'Sanctuary' series uses virtual sets

NEW YORK, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The SCI FI Channel announced Thursday it has ordered a full 13-episode season of the new original, scripted drama series "Sanctuary."

"Sanctuary," which began as a high-definition Internet series, is the first television show to use live-action actors against mostly virtual sets, the network said in a statement.

The hourlong drama stars Amanda Tapping as the enigmatic Dr. Helen Magnus who is on a quest -- along with her young protege Will Zimmerman, played by Robin Dunne -- to track down, aid and protect various strange creatures, SCI FI said.

The show's sets are 90 percent computer-generated and shot in the same style as the feature films "300" and "Sin City."

"'Sanctuary' promises to be a totally fresh television viewing experience," said Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of original programming. "This stylistic approach to 'virtual sets' has proven hugely popular on the big screen, and we have been looking for a chance to use it on a television series."