Orphan Black Trivia | 40 facts about the Sci-Fi series

One of the most popular science fictions series, that also won many awards, is by far the “Orphan Black”, which aired for 5 seasons.

1. Orphan Black is a Canadian science fiction thriller television series.
2. It was created by screenwriter Graeme Manson.
3. It was directed by John Fawcett.
4. Tatiana Maslany stars as several genetically identical human clones.
5. The series focuses on Sarah Manning, a woman who assumes the identity of one of her fellow clones, Elizabeth Childs, after witnessing Childs’ suicide.
6. The series raises issues about the moral and ethical implications of human cloning and its effect on identity.
7. The series is produced by Temple Street Productions, in association with BBC America and Bell Media’s Space.
8. It premiered on March 30, 2013, on Space in Canada and on BBC America in the United States.
9. On June 16, 2016, the series was renewed for a fifth and final season.
10. The 5th seasons was consisted of 10 episodes.
11. It premiered on June 10, 2017.
12. An aftershow, After the Black, began airing in the third season on Space.
13. It was acquired by BBC America for the fourth season.
14. Orphan Black built a loyal online fandom across social media platforms who identify as #CloneClub.
15. Throughout its five seasons, the series received critical acclaim and various accolades, particularly for Maslany’s performance.
16. For her performance she earned a Primetime Emmy Award, two Critics’ Choice Television Awards and two further nominations, one TCA Award and one further nomination, two Satellite Award nominations, and a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
17. The series won a Peabody Award in 2013^.
18. It has been nominated for, and won, several Canadian Screen Awards.
19. Tatiana auditioned as Cosima, Sarah, Beth, and Sarah being Beth
20. The show wouldn’t exist without the Technodolly. This is a telescoping camera crane that memorizes and repeats complex movements exactly, enabling a multiple-­clone scene to be constructed in layers
21. Tatiana Maslany said in an interview that she has a continuity team that keeps her from mixing up the characters. For instance, if she’s doing a scene that has both Alison and Sarah in it and she’s playing Alison, if the script tells her to roll her eyes, they make sure it’s an ‘Alison’ eye roll and not a ‘Sarah’ eye roll
22. Scenes with two clones interacting were shot twice with Kathryn Alexandre standing in for Tatiana Maslany as each of the clones in turn, and then blended by digital magic, hiding Kathryn Alexandre’s face and voice.
23. Director John Fawcett described it as a a “very time consuming process.”
24. Co-creator Graeme Manson said that Tatiana Maslany roller-bladed to her audition, and helped the other auditioning girls with their lines.
25. To help her prepare to play her “clones,” Tatiana Maslany created playlists and dances which she thought epitomised their character. S
26. he gave Cosima ‘rave dance’ (with glow sticks), Alison ballet, and Helena was kept private in her trailer.
27. Tatiana Maslany and writer Graeme Manson would collaborate and agree on a back story for each of the clones, including their parentage and upbringing.
28. Tatiana Maslany is the only Canadian woman to win the Emmy award in the “Best Actress – Drama” category.1
29. Evelyne Brochu, who plays Delphine, was one of the actresses in the running for the lead role. She wasn’t cast, but the part of Delphine was written especially for her, according to series creator Graeme Manson.
31. Cosima, one of the principal clones, is named for the show’s science consultant, Cosima Herter.
32. Jordan Gavaris on how he feels Orphan Black upends so much about the normative narrative about being human: “I think, and I love this term, it’s about the mythology that we tell each other about what it means to be humans and how it’s just not true… The mythology of the man, the mythology of the woman, the mythology of the lesbian, the science geek, the gay man, the housewife, they’re all myths.
33. Tatiana Maslany is Canadian, but she plays characters of British, American, German, Canadian, Finnish, and Ukrainian origin.
34. She’s also the face of French, Italian, and Austrian characters.
35. The ability of Tatiana Maslany to act with “herself” is achieved using an acting double, Kathryn Alexandre.
36. In non-f/x shots, when more than one clone is on screen and one of their faces is obscured or hidden, that one is probably being played by Alexandre.
37. She also appears as another character, Alexis, in three episodes.
38. All of the episode titles in Season 1 are the names of chapters in Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” (1859) (although not in the same order as in the book).
39. Season 2 episode titles are taken from “Novum Organum,” which describes a new system of logic, by British author, statesman and philosopher, Francis Bacon (1561-1626).
40. The episode titles for Season 3 come from the Farewell Address of former United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower in which he discusses the rise of a military-industrial complex.