2600 replies to this topic

[Bussy]

New spy series coming this summer on USA starring Piper Perabo, Christopher Gorham, and Sendhil Ramamurthy as series regulars, and Peter Gallagher's eyebrows as a recurring character. I can't find a definitive press releas/article that cobbles all of the information floating out there together, but here is one that is as good as any (text copied below).

Sources tell Fancast that Ramamurthy is joining ‘Covert Affairs’ as Jai Wilcox, the aide-de-camp to the CIA’s Director of Clandestine Services, Arthur Campbell (played by ‘The O.C’s Peter Gallagher). Ramamurthy will thus interact with series leads Piper Perabo (’Coyote Ugly’) and Christopher Gorman (’Ugly Betty’). He’ll appear in the first episode following the 90-minute, Tim Matheson-directed pilot, which has already been filmed.

Elsewhere on the cast, Kari Matchett (’Invasion’) plays another CIA supervisor/Arthur’s wife, while Anne Dudek (’House’) is Perabo’s sister.

The twist with ‘Covert Affairs’ is that Perabo’s CIA trainee is fast-tracked into field work when her bosses, unbeknownst to her, take an interest in her shady ex-boyfriend. Also, Gorham’s character is blind – and quite the ladies’ man to boot.

This sounds fun! I love Peter Gallagher. Gorham was amazing in season one of Ugly Betty, and didn't he play a Chuck-like spy before, too? And it's nice to see Ramamurthy get away from Heroes. I hope I don't smell a love triangle, though.

It's supposed to start in July. And I am pretty sure that I read somewhere that it's already been guaranteed and 11 episode run. :)

[natyanayaki]

This def. has potential...IMO...

[AimingforYoko]

Perabo's 33, isn't that a little old for a 'trainee'?

[akg]

didn't he play a Chuck-like spy before, too?

Jake 2.0. Which was awesome.

[Trini Girl]

More info from The Futon Critic:

COVERT AFFAIRS (NEW SERIES)

USA's newest series COVERT AFFAIRS stars Piper Perabo ("Coyote Ugly," "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"), Christopher Gorham ("Ugly Betty," "Jake 2.0") Sendhil Ramamurthy ("Heroes"), , Kari Matchett ("Invasion") and Anne Dudek ("House," "Mad Men"), with recurring guest star Peter Gallagher ("The O.C.," "American Beauty"). COVERT AFFAIRS will premiere with a 90-minute episode followed by 11 one-hour episodes.

In COVERT AFFAIRS, we meet Annie Walker (Perabo), a young CIA trainee who is thrust into the inner sanctum of the agency when she is unexpectedly promoted to field operative. While it appears that she has been plucked from obscurity for her exceptional linguistic skills, there may be something or someone from her past that her CIA bosses are really after. Gorham plays Auggie Anderson, a CIA military intelligence agent, blinded while on assignment, and Annie's guide in this world of bureaucracy, excitement and intrigue. Dudek plays Annie's older sister, a married mother of two. Matchett plays Joan, head of the CIA's Domestic Protection Division and wife of Gallagher's Arthur, Director of Clandestine Services for the CIA.

From Universal Cable Productions, COVERT AFFAIRS is executive produced by Doug Liman (the "Bourne" trilogy, "Heist") and Dave Bartis ("The O.C.") through Dutch Oven and written and co-executive produced by Matt Corman ("Deck the Halls") and Chris Ord ("Deck the Halls"). Tim Matheson (USA's BURN NOTICE, PSYCH, "Criminal Minds") directed the pilot.

[kostgard]

I just saw a mini-trailer for this show, and man, it looks A LOT like Alias. Even Piper's wardrobe, facial expressions and body language (and stunt work) are very reminiscent of Jennifer Garner/Sydney Bristow.

I loved Alias, I guess I'll see if I love this one too.

[peachmangosteen]

Where did you see a mini-trailer, kostgard? Is it online?

[kostgard]

You can see it here.

[patriotickid]

Thanks.

That looked like a bad Alias rip-off. She lacks(in the trailer) a certain gravitas that Jen Garner brought.

Thankfully, this is "character's welcome" territory and not as gritty.

[Trini Girl]

That looked like a bad Alias rip-off.

I hope not. I'm mainly interested in this because of Chris Gorham.

[TheSporkWielder]

I'm mainly interested in this because of Chris Gorham.

Me, too! And I love that they made him blind. I honestly don't know exactly WHY, but I just think it'll make for an awesome dynamic.

ETA: And Tim Matheson is kind of awesome, so hopefully the pilot will be, too.

Edited by TheSporkWielder, Apr 12, 2010 @ 10:33 PM.

[natyanayaki]

It does seem like she's trying to bring a bit of JenG/Sydney Bristow, huh? I guess in some ways it will become a spoof of Alias since it is a dramedy, but we already have Chuck. :-/

[Trini Girl]

Premiere date: Tuesday July 13, 10pm Eastern. They're pairing it with White Collar.

[Bussy]

I hope the mysterious ex-boyfriend angle ends up being vaguely interesting, because otherwise this could end up like White Collar, where the show itself is a fabulous procedural with an annoying, ongoing ex plotline. Chris Gorham looks really different these days than he did in early Ugly Betty. He's still cute, though.

I think I was hoping for her to be less "perfect" than Sydney. I like that she's new and all (we met Sydney 7 years into being an agent), but the little blurb by the video stresses how amazing she is at everything. At any rate, yay! It looks fun.

[patriotickid]

http://tvbythenumber...y-july-13/50654

Covert Affairs is airing all 12 episodes straight and won't have new WC after it's 9th episode.

[patriotickid]

Emanuelle Vaugier is cast
http://www.tvfanatic...covert-affairs/

[kostgard]

And with that casting I think this show has officially become an Alias clone. Emanuelle Vaugier is cast as a journalist/blogger who is connected to the main character and runs into trouble when she witnesses an assassination.

Not unlike Sydney's journalist friend Will, who landed in trouble when he witnessed nefarious spy stuff. Yes, he was poking around in the spy stuff, but how much you wanna bet that EV's "brave journalist/blogger" was poking around in spy stuff too?

Edited by kostgard, May 8, 2010 @ 3:10 PM.

[AimingforYoko]

Although if they have her fall in love with Perabo's character, I'm in.

[patriotickid]

http://video.usanetw...k-peek/v1225989

preview vids

[Fruit]

And with that casting I think this show has officially become an Alias clone. Emanuelle Vaugier is cast as a journalist/blogger who is connected to the main character and runs into trouble when she witnesses an assassination.

I'm not sure, actually. The original report came from THR, but they screwed up and announced that Emanuelle Vaugier and Piper Perabo were joining Covert Affairs - whoever wrote it was unaware that Piper Perabo isn't a new cast addition, but the main character. The article therefore described both their roles briefly, and it seemed to me that the one to get in danger after witnessing an assassination isn't the blogger, but Piper's CIA agent. Which would match up with he trailers, I think?

The original article on THR is so badly written that I really don't know what to make of it. They have since corrected the headline and now no longer announce Piper Perabo as a new cast member, but the article still isn't a shining example of the English language: "Vaugier will play a fearless journalist/blogger as Perabo, a trainee CIA operative faces danger and intrigue after witnessing an assassination." (THR)

[kellykapowski]

Definitely looking forward to this.. Piper Perabo is a major draw for me (and USA programming in general) but i think what sealed is that the Bourne producer is involved.. Should have a lot of great cinematic action sequences...Just wish it started earlier in the summer!

[ScribblerGuy]

Ausiello has some guest star news. No real plot spoilers, just character details.

[ScribblerGuy]

Ausiello (spoilers for Burn Notice and Parks & Recreation also) has more guest star news as well as what seems to be basic plot details for the episode they'll be appearing in:

The forthcoming USA thriller has tapped Friday Night Lights' D.W. Moffett to play a magnetic and powerful senator and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Annie (Piper Perabo) is assigned to investigate the Senator after a leak is suspected in compromising a number of overseas military operations. Lauren Holly (NCIS) will appear as the senator’s refined and graceful wife.

Which sounds like a job for the FBI and/or one of the military law enforcement agencies, not the CIA.

***
From one of the press releases:

Matchett plays Joan, head of the CIA's Domestic Protection Division

Since this seems to be a fictional division (see this CIA organizational chart), I'm curious as to what it's purpose and authority is. In reality, the CIA has "no police, subpoena, or law enforcement powers or internal security functions" (National Security Act of 1947, as amended) and the FBI has been traditionally responsible for investigating domestic espionage and security issues.

[GoSoccerMandy]

Does anyone know if this is going to be aired on a Canadian station? Would love to catch it; especially since it's being shot in my hometown...

[ayako38]

I don't know if this will be a bad Alias ripoff or not, but I gotta say, the clips with Oded Fehr..... He is hot. I would love to see him get on a series where I could see him more often.

[Fruit]

There are a bunch of reviews of the pilot now, here.
I'm glad they seem to more or less agree that it's not very Alias, I mean, I never watched Alias but I follow the press for this show, and I'm extremely tired of the comparisons, I hope they stop eventually. ;) Female CIA agent, get over it etc.

The official site has also been updated with more information. There's a sneak peek, promotional character photos and character profiles...

[Redtracer]

Female CIA agent, get over it etc.

Agreed. I loved La Femme Nikita, Alias, and am looking forward to Covert Affairs. There can never be too many ass-kicking women on TV for me.

I wasn't sure about Piper Perabo as the lead, but the reviews are pretty positive, so that's good to hear. For a show like this to work, you really have to believe in the lead. And one of the supporting characters being blind is interesting.

I'm not a big Peter Gallagher fan, though. His eyebrows frighten me.

[Kirsty 1986]

I'm looking forward to seeing this, I think it premieres tonight :)

[shriekingeel]

I liked this a lot. It's your standard light USA show, but it shows us a world we haven't seen on television before--it's the first spy show that pretends to show us what actual CIA people do day-to-day.

Perabo and Gorham are likable and compelling, and Anne Dudek and Clarke Peters are great recurrings (assuming they recur). It's breezy and fun, the best summer series in a while.

[Special]

I wasn't anticipating liking this at all, so I didn't pay attention to be honest until about 45 mins in (so....I probably missed a lot).

Better than I expected, though I do not think they've fully considered how putting a thin blonde* woman in the role of Jason Bourne changes things.

I'll try to catch the full pilot when reruns.

(*To be completely petty, I'd have been more interested in this had the woman been brunette or a redhead. And if she looked physically stronger.)