Second season of 'Sanctuary' set

NEW YORK, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Sci Fi Channel says it has greenlit production on a second season of its new series "Sanctuary," which is shot in Canada.

Thirteen more hours of the show have been ordered, it was announced Thursday by Mark Stern, executive vice president of original programming for Sci Fi and co-head of original programming for Universal Cable Productions.

"Sanctuary" is slated to begin production in Vancouver early next year for a 2009 premiere.

"Sci Fi will continue to trail-blaze the television landscape by further exploring the many worlds of 'Sanctuary' through its unique green-screen environments," Stern said in a statement. "Technology and great storytelling makes 'Sanctuary' a fantastic addition to Sci Fi's 2009 lineup."

"Sanctuary" follows the adventures of Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), "a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population -- a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans," Sci Fi said in show notes.

The series co-stars Robin Dunne, Ryan Robbins, Christopher Heyerdahl and Emilie Ullerup.