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TV Show Reviews
"Graceland" review by Suzanne
Premieres Thursday June 6 10/9c on USA Network
This is an ok cop show that strives to be quirky. I don't
really know why TNT would cancel "Dark Blue" and then bring
in this show a few years later. It's not as good as Dark
Blue was.
Maybe it's not a fair comparison. That was a very dark
show about undercover cops. This one is more light-hearted.
They both took place in L.A. In this show, some undercover
FBI agents live in a beach house with some other federal
agents, like DEA and Customs. We see lots of beach pictures,
and the agents surf.
The actors do a fine job, and the writing is okay as far
as I can tell. It's written by Jeff Eastin, creator of
"White Collar". This show is not as good, and the actors
don't have the same charisma as Matt Bomer or Tim DeKay.
It does have humor. I'm not saying it's a dud. The
guy who plays Mike is cute. He's the new FBI guy that comes
in to their little beach house after one of their crew gets
shot. Like most TV shows, he's the plot device that is
used so that we can learn all about the other people already
there.
I'm very glad to see Brandon Jay McLaren, who played
Jamil in "Falling Skies"! Until he died...as well as Ahmed
on "The Killing".
The show starts slow but does get better. I'm waiting to
see if it gets even better! It definitely has potential. At
the very end of the season premiere, we learn a big secret!
MORE INFORMATION:
USA NETWORK UNVEILS A SNEAK PEEK OF
GRACELAND,
THE NETWORK’S PROVOCATIVE NEW ORIGINAL SERIES,
FOR TWO WEEKS EXCLUSIVELY ON DEMAND
Viewers
Can Preview Pilot April 29 to May 12 –
GRACELAND
Premieres Thursday, June 6, at 10/9C
NEW YORK
– APRIL 23, 2013 – USA Network today announced a
sneak preview of GRACELAND,
the network’s provocative new original series,
available beginning on April 29 for a limited two-week
period for free on video-on-demand. The pilot will be
available on most carriers, including, Comcast
Xfinity TV, Time Warner Cable, Charter
Communications, Cox Communications, Cablevision,
DirecTV, Dish, and Verizon FiOS.
GRACELAND,
based on true events, premieres on Thursday, June 6 at
10/9c and focuses on the lives of undercover agents from
the FBI, DEA and US Customs who reside and operate under
one roof.
“With the
latest research showing a 40% increase in time spent
watching TV via VOD*, this preview is a key part of our
marketing strategy for Graceland,”
said Alexandra Shapiro, USA’s executive vice president,
marketing and digital. “This is a buzz-worthy show that
should generate a lot of fan excitement among early
adopters, who can become advocates for our newest
franchise.”
Earlier this
year, USA offered the entire
SUITS library on VOD and
usanetwork.com leading into the show’s return this
past January, and subsequently offered a special
selection of
PSYCH episodes hand-picked by the show’s stars,
James Roday and Dulé Hill. The network has been
leveraging the VOD platform to give fans exclusive
content since 2007.
GRACELAND is a place where
nothing is what it seems and everyone has a secret. From
the outside, this idyllic beachfront property is
inhabited by a group of young, diverse roommates.
Inside, a vastly different world is exposed: one that
sustains itself through a complex web of lies. USA’s
new original series
GRACELAND delves
into the lives of an elusive group of undercover agents
from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) and US Customs, who live and
operate under one roof (the house got its name because
the drug lord from whom the authorities seized the
property was known to be an obsessed Elvis Presley fan).
When forced to give up any shred of normalcy and the
question of trust is a matter of life or death, the
house becomes their sanctuary, their “Graceland.”
GRACELAND stars Daniel
Sunjata (“Rescue Me”), Aaron Tveit (“Les Miserables”),
Vanessa Ferlito (“Stand Up Guys”), Brandon Jay McLaren
(“Falling Skies”), Manny Montana (“Chicago Code”), and
Serinda Swan (“Breakout Kings”). From Fox Television
Studios, Jeff Eastin serves as creator and executive
producer.
The #1
network in all of basic cable for an unprecedented seven
straight years, USA Network is seen in over 102 million
U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming
with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live
television and is home to the best in blockbuster
theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series
and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital
innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving
and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is
a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a
division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is
located at
http://www.usanetwork.com.
Characters Welcome. Graceland
Thursdays on USA Network (10-11 p.m. ET); Series
Premiere: June 6
Inspired by a true story, USA’s gritty new
one-hour original drama “Graceland” comes from
executive producer and “White Collar” creator Jeff
Eastin. The series stars Daniel Sunjata (“Rescue
Me”) and Aaron Tveit (“Les Miserables”) and will bow
in Summer 2013 on USA.
“Graceland” delves into the lives of an elusive
group of undercover agents from the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Agency
(DEA) and U.S. Customs, whose worlds collide at a
repossessed Southern California beachfront mansion
called Graceland (the house got its name when the
authorities seized the house from a drug lord known
to be an obsessed Elvis Presley fan). With three
agencies living under one roof, ordinary roommate
issues are amplified, as secrets are a matter of
life or death.
Graduating at the top of his class, FBI rookie Mike
Warren (Tveit) anticipates a traditional D.C. desk
job when he’s unexpectedly shipped to Graceland.
Immediately thrown into his first undercover
assignment, he relies heavily on the guidance of
legendary FBI agent and mentor Paul Briggs (Sunjata).
Briggs is an unusually Zen-like senior agent who
notoriously hates the rule book and will go to any
length to protect Graceland from the outside world.
With an ensemble cast, the series also features
Vanessa Ferlito (“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”)
as strong-willed DEA agent Catherine “Charlie”
Lopez; Brandon Jay McLaren (“Fallen Skies”) as
quick-tempered U.S. Customs agent Dale Jakes; Manny
Montana (“Chicago Code”) as the fun-loving prankster
and FBI agent Joe “Johnny” Tuturro; and Serinda Swan
(“Breakout Kings”) as intuitive and merciless DEA
agent Paige Arkin.
From Fox Television Studios, Eastin serves as
creator and executive producer. Russell Fine (“White
Collar,” “Necessary Roughness”) directed the pilot.
Day & time: Summer 2013 on USA
Starring: Daniel Sunjata, Aaron Tveit, Vanessa Ferlito,
Brandon Jay McLaren, Manny Montana and Serinda Swan
Recurring guest stars: Pedro Pascal, Gbenga Akinnagbe
and Scottie Thompson
Creator/executive producer: Jeff Eastin
Line producer / U.P.M.: Paul Marks
Co-executive producer: Stephen Godchaux
Consulting producer: Joe Henderson
Producer/pilot director: Russell Fine
Producers: Sean Daniel, Ed Tapia and Andrew Colville
Story editor: Ryan Scott
Consultants: Dan Shattuck, John Marcello and Jim
Campolongo
Staff writer: Aaron Fullerton
Co-producer: Keira Morrisette
Casting directors: Gayle Pillsbury and Lori Wyman
Production designer: Stephen Beatrice
Director of photography: Edward Pei
Editors: Doug Hannah and Debra Weinfeld
Origination: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Produced by: Fox Television Studios
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