The 4400 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The 4400
Genre	Science fiction Drama
Created by	René Echevarria Scott Peters
Starring	Joel Gretsch Jacqueline McKenzie Mahershala Ali Laura Allen Patrick Flueger Megalyn Echikunwoke Chad Faust Kaj-Erik Eriksen Samantha Ferris Jenni Baird Brooke Nevin Conchita Campbell Karina Lombard Billy Campbell Peter Coyote
Theme music composer	Amanda Abizaid
Opening theme	"A Place in Time" (performed by Bosshouse featuring Amanda Abizaid)
Ending theme	"Salvation" John Van Tongeren
Composer(s)	John Van Tongeren George S. Clinton Claude Foisy
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	44 (list of episodes)
Production
Production location(s)	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Running time	42 minutes
Production company(s)	American Zoetrope BSkyB Renegade 83 Productions 4400 Productions Viacom Productions (2004) Paramount Network Television (2005) CBS Paramount Network Television (2006–2007)
Distributor	Paramount Domestic Television (2004–2006) CBS Paramount Television (2006–2007)
Release
Original network	USA Network (United States) Sky One (United Kingdom)
Original release	July 11, 2004 (2004-07-11) – September 16, 2007 (2007-09-16)

The 4400 (pronounced "the forty-four hundred") is an exciting science fiction TV show. It was made by Scott Peters and René Echevarria. The show aired for four seasons, from July 11, 2004, to September 16, 2007. It tells the story of a mysterious event that changes the world.

The Story of The 4400

Third-season cast of The 4400

The story begins when a bright light appears near Mount Rainier, Washington. From this light, 4400 people suddenly return. These people had disappeared at different times since 1946. What's strange is that none of them have aged a single day since they vanished. They are confused and don't remember what happened to them.

The government creates a special team called NTAC (National Threat Assessment Command) to figure out what's going on. Agents Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris lead the investigation.

As the story unfolds, some of the 4400 start to show amazing new abilities. These "gifts" include moving things with their minds (telekinesis), reading thoughts (telepathy), and seeing the future (precognition). For example, one of them, Shawn Farrell, can heal injuries.

Later, it's revealed that the 4400 were brought back by humans from the future. They were sent back to prevent a terrible event from happening.

Promicin and Special Abilities

The special abilities of the 4400 come from a unique substance in their brains called promicin. At first, the government tries to stop these powers by giving the 4400 a special medicine. But this medicine makes some of them very sick.

Eventually, a scientist named Kevin Burkhoff finds a way to remove the medicine. This allows all 4400 to develop their unique abilities.

A man named Jordan Collier, who is also one of the 4400, believes everyone should have these powers. He starts giving promicin shots to ordinary people. However, taking a promicin shot is risky: half the people who take it get an ability, but the other half die.

The government tries to stop Collier, but he creates "Promise City" in Seattle. This city is a safe place for people with promicin abilities. The series ends with Collier and his followers in control of Promise City, while the government watches nervously.

How Promicin Works

Promicin is a fictional chemical in the brain that gives the 4400 their powers. It allows them to use parts of their brain that normal humans don't. This is why their abilities can be so different.

Scientists in the show discover that whether someone survives a promicin shot depends on a small part of their brain called the corpus callosum. This part is often slightly larger in left-handed people, which is why they have a better chance of surviving the shot.

There are also substances from the future that can remove promicin from a person's body or even reverse a promicin allergy.

The Starzl Mutation

In the show, it's discovered that some people in Seattle have a small genetic change called the "Starzl mutation." This mutation is harmless and can be passed down through families.

It's believed that if a person with the Starzl mutation has a child with one of the 4400, their child will be born with promicin abilities. This is why the 4400 were returned to the Seattle area – it's the only place they are likely to meet people with this special mutation.

Filming Locations

Even though The 4400 is set in Seattle, Washington, it was actually filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Some of the key locations include:

• Promise City: This safe haven for people with powers was filmed on the Burrard Inlet in Vancouver.
• Haspel Corporation: This fictional company's building was filmed at the Life Sciences Centre at the University of British Columbia.
• The 4400 Center: This building, where the 4400 could learn to use their powers, was filmed at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver.

Main Characters

The show features a main group of characters who are involved in the mystery of the 4400.

Series Regulars

Episodes and Seasons

List of The 4400 episodes

The 4400 had four seasons. The first season was a short series of five episodes. The next three seasons each had 13 episodes. A special episode called "The 4400: Unlocking the Secrets" aired between the second and third seasons.

The show was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. The third season was very popular, with millions of viewers. The creators tried to pack a lot of story into each season.

Books Based on The 4400

After the TV show ended, several books were written to continue the story or explore events within the series.

• The Vesuvius Prophecy (2008) by Greg Cox: This book is set during the third season and involves a prophecy from Maia.
• Wet Work (2008) by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore: This story takes place during the second season and follows Tom and Diana as they hunt a rogue assassin.
• Welcome to Promise City (2009) by Greg Cox: This book is set after the TV series ends, exploring life in Promise City.
• Promises Broken (2009) by David Mack: This is the fourth book and continues the story after the show, but also ends with a cliffhanger.

Show Production

The theme song for The 4400 is "A Place in Time," sung by Amanda Abizaid. The show was filmed in high-definition.

Why The Show Ended

On December 18, 2007, the show's co-creator, Scott Peters, announced that The 4400 was canceled. This was due to a writers' strike happening at the time, budget issues, and lower TV ratings. The story ended on a cliffhanger, meaning many questions were left unanswered.

Soundtrack Music

A soundtrack for The 4400 was released on May 8, 2007. It includes music from the first three seasons, featuring songs by artists like Switchfoot, Maroon 5, and Billie Holiday. The show's theme song, "A Place in Time," is also on the album.

Home Video Releases

The complete series of The 4400 is available on DVD and Blu-ray. Each season was released separately, and then a complete series box set was also made available. These sets often include bonus features like behind-the-scenes videos and deleted scenes.

The 4400 Reboot Series

In 2018, it was announced that a new version of The 4400 was being planned for The CW network. This "reimagined" series would have new writers and producers.

The new show, simply titled 4400, was ordered straight to series in February 2021. It premiered on October 25, 2021. However, the series was canceled after just one season in May 2022.

Images for kids

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  The Chan Centre (The 4400 Center)

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  UBC Life Sciences Centre (HaspelCorp)

See also

In Spanish: Los 4400 para niños

• The Refugees – A show where people from the future travel to the present to escape a global disaster.
• The Crossing – Refugees from the future seek safety in an American town.
• Beforeigners – People from different time periods (Stone Age, Viking Age, 19th century) appear in the modern world.
• Manifest – A plane disappears for over five years, but when it returns, everyone on board is the same age.