UC: Undercover
| UC: Undercover | |
|---|---|
 Promotional image of UC: Undercover | |
| Genre | Procedural drama |
| Created by | |
| Starring |
|
| Composer(s) | David Arnold |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Location(s) | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Cinematography | Tony Westman |
| Editor(s) | Les Butler |
| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Distributor | NBC |
| Release | |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | September 30, 2001 – March 23, 2002 |
UC: Undercover is an action procedural drama television series created by Shane Salerno and Don Winslow. The series premiered on the NBC network on September 30, 2001. The series ran for one season of 13 episodes, finishing its run on March 23, 2002. It focused on the secret lives and private demons of an elite Justice Department crime-fighting unit that confronted the United States' deadliest, most untouchable lawbreakers by going undercover to bust them.
The screenplays were either solely written or co-written by Salerno. James Bond composer David Arnold wrote the main title theme and scored the pilot episode.[1] Salerno said the show was a "very music driven series."[2] UC: Undercover was a production of NBC Studios, in association with Jersey Television, Chasing Time Pictures, Regency Television, and 20th Century Fox Television. The series' short but popular run ended when it was cancelled by the network. The show developed a passionate following overseas and continues to run on FX International.[3]
Plot
The unit is headed by authoritative Frank Donovan (Oded Fehr), with undercover agents Jake Shaw (Jon Seda) and Alex Cross (Vera Farmiga), psychological profiler Monica Davis (Bruklin Harris), and young techno-wizard Cody (Jarrad Paul), who runs all of the high-tech surveillance operations.
As a federal team, the group responds to emergencies all over the country: taking down elite bank robbers, drug kingpins, domestic terrorists, spies, jewel thieves, and corrupt cops. The drama's character-driven storylines emphasize the taut, cat-and-mouse game played by the undercover agents as they attempt to infiltrate the lives of a gallery of criminals, including murderous master thief Jack "Sonny" Walker (William Forsythe) and imprisoned drug lord Carlos Cortez (Steven Bauer).
The series also explores the psychological toll undercover work takes on the agents who play this deadly game of false identities and who commit treachery as a daily profession for the greater good. The team often butts heads with Paul Bloom (Brian Markinson), their obstructive and fiercely ambitious Justice Department boss.
Cast
Main
- Oded Fehr as Frank Donovan (12 episodes)
- Jon Seda as Jake Shaw (11 episodes)
- Vera Farmiga as Alex Cross (11 episodes)
- Bruklin Harris as Monica Davis (11 episodes)
- Jarrad Paul as Cody (11 episodes)
- William Forsythe as Sonny Walker (5 episodes)
Recurring
- Angie Everhart as Carly (5 episodes)
- Steven Bauer as Carlos Cortez (3 episodes)
- Ving Rhames as Quito Real (3 episodes)
- James Handy as Priest (3 episodes)
- Bill Mondy as Scott Charles (3 episodes)
- N'Bushe Wright as Keisha (3 episodes)
- Grant Show as John Keller (2 episodes)
- Brian Markinson as Paul Bloom (2 episodes)
- Gabrielle Miller as Vanessa (2 episodes)
Episodes
| No. in series |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Life on the Wire" | Thomas Carter | Shane Salerno & Don Winslow | September 30, 2001 | 1AEZ79 |
| 2 | "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" | Tony Bill | Shane Salerno | October 7, 2001 | 1AEZ01 |
| 3 | "Of Fathers and Sons" | Lou Antonio | Shane Salerno | October 14, 2001 | 1AEZ02 |
| 4 | "Amerikaz Most Wanted" | Terrence O'Hara | Shane Salerno | October 21, 2001 | 1AEZ03 |
| 5 | "Honor Among Thieves" | Richard Dobbs | Story: Nick Kendrick & Shane Salerno Teleplay: Stephen Adly Guirgis | October 28, 2001 | 1AEZ04 |
| 6 | "Nobody Rides for Free" | Jefery Levy | Story: Erik Bork Teleplay: Shane Salerno | November 11, 2001 | 1AEZ05 |
| 7 | "City on Fire" | Jean de Segonzac | Story: Erik Bork & Naren Shankar Teleplay: Erik Bork, Naren Shankar & Stephen Adly Guirgis | November 18, 2001 | 1AEZ07 |
| 8 | "The Siege" | Kenneth Fink | Story: Nick Kendrick, Erik Bork & Naren Shankar Teleplay: Shane Salerno & Stephen Adly Guirgis | December 2, 2001 | 1AEZ06 |
| 9 | "Zero Option" | Michael W. Watkins | Story: Stephen Adly Guirgis & Nick Kendrick Teleplay by: Shane Salerno | December 9, 2001 | 1AEZ09 |
| 10 | "Hunting Armando" | Tony Bill | Stephen Adly Guirgis, Naren Shankar & Erik Bork | January 6, 2002 | 1AEZ10 |
| 11 | "Teddy C" | Jeff Woolnough | Shane Salerno & Don Winslow | January 13, 2002 | 1AEZ11 |
| 12 | "Manhunt" | Joseph Patrick Finn | Story: Andrew Lenchewski & Jerry Nachman Teleplay: Stephen Adly Guirgis & Naren Shankar | March 23, 2002 | 1AEZ12 |
| 13 | "The Sins of Sonny Walker" | Allan Kroeker | Shane Salerno, Naren Shankar & Nick Kendrick | March 23, 2002 | 1AEZ08 |
Reception
Critical response
The New York Times called it a "fast paced, good-looking series"[4] and Variety wrote that series lead Oded Fehr is a "commanding and interesting addition to television."[5] Variety added that "technical credits are comparable to theatrical quality" which led the series winning awards for cinematography and sound. The show received a high 7.3 out of 10 from viewers on TV.com.[6] USA Today's Robert Bianco gave it one star and said it was "pretentious, incoherent and so visually hyper it borders on nauseating."[7]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing in Television Episodic – Effects & Foley | Mace Matiosian, Peter Austin, Rick Hinson, Craig Hunter, David Rawlinson, Guy Tsujimoto, H. Jay Levine (for "Pilot") | Nominated |
| Best Sound Editing in Television Episodic – Dialogue & ADR | Peter Austin, Edmund J. Lachmann, Ruth Adelman, Jay Keiser (for "The Siege") | Nominated | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Ving Rhames | Nominated | |
| Canadian Society of Cinematographers | Best Cinematography in a TV Series | Tony Westman (for "The Siege") | Won |
References
- ↑ Video on YouTube
- ↑ "Ving Rhames Cast in 'Undercover'". ABC News.
- ↑ Video on YouTube
- ↑ "New Television Season in Review; UC -- Undercover". The New York Times. September 28, 2001.
- ↑ "Review: 'UC: Undercover'". Variety. September 27, 2001.
- ↑ "UC - Undercover Reviews". TV.com.
- ↑ "'UC: Undercover' underwhelms Bianco". USA Today.