Known to Stargate SG-1 fans as the affable Dr. Daniel Jackson, actor Michael Shanks has enjoyed a long and diverse career in front of the camera.

A Stargate veteran who spent nine seasons on SG-1 — and made various appearances in the spin-offs Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe — Shanks is a household name of modern sci-fi television.

That momentum helped him find a starring role in the Canadian medical drama Saving Hope once his time on Stargate came to a close back in 2011. That series was a hit and ran for five seasons, with its final episode airing on August 3 of last year.

Now Shanks has found his next project, this time, with fellow Stargate veterans Robert C. Cooper and Carl Binder.

According to The Hollywood Reporter Shanks has been cast in a leading role in Cooper’s upcoming miniseries Unspeakable. Centered on “the real-life 1980s scandal where thousands contracted HIV and Hepatitis C from tainted blood,” the eight-part miniseries has been in development since last summer.

It will air on SundanceTV and Canada’s CBC.

Also set to star is The Walking Dead alum Sarah Wayne Callies, along with co-stars Shawn Doyle (The Expanse) and Camille Sullivan (The Man in the High Castle).

Robert C. Cooper | Photo by Gage Skidmore

“First and foremost, the series is about the emotional impact this terrible tragedy had,” Cooper said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to have such incredibly talented people committed to bringing our lead characters to life.”

The subject matter is extremely personal to Cooper, who is a real-life victim of tainted blood.

Cooper and the writing team will be utilizing material from the books Bad Blood by Vic Parsons and The Gift of Death by Andre Picard. Cooper will also direct multiple episodes of the series.

No release schedule has been announced, but the fall of 2018 or the following winter is a good bet given the spring production date.