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Covert Affairs

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Covert Affairs
Genre
Created byMatt Corman
Chris Ord
Starring
Opening theme"Can You Save Me"
ComposersToby Chu
Christopher Tyng
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes75 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationsToronto, Ontario, Canada as main; location shooting elsewhere as required
CinematographyColin Hoult
Jamie Barber
EditorsLori Jane Coleman
Leon Martin
Chris Brookshire
Camera setupMultiple
Running time45 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkUSA Network
ReleaseJuly 13, 2010 (2010-07-13) –
December 18, 2014 (2014-12-18)

Covert Affairs is a USA Network television series starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham. The one-hour drama premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.[1] The show concluded its first season on September 14, 2010 and was renewed for a second season on August 19, 2010.[2] The second season began airing on June 7, 2011,[3] and a DVD set of the first season was released on May 17, 2011.[4] The series was renewed for a third season by USA Network on September 15, 2011.[5] The third season began on July 10, 2012. On September 25, 2012, Covert Affairs was renewed for a 16-episode fourth season, which began airing on July 16, 2013.[6][7] On October 3, 2013, USA Network renewed Covert Affairs for a 16-episode fifth season to air in 2014,[8] which premiered on June 24, 2014.[9]

On January 6, 2015, USA Network announced that Covert Affairs would not be renewed for a sixth season, citing low ratings as the reason for the show's cancellation.[10]

Plot overview

A young CIA trainee, Annie Walker, is sent to work in the Domestic Protection Division (DPD) as a field agent. August "Auggie" Anderson, a blind tech operative, is Annie's guide in her new life. In the beginning, Annie's cover story is that she works in Acquisitions at the Smithsonian Museum but she is later let go. As of the fourth season, her new cover is that of a glamorous and well-connected importer/exporter, with expensive tastes and dealings that may not always be legal.

Cast and characters

Main cast

  • Piper Perabo as Anne Catherine "Annie" Walker: a CIA trainee who is suddenly promoted to field operative. In addition to English, she speaks seven languages fluently and several other languages with various skill levels.
  • Christopher Gorham as August "Auggie" Anderson: Annie's handler. Auggie is a CIA military intelligence/special ops officer who was blinded while on a mission in Iraq where he served in an Army Special Forces unit.
  • Kari Matchett as Joan Campbell: a senior officer who heads the Domestic Protection Division (DPD); she is Annie's supervisor, Arthur Campbell's wife, and a skilled spymaster who was quite talented in her field days. She attended Pennsylvania State University, and her cover is that of an executive at the World Bank.[11]
  • Anne Dudek as Danielle Brooks (season 1–2): Annie's older sister, who is married with two children; Annie lives in her guest house. Initially she is unaware of Annie's real career, knowing only Annie's cover, that she works in Acquisitions at the Smithsonian Institution.[12]
  • Sendhil Ramamurthy as Jai Wilcox (season 1–3): CIA officer assigned to the DPD by Arthur Campbell. His family has a difficult history with the CIA; his father, Henry Wilcox, was formerly the CIA Director of the National Clandestine Service (D/NCS).
  • Peter Gallagher as Arthur Campbell (season 2–5, recurring previously): D/NCS. During his time as a field operative in the late eighties, he posed as a student in Berlin to gather intel on the Stasi.
  • Hill Harper as Calder Michaels (season 4–5): CIA station chief based in Medellin, Colombia who is reassigned to Langley. Calder becomes the new head of the DPD after Joan is made D/NCS.
  • Nic Bishop as Ryan McQuaid (season 5): The owner of a private security firm for whom Arthur Campbell works, who finds himself working alongside Annie.

Recurring cast

  • Oded Fehr as Eyal Lavin (season 1–5): a Mossad operative who occasionally works with Annie on her missions, and has become her confidante. The two are close, and turn to one another when in trouble.
  • Noam Jenkins as Vincent Rossabi (season 1–4): an FBI agent with whom Annie must occasionally work despite their antagonistic relationship.
  • Eion Bailey as Ben Mercer (season 1–2): Annie's ex-boyfriend, who was being targeted by the CIA, before returning to the Agency. He is hired by Arthur as a "black ops" agent.[13]
  • Gregory Itzin as Henry Wilcox (season 1–4):[14] the former CIA Director of the National Clandestine Service and Jai Wilcox's father.
  • Sarah Clarke as Lena Smith (season 3): Annie's supervisor in another CIA division. Lena is not satisfied with Annie's performance and sends Annie back to the DPD. Lena believes in a more hands-on, direct action approach to espionage compared to Joan's by-the-book approach.
  • Emmanuelle Vaugier as Liza Hearn (season 1–2): a journalist with a mysterious source inside the CIA, who publishes a series of damaging articles about the Agency.
  • Richard Coyle as Simon Fischer (season 3): A venture capitalist and suspected FSB spy, whom Annie is assigned to cultivate while working in Lena's division during season 3.
  • Perrey Reeves as Caitlyn Cook (season 5): Ryan McQuaid's assistant.
  • Amy Jo Johnson as Hayley Price (season 5): An NCTC official who is investigating the Chicago bombing and soon forms a relationship with Auggie.

Development, casting, and production

Covert Affairs first appeared on USA Network's development slate in July 2008.[15] The pilot episode was written by Matt Corman and Chris Ord.[15] Casting was underway in June 2009, with the expectation that successful casting would lead to a production commitment.[16] Piper Perabo was the first actress cast in early July 2009, as CIA officer Annie Walker.[17] The casting of Christopher Gorham came in late July,[citation needed] quickly followed by an announcement that the pilot had been green-lighted by USA Network.

In early August 2009, Tim Matheson signed on to direct a 90-minute pilot.[18] Further casting announcements included Anne Dudek in mid-August,[19] followed by Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher in early September.[20][21] Eric Lively was cast as a fellow CIA officer and peer to Perabo's character, and Eion Bailey was cast in a recurring role as Perabo's ex-boyfriend.[20] The pilot began filming in Toronto in September 2009.

In January 2010, the Covert Affairs pilot received a 10-episodes order.[18][22] Sendhil Ramamurthy was added to the cast as a CIA officer, replacing Lively's character,[23] along with Emmanuelle Vaugier in a recurring role as a journalist.[24]

The series executive producers are Doug Liman and David Bartis and the co-executive producer is Jonathan Glassner.[1][25] Production of the series takes place in Toronto, Ontario, at primary static sets housed in a studio, as well as at "stock" shooting locations throughout the local area. This is combined with material filmed at various international locations in which the series' episodes are set, such as Washington, D.C.,[18][24] capturing geographically unique elements of these places. In some instances, the series' producers use a stand-in location for shots where the costs and logistics of the actual location shoot are impractical, or if the location specified is fictional.

Episodes

The characters Auggie Anderson and Annie Walker are portrayed by Christopher Gorham (left) and Piper Perabo (right).
Main article: List of Covert Affairs episodes
Season Timeslot (ET) # Ep. Premiered Ended TV Season Viewers
(in millions)
Date Premiere
Viewers
(in millions) 		Date Finale
Viewers
(in millions)
1 Tuesday 10:00 pm (July 13, 2010 – Sept. 7, 2010)
Tuesday 9:00 pm (Sept. 14, 2010) 		11
July 13, 2010
 4.88[26]
September 14, 2010
 5.23[27] 2010 6.70[28]
2 Tuesday 10:00 pm (June 7, 2011 – Nov. 20, 2012) 16
June 7, 2011
 4.56[29]
December 6, 2011
 3.20[30] 2011 5.64[31]
3 16
July 10, 2012
 3.50[32]
November 20, 2012
 2.47[33][34] 2012 TBA
4 Tuesday 9:00 pm (July 16, 2013 – Sept. 17, 2013)
Thursday 10:00 pm (Oct. 17, 2013 - Nov. 21, 2013) 		16
July 16, 2013
 2.39 [35]
November 21, 2013
 2.34[36] 2013 3.96[8]
5 Tuesday 10:00 pm 16
June 24, 2014
 1.88[37]
December 18, 2014
 TBA 2014 TBA

Reception

Critical response

The first season of Covert Affairs was met with favorable reviews, receiving a Metacritic score of 64 out of 100, based on 23 reviews.[38] The second season received a score of 68, based on six reviews.[39]

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for Covert Affairs
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result
2011 Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama Piper Perabo[40] Nominated
2011 Gracie Outstanding Female Actor in a Breakthrough Role Covert Affairs Won
2013 CNIB Seeing Beyond Vision Loss Special Achievement Award Christopher Gorham[41] Won

DVD releases

Season One of Covert Affairs was released on DVD on May 17, 2011 in Region 1[42] and region 4 on June 2, 2011.[43] The three-disc set features all 11 episodes of season one, commentary on the "Pilot" episode, "Communication Breakdown", and "When the Levee Breaks" outtakes, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes entitled "Welcome to the Farm" and "Blind Insight", a set tour, and "Celebrate the ADA" PSA. The DVD is also equipped with Descriptive Video Service, a feature that provides descriptive narration of key visual elements for the visually impaired.

Season Two was released on May 1, 2012[44] as a Region 1 encoded collection, containing all 16 episodes on 4 discs. featuring deleted scenes, a gag reel, Comic Con intro and behind the scenes location documentary

Season Three was released on May 28, 2013[45] as a Region 1 encoded collection, containing all 16 episodes on 4 discs. This set also includes the "Sights Unseen" webisodes.

References

  1. ^ a b "Summer Belongs to USA Network as "Covert Affairs" and "White Collar" Heat Up Tuesday Nights Starting July 13". The Futon Critic. May 5, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  2. ^ Weisman, Jon (August 19, 2010). "USA renews 'Covert Affairs'". Variety.
  3. ^ Kate Stanhope (March 17, 2011). "White Collar, Covert Affairs to Return in June". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  4. ^ "Covert Affairs DVD news: Announcement for Covert Affairs — Season 1". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  5. ^ Gelman, Vlada (September 15, 2011). "Breaking: USA Renews Covert Affairs, Royal Pains and Necessary Roughness". TVLine. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 25, 2012). "USA's 'Royal Pains', 'White Collar' & 'Covert Affairs' Renewed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  7. ^ "Covert Affairs". Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Seat42f. "USA Network Renews Covert Affairs". Retrieved October 3, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ USA Sets Summer Dates for Covert Affairs, Graceland, New Matt Passmore Drama and Others
  10. ^ All reports regarding the cancellation of the series:
  11. ^ "A Girl Like You". Covert Affairs. Season 2. Episode 13. USA Network. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "What Is and What Should Never Be". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 8. August 31, 2010. 33:20 minutes in. USA Network. I don't carry a gun, and I'm not a curator, I'm in acquisitions. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Pilot". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 1. July 13, 2010. USA Network. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "24's Gregory Itzin Heading to Covert Affairs". TVGuide.com.
  15. ^ a b "USA Network Announces New Cast of Characters on its Development Slate". The Futon Critic. July 20, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  16. ^ "Development Update: Wednesday, June 3". The Futon Critic. June 3, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  17. ^ "Development Update: Thursday, July 2". The Futon Critic. July 2, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  18. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2010). "USA greenlights 'Covert Affairs'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  19. ^ "Development Update: Thursday, August 13". The Futon Critic. August 13, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  20. ^ a b Porter, Rick (September 8, 2010). "Casting call: 'White Collar,' '24,' 'Covert Affairs'". ZAP2it.com. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  21. ^ "Development Update: Wednesday, September 9". The Futon Critic. September 9, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  22. ^ Seidman, Robert (January 7, 2010). "USA Network Picks-Up "Covert Affairs"". TVbythNumbers. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  23. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 8, 2010). "'Heroes' actor cast in new USA series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  24. ^ a b Vlessing, Etan (May 7, 2010). "Emmanuelle Vaugier cast in 'Covert Affairs'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  25. ^ IMDb on executives "The show airs on July 13 (10/9 C) Executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis, Jonathan Glassner (Co-executive producer). A New Series From the Producers of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and the Producer of the "Bourne" Trilogy..."
  26. ^ Gorman, Bill (July 14, 2010). "Tuesday Cable: Deadliest Catch Soars, Plus White Collar, Covert Affairs, Memphis Beat, The Hills Finale Ratings & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  27. ^ Gorman, Bill (September 15, 2010). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: Covert Affairs, Warehouse 13 Finales; Teen Mom, Sons Of Anarchy & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  28. ^ Gorman, Bill (September 30, 2010). "'Covert Affairs,' 'Rizzoli & Isles,' 'The Closer,' 'Jersey Shore,' & 'Deadliest Catch' Lead Cable Series Ratings In 2010 Q3 – Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  29. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 8, 2011). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: Deadliest Catch Tops Night; White Collar, Covert Affairs Return Down, Plus Tosh.0, 16 & Pregnant & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  30. ^ Gorman, Bill (December 7, 2011). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Teen Mom 2' Premiere, 'American Chopper' Top 'Sons of Anarchy' Finale + 'Storage Wars,' 'Covert Affairs,' 'Moonshiners' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  31. ^ Seidman, Robert (December 12, 2011). "*Updated* USA Dominates Landscape with Unprecedented Six Straight Years as #1". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  32. ^ Bibel, Sara (July 11, 2012). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Storage Wars' Wins Night, 'White Collar', 'Rizzoli & Isles','Pretty Little Liars', 'Covert Affairs', 'Workaholics', 'Jane By Design', & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  33. ^ Seidman, Robert (November 22, 2012). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarachy' Rides Highest Again + 'Tosh.0,' 'Covert Affairs' Finale and 'Ink Master'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  34. ^ "Shows A-Z – covert affairs on usa". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  35. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (July 17, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Catfish' Wins Night + 'The Game', 'Suits', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Covert Affairs,' 'Pretty Little Liars' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  36. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 22, 2013). "Thursday Cable Ratings: 'Thursday Night Football' Wins Night + 'Pawn Stars', 'Beyond Scared Straight', NBA Basketball + More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  37. ^ Bibel, Sara (June 25, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Deadliest Catch' Wins Night, 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'The Haves and the Have Nots', 'Tyrant' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  38. ^ "Covert Affairs : Season 1". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  39. ^ "Covert Affairs : Season 2". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  40. ^ Tuesday, December 14, 2010 (December 14, 2010). "The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations". goldenglobes.org. Retrieved May 19, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ Kennedy, John R. (September 7, 2013). "'Covert Affairs' star Christopher Gorham accepts CNIB award". Global News. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  42. ^ Lambert, David (February 17, 2011). "Covert Affairs – DVD Release for USA's Spy Show with Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  43. ^ "Covert Affairs – Season 1 (3 Disc Set)". EzyDVD. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  44. ^ "Covert Affairs: Season 2". Amazon. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  45. ^ "Covert Affairs: Season 3". Amazon. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
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