Travelers

This article is about the TV show. For details about the first episode see Travelers, and for a list of travelers see the Travelers List

Travelers is a science fiction television series created by Brad Wright, starring Eric McCormack. The series is a co-production between Netflix and Showcase. The first season comprises 12 episodes and premiered on Showcase on October 17, 2016; the entire series premiered globally (outside of Canada) on Netflix, on December 23, 2016. On February 8, 2017, Netflix and Showcase renewed the show for a second season. Season 2 production began in March 2017, ahead of the Canadian premiere on Showcase scheduled to air on October 16, 2017, which will be followed by a Netflix release. Netflix officially cancelled the series on February 1, 2019.

Premise

Thousands of special operatives, sent back in time from the future, are tasked with preventing the collapse of society. These operatives, known as "travelers", take over the body of a 21st century individual via a transfer of consciousness; to minimize impact on the timeline, it is performed moments before the person's recorded time of death. The transfer requires the exact location of the target; smart phones and GPS have made this possible only from the early 21st century onward. Prepared using social media and public records concerning their targets, small teams of travelers must maintain their hosts' pre-existing lives as cover while carrying out missions, dictated by their director in the future, aimed at saving the world from a series of catastrophic events. The Director communicates with travelers via pre-pubescent children used as messengers; unlike adults, any child can safely be taken over for a few minutes and then released from control. The show focuses on one team of five travelers, starting from their transfers of consciousness. As the series progresses, travelers affect the present and future in unanticipated ways.