Lilly "a unique and heartfelt story" and praised the show for its "engaging and often hilarious depiction of mixing high school and monster-hunting".[28] Buzzfeed, Polygon, Cosmopolitan, CBC News, and Screen Rant all declared Astrid & Lilly one of the most highly anticipated series of 2022.[29][30][31][32][33]

Multiple critics have favorably compared the series to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[25][34][35] In homage to Buffy, Brutus introduces himself in the first episode as "your Giles, in terms you humans might understand."[1] The show has also been positively compared to a number of acclaimed teen films and TV series including Booksmart, Sex Education, and PEN15.[12][36]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2023 Canadian Screen Awards Best Comedy Series Astrid & Lilly Save the World Nominated [37]
2023 Canadian Screen Awards Best Original Music, Comedy Ames Bessada (Episode 101, "Tontoom") Nominated [38]
2023 Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) Screenwriting Awards Best Writing, Teens & Tweens Veronika Paz (Episode 104, "One Rib") Won [39]
2023 Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) Screenwriting Awards Best Writing, Teens & Tweens Alix Markman (Episode 109, "Doppelkopfel") Nominated [40]
2023 Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) Screenwriting Awards Best Writing, Teens & Tweens Betsy Van Stone & Noelle Stehman (Episode 101, "Tontoom") Nominated [40]
2022 Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) Awards Best Picture Editing — Comedy or Family Series Lee Walker (Episode 105, "A-borg") Won [41]
2022 Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series J Stevens (Episode 104, "One Rib") Nominated [41]
2022 Autostraddle TV Awards Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series Astrid & Lilly Save the World Nominated [42]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Angie Han, "Syfy’s ‘Astrid & Lilly Save the World’: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter, January 26, 2022.
  2. ^ Long, Lacy (December 11, 2021). "'Astrid & Lilly Save the World' Trailer Reveals Premiere Date". Collider. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  3. ^ "ITVX the UK's freshest streaming service to launch on 8th December". Press Centre. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  4. ^ "Astrid & Lilly Save the World". Tubi. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  5. ^ Mike Devlin, "Astrid and Lilly Save the World, starring Victoria's Jana Morrison, premieres Wednesday night". Victoria Times-Colonist, January 26, 2022.
  6. ^ "Astrid & Lilly Save the World Cast & Info". SYFY Official Site. 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  7. ^ White, Peter (2021-05-13). "'Below Deck' Cold Water Series, 'Summer House' Winter Spinoff, Dick Wolf Unscripted Crime Series & Jason Biggs Game Show Lead NBCU Cable Lineup". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  8. ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (August 31, 2021). "'Astrid And Lilly Save The World': Jana Morrison & Samantha Maureen Aucoin To Lead Syfy Series". Deadline. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  9. ^ Brooks, Summer (January 22, 2022). ""Astrid & Lilly Save the World" Creators Noelle Stehman & Betsy Van Stone". Slice of SciFi. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  10. ^ Sarner, Lauren (January 21, 2022). "'Astrid and Lilly Save The World' stars on new plus-sized heroine series". New York Post. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  11. ^ "Astrid & Lilly Save the World | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  12. ^ a b Liszewski, Bridget (January 26, 2022). "Astrid & Lilly Save the World Director Jill Carter Helps Bring the New Supernatural Series to Life". The TV Junkies.
  13. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 5, 2023). "Astrid & Lilly Save the World Not Returning for Season 2 at Syfy". TVLine. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  14. ^ "Shows A-Z – Astrid & Lilly Save the World on Syfy". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  15. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (January 27, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Wednesday 1.26.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  16. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 3, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Wednesday 2.2.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  17. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 10, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 2.9.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  18. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 16, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 2.16.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  19. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 23, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 2.23.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  20. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 3, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 3.2.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  21. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 9, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 3.9.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  22. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 16, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 3.16.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  23. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 23, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 3.23.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  24. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 30, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 3.30.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals and Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Radulovic, Petrana (2022-01-27). "Astrid & Lilly Save the World embraces the weirdness of high school supernatural slayers". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  26. ^ "Syfy's Astrid & Lilly Save the World Is a Quirky Throwback with Potential". pastemagazine.com. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  27. ^ "'Astrid & Lilly Save the World' Is 'Buffy' Minus the Male Gaze". Time. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  28. ^ Bender, Brittney (2022-01-27). "Astrid & Lilly Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Monster-Hunting Duo We Love". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  29. ^ Dominick, Nora. "47 Popular TV Shows Airing In 2022 You Won't Be Disappointed By, I Promise". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  30. ^ Truffaut-Wong, Olivia (2022-01-07). "The biggest new and returning TV shows coming in 2022". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  31. ^ Fuentes, Tamara (2021-12-23). "The Top 20 Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2022 That We Can't Wait to Watch". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  32. ^ Weaver, Jackson (January 16, 2022). "From Ms. Marvel to The Dropout: a genre-based 2022 TV watchlist". CBC News.
  33. ^ "10 Comedy Shows To Look Forward to in 2022". ScreenRant. 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  34. ^ Hurley, Laura (January 8, 2022). "SYFY's Astrid And Lilly Save The World Trailer Reveals A Monster-Killing Oboe And Exudes Buffy Vibes With Teen Heroes". Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  35. ^ Bender, Brittney (2022-01-08). "Astrid & Lily Save The World: SYFY Unleashes Official Series Trailer". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  36. ^ Pritchard, Brad (2022-01-02). "'Very exciting': Beeton's Samantha Aucoin co-stars in new TV series, 'Astrid & Lilly Save the World'". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  37. ^ "Astrid & Lilly Save the World". Academy.ca. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  38. ^ "Ames Bessada". Academy.ca. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  39. ^ "2023 WGC Screenwriting Awards winners announced | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  40. ^ a b Christie, Brendan (March 8, 2023). "Astrid & Lilly Save the World leads nominees for 2023 WGC Awards". Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  41. ^ a b "Winners & Nominees » Directors Guild of Canada". www.dgc.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  42. ^ "Presenting the Winners of the 2022 Autostraddle TV Awards!". Autostraddle. 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
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