Half-Life (1997 series)

Half-Life is an science-fiction television series created by Vince Gilligan as part of a working relationship with Twentieth Century Fox and Valve, which aired on The WB from September 12, 1997, to May 21, 2004. During its original run, the program spanned seven seasons, with 149 episodes, in addition to a 2005 feature film aimed to wrap up the series after its unexpected cancellation.

The series revolves around Black Mesa physicists Gordon Freeman (Jeremy Sisto) and Alyx Vance (Fairuza Balk), as they battle alien creatures from Xen with the assistance of a skeleton crew after a failed experiment that triggered a resonance cascade. The resonance cascade created a rip in spacetime, allowing the hostile alien creatures from Xen to invade the Black Mesa Research Facility. Freeman, a newly hired scientist, finds himself caught in the middle of the invasion and must fight his way through the facility to prevent the aliens from reaching the outside world.

Half-Life was praised for its groundbreaking characters and its immersive storytelling. The series was also notable for its use of cliffhangers, which kept viewers guessing until the next episode. Half-Life was a critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series in 1999 and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2000.

Despite its popularity, Half-Life was unexpectedly canceled by The WB in February 2004. The cancellation was due to a number of factors, including the network's desire to focus on more youth-oriented programming and the high cost of producing the series. The cancellation received considerable notice by news media, and thanks to a a fan-led campaign, a feature film was announced the following year in October.

Series overview
The series begins with Gordon Freeman, a young physicist working at the Black Mesa Research Facility, accidentally opening a portal to an alien world known as Xen. This event triggers a resonance cascade, which releases a horde of alien creatures into Black Mesa. Freeman, along with his colleague Alyx Vance, must fight their way through the facility to close the portal and prevent the aliens from invading Earth.

As the series progresses, Freeman and Vance uncover a conspiracy involving Black Mesa and the Combine, a multinational corporation that has taken control of the facility and is using it to experiment with Xen technology. The Combine's ultimate goal is to conquer Earth and use its resources to fuel their own expansion.

Freeman and Vance are joined in their fight by a small group of allies, including Barney Calhoun, a security guard at Black Mesa; Dr. Kleiner, a scientist who is studying Xen; and Dr. Breen, the former administrator of Black Mesa who is now collaborating with the Combine.

The series ends with Freeman and Vance defeating the Combine and closing the portal to Xen. However, the victory is bittersweet, as the Combine has already caused widespread destruction on Earth.

Main

 * Jeremy Sisto as Dr. Gordon Freeman, physicist at Black Mesa.
 * Fairuza Balk as Dr. Alyx Vance, physicist at Black Mesa and Freeman's colleague/lover.
 * Colin Cunningham as Barney Calhoun, security guard at Black Mesa.
 * Terry O'Quinn as Dr. Issac Kleiner (seasons 1-4), scientist at Black Mesa.
 * Laura Prepon as Caroline / GLaDOS (seasons 5-7), former assistant to Aperture Science CEO, Cave Johnson.

Supporting

 * Stephen McHattie as G-Man; a sinister inter-dimensional bureaucrat with ties to The Employers.
 * Anna Gunn as Judith Mossman; scientist working with Eli Vance who later is revealed to be a triple agent.
 * Anna Gunn as Judith Mossman; scientist working with Eli Vance who later is revealed to be a triple agent.