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Revival on SYFY: What to Know About this Supernatural Undead Mystery Series
- Damian Ali
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
A mystery where the living and the dead are suspects. One small-town cop faces murder, secrets, and her own reanimated sister.
(L to R) David James Elliott as Wayne Cypress and Melanie Scrofano as Dana Cypress in Revival on SYFY: Image Courtesy of Naomi Peters/Lavivier Productions/SYFY
When the dead rise in Revival, they're not zombies--they're called Revivers. Set in rural Wisconsin, the series begins with a strange day when the recently deceased come back--not as the walking dead, but as their normal, chatty, confused selves. These so-called "Revivers" remember their lives, speak clearly, and mostly act like nothing happened. That is--until things start to go wrong.
For Officer Dana Cypress, a single mother with one foot out the door, Revival Day drags her back into the very town she was trying to leave--and straight into a murder case where both the living and the dead are suspects. SYFY's Revival premieres Thursday, June 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming on Peacock a week later.
The show stars Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp) as Dana, a tough but tired local cop trying to prove herself to her father, Sheriff Wayne Cypress, played by David James Elliott (Mad Men). Romy Weltman (Murdoch Mysteries) plays Dana's younger sister, Em, whose sheltered life is suddenly upended when she rises from the grave.
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(L to R): Melanie Scrofano, David James Elliott, Romy Weltman, Andy McQueen: Courtesy of Denis Duquette/Laviver Productions/SYFY
Andy McQueen (Mrs. Davis) appears as Ibrahim Ramin, a CDC scientist brought in to figure out why the dead won't stay dead. The strange return of Em hits especially hard for Dana, who must navigate not only the case at hand but also the emotional fallout of her sister's second chance at life.
And there's more to the Revivers than just coming back to life. Some return with super-strength, and while the injuries they died with don't heal, any new wounds vanish instantly.
As the town grows more unsettled, secrets surface, trust fades, and the line between human and something else gets blurrier. "Nothing to them feels off, except for, 'I had a heart attack,' or 'I fell asleep and woke up,' or 'I was murdered,'" says Aaron B. Koontz, who co-created the series with Luke Boyce and also serves as showrunner and executive producer.
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(L to R) Nicky Guadagni as Arlene Stankiewiscz and Romy Weltman as Martha "Em" Cypress in Revival on SYFY: Image Courtesy of Naomi Peters/Lavivier Productions/SYFY
Revival is based on the Image Comics series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, but the team behind the show is quick to distance it from typical zombie fare.
"Tim Seeley… would probably kick my ass for even using the 'zombie' word," said recurring guest star Phil Brooks--better known to some as CM Punk. Instead, the series leans into mystery, small-town tension, and a family drama that slowly unravels with every new return from the grave.
The series cast also includes Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead), Gia Sandhu (A Simple Favor), Katherine King So (The Recruit), Maia Jae (In the Dark), Nathan Dales (Letterkenny), Mark Little (Doomlands), Glen Gould (Tulsa King), Lara Jean Chorostecki (Nightmare Alley), and Conrad Coates (Fargo).
Steven Ogg as Blaine Abel, David James Elliott as Sheriff Wayne Cypress in Revival on SYFY: Image Courtesy of Mathieu Savidant/Lavivier Productions/SYFY
Behind the scenes, the show is produced by Blue Ice Pictures and Hemmings Films, with a creative team that includes Koontz, Boyce, Melanie Scrofano, and a list of producers from both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.
With characters that can't die right and a town that can't move on, Revival isn't just a horror story--it's a second chance gone sideways.
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