Undercovers (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Undercovers is an American
action spy television series
created by J. J. Abrams
and Josh Reims for NBC. They were executive producers of the pilot along with Abrams' frequent collaborator Bryan Burk
.
Because of low ratings, the show was canceled on November 4, 2010. As of December 29, 2010, 11 out of 13 episodes have aired. The fate of the remaining two episodes is currently unknown.
to open a catering company, Steven and Samantha Bloom are recruited back into the agency by Carlton Shaw. They take on special missions the average agent cannot handle. Having made a pact to never discuss their pasts with each other, the Blooms find surprising new things about their spouse in the course of each mission. They are aided by Leo Nash, a top agent who was once Samantha's boyfriend, and geeky computer expert Bill Hoyt, who worships Steven. Lizzy is Samantha's sister, a recovering alcoholic who helps run the catering business and is unaware of what the Blooms are really up to. The Blooms are unaware that Shaw has a secret agenda for reactivating them.
.
Abrams directed the Undercovers pilot; it was the first time he had directed a pilot since 2004's Lost
premiere
and the first episode of television he has directed since a 2007 episode
of The Office. Abrams said of the show, "This show does have ongoing stories as well but they are much more personal based and character based. But I'm trying to do a show that has a more fun energy and a little more [comedy]..." And on his decision to direct the pilot, Abrams explained that "I just enjoyed the idea of it. I enjoy the script… I enjoyed the chemistry of these two people and it became clear as we were working on it, rather than be sitting on the set every day with someone else directing it, being annoying, I’d rather just take the burden on myself."
The show has been described as a "stand-alone adventure every week" and a "modernized Hart to Hart
", although Abrams announced just before its cancellation that the show would be starting a serialized storyline concerning the true reasons for the Blooms' reactivation.
On November 4, 2010, after weeks of poor viewership and ratings, NBC canceled the series. The show's final three episodes aired in December of 2010. Two episodes remain unaired, but NBC has no plans to broadcast them in the immediate future. Warner Home Video
has not yet announced if the complete series will be released on DVD
and/or Blu-ray
.
In May 2011, all 13 episodes of the first season were premiered in the UK on Virgin Media as an On Demand program by WarnerTV.
In an interview, Abrams talked about the failure of the show: "I’ve got to say, I feel like it was unfortunate. Of course, I completely blame myself for the entire thing. The conceit of the show was to do a much more frivolous, fun show, but ultimately, I think it was just too frivolous and too simple, and we didn’t go deep enough. We were really desperately trying to stay away from mythology and complexity and intensity and too much serious, dark storytelling and, ultimately, that’s not necessarily what I do best. I think audiences felt that it was a little bit lacking. I see that and completely take responsibility for its failing."
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
action spy television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
created by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
and Josh Reims for NBC. They were executive producers of the pilot along with Abrams' frequent collaborator Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk is an American film and television producer, as well as an occasional screenwriter.A graduate of USC's School of Cinema-Television, Bryan Burk began his career working with producers Brad Weston at Columbia Pictures, Ned Tanen at Sony Pictures and John Davis at FOX...
.
Because of low ratings, the show was canceled on November 4, 2010. As of December 29, 2010, 11 out of 13 episodes have aired. The fate of the remaining two episodes is currently unknown.
Premise
Five years after leaving the CIACentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
to open a catering company, Steven and Samantha Bloom are recruited back into the agency by Carlton Shaw. They take on special missions the average agent cannot handle. Having made a pact to never discuss their pasts with each other, the Blooms find surprising new things about their spouse in the course of each mission. They are aided by Leo Nash, a top agent who was once Samantha's boyfriend, and geeky computer expert Bill Hoyt, who worships Steven. Lizzy is Samantha's sister, a recovering alcoholic who helps run the catering business and is unaware of what the Blooms are really up to. The Blooms are unaware that Shaw has a secret agenda for reactivating them.
Production
On May 3, 2010 Undercovers was officially ordered to series by NBC for a fall premiere, Wednesdays at 8/7c. Undercovers premiered on Wednesday, September 22, making it the second spy series produced by Abrams since AliasAlias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
.
Abrams directed the Undercovers pilot; it was the first time he had directed a pilot since 2004's Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
premiere
Pilot (Lost)
"Pilot" constitutes the first and second episodes of the first season of ABC television series Lost, with "Part 1" premiering on September 22, 2004 and Part 2 on September 29, 2004. The episodes were directed by J.J. Abrams, and written by him along with Damon Lindelof, based on a story by them and...
and the first episode of television he has directed since a 2007 episode
Cocktails (The Office)
"Cocktails" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the US version of The Office. It aired on February 22, 2007 on NBC. It is written by Paul Lieberstein and directed by Alias and Lost creator J. J. Abrams....
of The Office. Abrams said of the show, "This show does have ongoing stories as well but they are much more personal based and character based. But I'm trying to do a show that has a more fun energy and a little more [comedy]..." And on his decision to direct the pilot, Abrams explained that "I just enjoyed the idea of it. I enjoy the script… I enjoyed the chemistry of these two people and it became clear as we were working on it, rather than be sitting on the set every day with someone else directing it, being annoying, I’d rather just take the burden on myself."
The show has been described as a "stand-alone adventure every week" and a "modernized Hart to Hart
Hart to Hart
Hart to Hart is an American television series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a wealthy couple who also moonlighted as amateur detectives. The series was created by writer Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg...
", although Abrams announced just before its cancellation that the show would be starting a serialized storyline concerning the true reasons for the Blooms' reactivation.
On November 4, 2010, after weeks of poor viewership and ratings, NBC canceled the series. The show's final three episodes aired in December of 2010. Two episodes remain unaired, but NBC has no plans to broadcast them in the immediate future. Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
has not yet announced if the complete series will be released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and/or Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
.
In May 2011, all 13 episodes of the first season were premiered in the UK on Virgin Media as an On Demand program by WarnerTV.
In an interview, Abrams talked about the failure of the show: "I’ve got to say, I feel like it was unfortunate. Of course, I completely blame myself for the entire thing. The conceit of the show was to do a much more frivolous, fun show, but ultimately, I think it was just too frivolous and too simple, and we didn’t go deep enough. We were really desperately trying to stay away from mythology and complexity and intensity and too much serious, dark storytelling and, ultimately, that’s not necessarily what I do best. I think audiences felt that it was a little bit lacking. I see that and completely take responsibility for its failing."
Cast
- Gugu Mbatha-RawGugu Mbatha-RawGugu Mbatha-Raw is an English actress.- Life and career :Gugu Mbatha-Raw was born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha in 1983, in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England. Her name, "Gugulethu", means pride in Zulu. Her mother, Anne, is an English nurse, and her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a South African...
as Samantha Bloom - Boris KodjoeBoris KodjoeBoris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe , better known as Boris Kodjoe, is an Austrian-born German actor and former fashion model who works primarily in the United States...
as Steven Bloom - Ben SchwartzBen SchwartzBen Schwartz is a writer, actor and comedian. His feature film credits include Peep World with Rainn Wilson, Michael C. Hall and Sarah Silverman as well as Everybody's Fine with Robert DeNiro...
as Bill Hoyt - Mekia CoxMekia CoxMekia Cox is an American actress and dancer, known for her recurring role as Sasha in the second and third seasons of 90210 and her role as a dancer in the Michael Jackson concert series This Is It and the related film Michael Jackson's This Is It. In 2010, she assumed a supporting role in Lost...
as Lizzy Gilliam - Carter MacIntyreCarter MacIntyreCarter MacIntyre is an American actor, best known for television roles on the series, Undercovers and American Heiress. His previous acting credits have included guest appearances on Smith and ER...
as Leo Nash - Gerald McRaneyGerald McRaneyGerald Lee "Mac" McRaney is an American television and movie actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows Simon & Simon, Major Dad, and Promised Land. He was a series regular for the first season of Jericho.-Early life:McRaney was born in Collins, Mississippi, the son...
as Carlton Shaw
Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
U.S. viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|