The Americans - New Show For 2013 On FX

[Ryan Ruck]

I was watching Sons Of Anarchy on FX tonight and saw a commercial for a new show FX is launching - The Americans.

Here's all that IMDB says on it:

Centers on Russian sleepers operating in the United States in the 1980s.

I did a little looking and found some more information on it.

August 9, 2012

FX has picked up its drama pilot The Americans to series with a 13-episode order. The series, starring Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich, will begin production in October for a premiere in early 2013. The pickup comes after FX president John Landgraf indicated that The Americans will likely go to series at the network’s TCA session 10 days ago.

Created by Joe Weisberg, The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington DC shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Phillip (Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Russell), who have two children who know nothing about their parents true identity, grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control. Complicating their relationship further is Phillip’s growing sense of affinity for America’s values and way of life. Tensions also heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan (Emmerich), an FBI agent working in counter intelligence. “We’re proud to welcome The Americans, a taut series that crackles with incredible performances rooted in character perspectives never explored on a U.S. television series, to FX’s line up of quality dramas,” Landgraf said. “We’re equally excited to welcome Graham Yost’s talented young Padawan Joe Weisberg as Creator/Showrunner. He joins a long line of gifted writer/producers who have taken their first shot at greatness on FX.”

Weisberg is Executive Producer/Showrunner, alongside Executive Producer Graham Yost. Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey of DreamWorks Television, who initially approached Weisberg with the idea, also exec produce. The Americans, whose pilot was directed by Gavin O’Connor, is co-produced by Fox TV Studios and FX Prods.

FX has had great shows like The Shield (though I never watched it), Justified (I watch it), and Sons Of Anarchy (I watch it too) so I'm hopeful this will be on the same level as those shows. What type of political slant it decides to take remains to be seen.

[Ryan Ruck]

Fuck it, I'm out...

'The Americans': FX Asks Viewers to Root for KGB in Cold War Thriller

Stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and the spy drama's EPs tell reporters enough time has passed to sympathize with Soviets -- but are quick to point out that an al-Qaeda version would be "impossible."

January 9, 2013

Briefly sidelined by Sandy, FX's The Americans started production in New York in December and gets a speedy launch on the network later this month.

The thriller, which stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as embedded Soviet spies in 1981 Washington, DC, made an appearance during Wednesday's Television Critics Association winter press tour -- and producers were quick to emphasize who viewers should be rooting for.

"It might be a little different to believe and get used to, but we want you to root for the KGB," said EP Joel Fields. "They're going to try to get the Soviets to win the Cold War."

History knows they're fighting a losing battle, but the creative team behind the high-profile launch expressed a confidence that more than enough time has passed for American audiences to not hold a grudge.

"If you tried to tell a story like this about al-Qaeda now, it would be impossible; no one would want to hear it," Fields continued. "I feel even the same could have been said up to 10 years after the cold war ended."

But this isn't Homeland. Though the Showtime hit went oddly unmentioned during the discussion, the similar theme of covert ops takes a backseat to the odd, forced family dynamic of two Russian spies raising their in-the-dark children as Americans.

"The show is about marriage and that marriage in an allegory for international relations," said creator Joe Weisberg. "And international relations are an allegory for marriage."

Speaking of the show's tricky time period aesthetics, producers made more than a few jokes about Russell's high-waisted jeans and defended their musical choices -- particularly one steamy scene that used Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight."

Though the track is synonymous with a similar moment in Risky Business, they called it "perfect for that time."

Less superficial matters of the time will also play a big part of the show. Fields pointed out that the attempted assassination on President Ronald Reagan will come early in the series and will be a "big event" in the lives of the characters.

As a closing pitch to root for the bad guy protagonists, Weisberg said he wanted viewers to take a hard look at both sides of the Cold War.

"These were these really competing value systems," he said. "And there's no question that repressive socialism failed, but unbridled consumption hasn't exactly led to great satisfaction -- and one problem is how do we express that dramatically."

Funny how socialism was couched in that statement. As though some other more "real" form of socialism might work and, that consumption is an economic system.


By the way, odd how many views this thread has...

[American Patriot]

Oh you know what... Ryan. If you shut down cable, you can save as much 80 bucks a month.

80 * 12 = 960

If you further sell the television, tivo, dvd player and all the cabling you can get another couple hundred bucks. That's 1100 or so.

So in the next two years you can MAKE 1100+960 = 2060 to go towards that house. Might get 1% interest so that's helpful too.

All in all you will save money, won't be subjected to the fucking BULLSHIT on television, will help eliminate high blood pressure and it gives you a lot more time to study for your ham license, get your bags and combat gear ready, your exercise program burned in....

well, you get the picture.

/grin

[Ryan Ruck]

Yeah, I know. I could probably get away with just downloading all the TV shows watch but I do find it convenient to have FNC, Discovery, History, NatGeo and a couple other channels. Too bad we can't just get a la carte subscriptions. I'd cut probably 90% of my channels.

[American Patriot]

I heard there was a push for that ala carte thingie.

(I'll have the steak and tatters please, hold that green crap)

[Ryan Ruck]

Yeah, I heard the same a couple years ago.