UC: Undercover
Encyclopedia
UC: Undercover is an action-thriller television series that focuses on the secret lives and private demons of an elite Justice Department
crime-fighting unit that confronts the country’s deadliest, most untouchable lawbreakers by going undercover
to bust them. The series was broadcast from 2001 to 2002.
The stories were written by Shane Salerno
. David Arnold
wrote the main title theme and scored the pilot episode. Salerno said the show would be a "very music driven series." UC: Undercover was a production of NBC Studios in association with Jersey Films, Chasing Time Pictures, Regency Television, and 20th Century Fox Television
. Its short but popular run ended when it was canceled by the network.
), with undercover agents Jake Shaw (Jon Seda
) and Alex Cross (Vera Farmiga
), psychological profiler Monica Davis (Bruklin Harris), and young techno-wizard Cody (Jarrad Paul
), who runs all of the high-tech surveillance operations.
As a federal team, the group responds to emergencies all over the country: taking down elite bank robbers, drug kingpins, domestic terrorists, spies, jewel thieves, and corrupt cops. The drama’s character-driven storylines emphasize the taut, cat-and-mouse game played by the undercover agents as they attempt to infiltrate the lives of a gallery of criminals, including murderous master thief Jack “Sonny” Walker (William Forsythe
) and imprisoned drug lord Carlos Cortez (Steven Bauer
, in a recurring role).
The series also explores the psychological toll undercover work takes on the agents who play this deadly game of false identities and who commit treachery as a daily profession for the greater good.
The team often butts heads with Paul Bloom (Brian Markinson
), their obstructive and fiercely ambitious Justice Department boss.
Ving Rhames received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Actor in a TV Drama Series.
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
crime-fighting unit that confronts the country’s deadliest, most untouchable lawbreakers by going undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
to bust them. The series was broadcast from 2001 to 2002.
The stories were written by Shane Salerno
Shane Salerno
Shane Salerno is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He has written or co-written several blockbuster films including Armageddon and Shaft and is also one of the writer-producers of the successful CBS drama series Hawaii Five-0...
. David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
wrote the main title theme and scored the pilot episode. Salerno said the show would be a "very music driven series." UC: Undercover was a production of NBC Studios in association with Jersey Films, Chasing Time Pictures, Regency Television, and 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
. Its short but popular run ended when it was canceled by the network.
Cast
- Oded FehrOded FehrOded Fehr is an Israeli film and television actor now based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of The Mummy and its sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as Carlos Olivera in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil:...
as Frank Donovan - Jon SedaJon SedaJonathan Seda is an American actor, possibly best known for his role as Detective Paul Falsone on NBC's: Homicide: Life on the Street....
as Jake Shaw - Vera FarmigaVera FarmigaVera Ann Farmiga is an American actress and director. Farmiga made her film debut in the 1998 drama thriller Return to Paradise. This was followed by supporting roles in the 2000 romantic film Autumn in New York and the 2001 television series UC: Undercover...
as Alex Cross - Bruklin Harris as Monica Davis
- Jarrad PaulJarrad PaulJarrad Paul is an American actor and screenwriter.He moved to Los Angeles, CA after graduating from high school. During the 1990s, Paul had recurring roles on such shows as Legend and Home Improvement. In 1999, he co-starred with Jay Mohr in Action as screenwriter Adam Rafkin...
as Cody - William ForsytheWilliam Forsythe (actor)William Forsythe is an American actor, known for playing "tough guy" roles. He is also a writer, and has several short stories that are set to be published.-Early life:...
as Sonny Walker
- Oded Fehr was not the original star. Grant Show was written out in the second episode.
Synopsis
The unit is headed by authoritative Frank Donovan (Oded FehrOded Fehr
Oded Fehr is an Israeli film and television actor now based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of The Mummy and its sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as Carlos Olivera in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil:...
), with undercover agents Jake Shaw (Jon Seda
Jon Seda
Jonathan Seda is an American actor, possibly best known for his role as Detective Paul Falsone on NBC's: Homicide: Life on the Street....
) and Alex Cross (Vera Farmiga
Vera Farmiga
Vera Ann Farmiga is an American actress and director. Farmiga made her film debut in the 1998 drama thriller Return to Paradise. This was followed by supporting roles in the 2000 romantic film Autumn in New York and the 2001 television series UC: Undercover...
), psychological profiler Monica Davis (Bruklin Harris), and young techno-wizard Cody (Jarrad Paul
Jarrad Paul
Jarrad Paul is an American actor and screenwriter.He moved to Los Angeles, CA after graduating from high school. During the 1990s, Paul had recurring roles on such shows as Legend and Home Improvement. In 1999, he co-starred with Jay Mohr in Action as screenwriter Adam Rafkin...
), who runs all of the high-tech surveillance operations.
As a federal team, the group responds to emergencies all over the country: taking down elite bank robbers, drug kingpins, domestic terrorists, spies, jewel thieves, and corrupt cops. The drama’s character-driven storylines emphasize the taut, cat-and-mouse game played by the undercover agents as they attempt to infiltrate the lives of a gallery of criminals, including murderous master thief Jack “Sonny” Walker (William Forsythe
William Forsythe (actor)
William Forsythe is an American actor, known for playing "tough guy" roles. He is also a writer, and has several short stories that are set to be published.-Early life:...
) and imprisoned drug lord Carlos Cortez (Steven Bauer
Steven Bauer
Steven Bauer is a Cuban-American actor. He is known for his role as Manny Ribera in the 1983 film Scarface, and his role on the bilingual PBS show Que Pasa, USA.-Early life:...
, in a recurring role).
The series also explores the psychological toll undercover work takes on the agents who play this deadly game of false identities and who commit treachery as a daily profession for the greater good.
The team often butts heads with Paul Bloom (Brian Markinson
Brian Markinson
Brian Markinson is a Canadian film and television actor. He has appeared as Police Chief Bill Jacobs on Da Vinci's Inquest and Da Vinci's City Hall...
), their obstructive and fiercely ambitious Justice Department boss.
Reception
The show received largely negative reviews. USA Today's Robert Bianco gave it one star and said it was "Pretentious, incoherent and so visually hyper it borders on nauseating, UC is a season-low mix of bad acting, bad writing and bad direction." Entertainment Weekly said it was "Noisy and needlessly confusing, this one cries out for some of the clarity and rigor"Ving Rhames received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Actor in a TV Drama Series.
Episode list
- Life on the Wire
- Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
- Of Fathers and Sons
- Once Upon a Time...in the Hood
- Honor Among Thieves
- Nobody Rides for Free (a.k.a. Blowback)
- City on Fire (a.k.a. Crash)
- The Siege (a.k.a. Prison Riot)
- Zero Option
- Hunting Armando
- Teddy C
- Manhunt
- The Sins of Sonny Walker