the spy/assassin genre resurgence

[Enterprise is Great]

Jamie Chung has joined Fox’s drama pilot The Asset.

The project, written and executive produced by Josh Friedman and directed by Neil Burger, centers on Anna King (Ali Larter), a remarkably gifted globe-trotting photographer with a secret life: she a CIA field operative. Chung, will play a polygraph expert with the CIA who administers a confrontational polygraph to King that immediately puts her on the wrong side of King’s temper and attention.

[Harvey]

Captaindemotion wrote:

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^ 24 basically ignored that for 7 of its 8 seasons*. CTU, for which Jack worked, was a branch of the CIA but covered domestic terrorism.

That seemed to be the case in season two, but by season four CTU was being funded by the Defense Department. Best not to think too hard about these things, though, because the writers obviously had no idea (how was a Senator of all people responsible for authorizing overseas operations, again?).

[Captaindemotion]

^ Not just in Season 2. In season 1, they talked about David Palmer not being a fan of 'the (Central Intelligence) Agency.'

I think the oversight thing may have been that Palmer headed the Senate's intelligence committee or something like that. But you're right, best not to overthink it.

[jefferiestubes8]

Keri russell cast for pilot
http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/03/07/ke...-fx-spy-drama/

[Enterprise is Great]

Angela Bassett & Julian McMahon To Co-Star In Fox’s Karyn Usher Spy Pilot

Angela Bassett and Nip/Tuck alum Julian McMahon are in final negotiations to co-star in Fox’s untitled Karyn Usher drama pilot. Written by Usher and directed by Brett Ratner, the project centers on Jane Forsythe (Saxon Sharbino), the orphaned 14-year-old daughter of a CIA operative who encounters a mysterious rogue agent (McMahon) who serves as her surrogate father and professional mentor in the spy world. Bassett will play the calculating and political director of the CIA who takes Jane under her wing.

[Enterprise is Great]

Hamish Linklater To Co-Star In ‘The Asset’, Rick Schroder Cast In Karyn Usher Pilot

Hamish Linkalter is in final negotiations to play the male lead opposite Ali Larter in Fox’s drama pilot The Asset. Linklater will play her handler, a CIA-turned-case manager.

NYPD Blue alum Rick Schroder has joined another Fox/20th TV drama pilot, the untitled Karyn Usher project. Written by Usher and directed by Brett Ratner, the project centers on Jane Forsythe (Saxon Sharbino), the orphaned 14-year-old daughter of a CIA operative (Schroder) who encounters a mysterious rogue agent (Julian McMahon) who serves as her professional mentor in the spy world.

[jefferiestubes8]

Reelz Channel has added a second original drama series to its slate, "XIII," a spy thriller toplined by Stuart Townsend and Aisha Tyler.
Series is set to preem in June


Based on a graphic novel series by Jean Van Hamme, "XIII" hails from Jay Firestone's Prodigy Pictures banner and Luc Besson's EuropaCorp. Television. Townsend plays a former secret agent who has been stripped of his memory but is hunted by an anti-government agency.

Reelz Channel picks up second drama series
Spy thriller 'XIII' to star Stuart Townsend, Aisha Tyler
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052429?refCatId=14

Sounds like a show already on the air.

[lennier1]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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Reelz Channel picks up second drama series
Spy thriller 'XIII' to star Stuart Townsend, Aisha Tyler
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052429?refCatId=14

Sounds like a show already on the air.

IIRC it's the second adaption and the one you quoted has already aired.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XIII_%28miniseries%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XIII:_The_Series

[jefferiestubes8]

d. The KARYN USHER teen spy drama continues to be strong but the network’s other female CIA operative pilot, the more adult THE ASSET, has tested almost equally as well.

http://m.deadline.com/2012/04/primet...y-buzz-update/

Pilots but 2 more for the genre...

[jefferiestubes8]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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Keri russell cast for pilot
http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/03/07/ke...-fx-spy-drama/

and last week's update:

FX is continuing to bolster its drama lineup, on Thursday giving spy drama The Americans a 13-episode order. The series will begin production in October and premiere in early 2013.

The Americans is a period drama about the arranged marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington, D.C., during the Reagan era. The series stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich. The show will be executive produced by creator/showrunner Joe Weisberg and Justified EP Graham Yost.

Wow a period 1980s TV series. Very cool twist them not being American spies. Ah yes the cold war.

[MacLeod]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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Wow it would appear that the police procedural/courtroom drama series are still happening but the spy & assassin type shows are really picking up as the next wave of popuarity.

Covert Affairs (Piper Perabo, new USA series
James Cameron 'True Lies' TV series in development
ABC making "Charlie's Angels" reboot
Chaos for Fox.
CW is making a pilot for remake of "La Femme Nikita"
ABC Family channels' "Shadows"
Legends
also just today it was mentioned a new CBS spy drama from Anthony Zuicker
Treadstone -

Why has this genre come back?
Sure Alias was a good show the first 2 or 3 seasons ending in 2006 which was only 4 years ago.

Was there one show that started it off again in the last year or so, the spy more than the assassin element?

Really the spy genre has been going since the early 2000's. You had the BBC show "Spooks" which ran from 2002-2011

Also

La Femme Nikita, 1997-2001
The Agency, 2001-2003
Alias, 2001-2006
24, 2001-2010

[Captaindemotion]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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and last week's update:

Wow a period 1980s TV series. Very cool twist them not being American spies. Ah yes the cold war.

Yes, the period setting and the POV definitely set it aside from the crowd. As do the very watchable leads. Here's hoping that the execution does it all justice.

[jefferiestubes8]

There is a 1970s set spy show in development.
NBC Developing Spy Drama From 'Justified's' Graham Yost (Exclusive)
From Sony Pictures Television, the project revolves around a female spy in 1970s Los Angeles.

Called "L.A. Woman," the drama has received a script order form the network, which Yost will write and executive produce.

source

The project joins the Justified showrunner's growing portfolio, which includes FX's Keri Russell KGB spy drama The Americans. The project was picked up to series in August.

Well it is a female-centric show like Alias and Covert Affairs. With the failure of Charlie's Angels at ABC last year there is a market for this stuff.
Setting it in the 1970s though makes for a hard case for network TV to do a full 22 episode order. My guess is it will get a pilot and if it is greenlit only a 13-episode series will happen for mid-season January 2014.

[Temis the Vorta]

Another show about the CIA working domestically (are there any shows where the work overseas like they're supposed to?)

The Prodigy centers on a young CIA officer who has to infiltrate the New York City field office of the FBI on the hunt for agents who are working with enemies of the U.S

This one could be entertaining because of the historical rivalry between the CIA and FBI. They probably do spy on each other all the time, though I'm not sure we're supposed to approve of it.

[Enterprise is Great]

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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Another show about the CIA working domestically (are there any shows where the work overseas like they're supposed to?)

Yeah, USA's Covert Affairs does a lot of overseas operations but they do mix in domestic stuff quite a bit.