Syfy ordered two superhero pilots this year;
Alpha and
Three Inches. Both have similar premises (regular people with incredible mental super-powers), although the latter was skewed more towards comedy. Today,
Deadline are reporting that Syfy have chosen to commission Alphas for an 11-episode run (in addition to its pilot), although Three Inches may still appear on the channel at a later date. Alphas concerns a team of people with brain anomalies that give them incredible mental skills. They're played by: David Strathairn, as leader Dr. Lee Rosen; Malik Yoba (above) as Bill Harken, a man who can trigger a powerful surge of adrenaline in himself; and Laura Mennell (above-left) as Nina Theroux, a woman who can influence other people's behaviour. Warren Christie, Ryan Cartwright and Azita Ghanizada will co-star. Alphas started life as a failed pilot for NBC called Section 8 three years ago, was nearly made by ABC in 2007 before the Writers' Strike, but has now arrived at Syfy. The 90-minute pilot, directed by Jack Bender (Lost), was written by Zak Penn (X-Men III, The Incredible Hulk) and Michael Karnow.