Orphan Black: Echoes is a Canadian science fiction thriller series created by Anna Fishko, based on the original Orphan Black by John Fawcett and Graeme Manson.
Starring Krysten Ritter, the show is set in the year 2052 within the same universe as its predecessor.
The series premiered on 3 November, 2023 in Australia on Stan and has now debuted in the UK.
Set 37 years after the original series, Echoes follows the adult Kira and her wife as they assist a girl with amnesia. Kira (Keeley Hawes) is the daughter of the original protagonist Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) who is now a scientist. She encounters Lucy (Krysten Ritter), who is suffering from amnesia after a mysterious procedure, and endeavours to help her regain her memories.
Fishko described the series as a “complicated challenge”, aiming to create a show that feels fresh and accessible to new viewers while still appealing to fans of the original.
She said: “In the beginning, it was challenging to identify what fans loved about the original series and then to recreate those elements differently in a way that would still resonate with returning viewers.”
Who is in the Orphan Black: Echoes cast?
Keeley Hawes
Keeley Hawes stars as Dr Kira Manning, a scientist, wife of Eleanor, and mother of Lucas.
She is the daughter of Sarah Manning, the protagonist from the original Orphan Black series, where Kira was previously portrayed by Skyler Wexler.
Born Clare Julia Hawes, Keeley Hawes is an English actress who began her career with roles in literary adaptations like Our Mutual Friend and Tipping the Velvet.
She gained fame as Zoe Reynolds in the BBC series Spooks and as DI Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes.
Hawes is also known for her roles as DI Lindsay Denton in Jed Mercurio’s Line of Duty and as home secretary Julia Montague in the BBC One drama Bodyguard.
She has been nominated for three Bafta TV Awards: Best Actress for her roles as Lindsay Denton and Julia Montague, and Best Supporting Actress for her role as Dorothy Wick in the drama Mrs Wilson.
Krysten Ritter
Krysten Ritter plays Lucy, a woman who has undergone a procedure and lost her memory.
She was first discovered by a modeling agent at 15 during an event at her local mall, the Wyoming Valley Mall, but quickly rose to fame as Jane Margolis in the AMC drama Breaking Bad, a role she reprised in the spinoff film El Camino.
Ritter is also known for her leading roles in the ABC sitcom Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and as the title character in the Netflix superhero series Jessica Jones and the miniseries The Defenders, both part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Avan Jogia
Avan Jogia stars as Jack, Lucy’s boyfriend, a former army medic, and a single father.
He is a well-known Canadian actor, singer, author, and director, but first gained recognition for his role as Danny Araujo in the television film A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story.
After moving to the United States in his late teens, he appeared in various television series such as Caprica and in the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious, before achieving mainstream prominence with roles in the paranormal action series Ghost Wars and Ulysses Zane in the comedy series Now Apocalypse.
Jogia also made his directorial debut with the short film Alex in 2011 and starred as Leon S Kennedy in the 2021 film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Here’s the rest of the cast:
- Reed Diamond as Tom (Three Days, Much Ado About Nothing)
- Amanda Fix as Jules Lee (North of Normal, High School)
- James Hiroyuki Liaoas Paul Darros (Hard Luck, Management)
- Rya Kihlstedtas Dr Eleanor Miller (Home Alone 3, Nashville)
- Tattiawna Jonesas Emily (RoboCop, Tully)
- Alex Castilloas Neva (Reacher, Legends of Tomorrow)
Where was Orphan Black: Echoes filmed?
Orphan Black: Echoes was filmed in Toronto, with the cast regularly spotted regularly in various locations across the city.
Krysten Ritter on set of Orphan Black: Echoes in Toronto (via seansmovies)#OrphanBlack #OrphanBlackEchoes #CloneClub pic.twitter.com/aCC038UPX2
— Orphan Black Echoes (@obechoes) November 18, 2022
It comes after the original Orphan Black released back in 2013 was also filmed in Toronto – Canada’s largest city known for bordering the Great Western Lakes.
The location has also been host to critically acclaimed films like Good Will Hunting and American Psycho.
How many episodes are there?
The show premiered on ITVX on 20 May, with all 10 episodes available to watch now.
It is yet to be confirmed whether Orphan Black: Echoes will get a second season, but creator Fishko is very keen to make more.
However, the show has received mixed reviews, with TV ratings website IMDb rating the show 6.5/10, while Rotten Tomatoes ranked the series a measly 57 per cent.
