SyFy's '12 Monkeys' To Interact With Viewers' Lighting

By Edward Cardenas

SOUTHFIELD (CBS Detroit) - The new Syfy series "12 Monkeys" — which was partially filmed in metro Detroit — will be the first television show to interact with viewers' home lighting systems.

Viewers who pair the Syfy Sync app for phones and tablets with Philips Hue bulbs will have a specially designed "light track" that will link the action on the screen to the lighting in their room while watching the new program, according to the network.

"We constantly look for new and innovative ways to create the optimal environment in the home through unique lighting experiences, from everyday tasks to deeper engagement with your favorite TV shows such as "12 Monkeys," said Amy Huntington, president, Philips Lighting - Americas. "Working with Syfy on "Sharknado 2," we gave viewers a whole new way to experience television and with "12 Monkeys" our partnership pushes the envelope from a movie to the first television series with integrated light tracks."

The Hue system uses LED bulbs that wireless connect to a modem and change color, according to Entertainment Weekly. Instead of users controlling the lights, the television show will control lighting in the room and will envelop viewers "in the onscreen action through ambient lighting effects designed to engage viewers in an entirely unique way," Syfy stated.

The network added that viewers of "12 Monkeys" - which is an adaptation of the 1995 feature film about a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day to eradicate the source of a deadly plague -  will get custom light tracks for all 13 episodes.

Viewers of the pilot for 12 Monkeys will also notice familiar landmarks in the show as the show was filmed in 2014 in metro Detroit.