Filed in Articles & Interviews The Americans

The Americans could fill a Homeland-shaped void in your TV viewing

Being a TV writer who’d formerly trained as a CIA operative, Joe Weisberg was the obvious choice to bring this tale of Soviet spies in suburbia to our screens.

Joe Weisberg was working on sci-fi show Falling Skies in Los Angeles in October 2010 when he heard that the FBI had arrested a group of Russian intelligence service spies posing as Americans. The next thing he knew his phone was ringing.

“The two heads of DreamWorks television called me,” said Weisberg, who is in the rare position of being a TV executive that has also trained as a CIA operative. “They knew I’d been in the CIA and that I’d produced and written a previous TV pilot with them, based on the CIA station in Bulgaria. When those illegals were arrested, they asked me if I’d be interested in basing a show on it. That was the genesis of this story.”

The show is The Americans, a nail-biting depiction of 1981 cold-war Washington that’s the most talked-about drama on US television this year. The story centres on a seemingly upstanding couple (Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys) who live in the suburbs of Washington DC, with their two beautiful children. The only complication? These Americans are actually Soviets. Continue reading The Americans could fill a Homeland-shaped void in your TV viewing

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Emmys 2013: Newcomers Threaten TV’s Most Predictable Nominees

Sorry, “Homeland”! With the addition of “House of Cards,” “The Americans,” “Bates Motel” and many others, this may be the most competitive awards year ever.

Emmy voters don’t have it easy. This year, the pool of contenders comprise the most variety ever — upward of 100 series across as many categories — among cable and broadcast. Sure, the stalwarts are still in the game — AMC’s Breaking Bad, HBO’s Game of Thrones, Showtime’s Homeland, ABC’s Modern Family, CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, to name a few — but will they yield to these 10 newcomers? And can they break through the glut of competition?

The Americans (FX)
➺ With Justified past its Emmy-novelty prime and Sons of Anarchy snubbed since, well, its 2008 debut, FX is hanging all its Emmy drama hopes on former CIA agent Joe Weisberg’s 1980s-set Russian spy thriller. The series had one of the most impressive debuts of the year as well as consistent grit from its excellent cast that includes Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell and 2011 Emmy winner Margo Martindale.

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

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Critics Chice Television Awards Nomination

Congratulations to Keri who has been nominated to 2013 Critics’ Choice Awards for her role Elizabeth in The Americans. Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich also got nomiantions.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Claire Danes (Homeland) – Showtime
• Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) – A&E
• Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) – CBS
• Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) – BBC America
• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) – AMC
• Keri Russell (The Americans) – FX

BEST DRAMA SERIES
• The Americans – FX
• Breaking Bad – AMC
• Downton Abbey – PBS
• Game of Thrones – HBO
• The Good Wife – CBS
• Homeland – Showtime

The third annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards ceremony will be held on Monday evening June 10 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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‘DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES’ FIRST LOOK: HAIL CAESAR!

‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘ (the sequel to 2011′s surprise hit ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’) has begun filming in Louisiana and we didn’t have to wait long to get our first look at the new ape action. Director Matt Reeves tweeted out the first photo from the set this morning and shows us Caesar and his monkey friends have taken a big evolutionary step forward.

‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ stars Andy Serkis as Caesar who’s joined by Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, Kirk Acevedo and Judy Greer. Director Matt Reeves (‘Cloverfield’ and ‘Let Me In’) takes over from Rupert Wyatt who didn’t return for the sequel after “creative differences” with the studio.

In this photo, first tweeted by Reeves with the note “A New Dawn…” shows Caesar has learned how to ride a horse and, along with another ape, looks to be rounding up and talking (yes, talking) to some of the surviving humans. That’s Jason Clarke out in front and you can see Keri Russell off in the back.

According to Fox, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ goes like this:

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

Considering the movie is called ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ we’re going to go out on a limb and say that humans aren’t going to win that war on who is Earth’s dominant species.

‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ hits theaters on May 23, 2014.

GALLERY LINKS:
– Dawn of the Planet of the Apes On the Set – May 10 2013

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THE AMERICANS: SEASON 1 REVIEW – THE SPIES NEXT DOOR

From the start, The Americans felt like something special. Telling the story of two KGB spies posing as an suburban couple in 1981 America, the show had a compelling hook and an attention-getting star – Keri Russell as a Russian spy! Could it live up to expectations? The answer was a loud yes, as a great pilot episode announced this was a quality show right out of the gate.

Creator Joe Weisberg and his fellow executive producer, Joel Fields, deserve a lot of credit for so deftly juggling The Americans’ different elements so well. In other hands, The Americans could have collapsed or just come off goofy or outright ridiculous, as we followed Elizabeth (Russell) and Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) and saw their insane lives – running a travel agency as part of their cover, raising two kids (who they had in the first place in order to sell the lie) and, you know, going on various spy missions, complete with elaborate disguises, which often involve having sex with or killing various people.

But the scenario, as heightened as it was, felt genuine and engaging the vast majority of the time throughout the first season. It felt real and the Jennings were characters easy to invest in and care about – all the more notable given they are, ultimately, The Enemy, working against the United States.

An invaluable reason for this investment was, of course, thanks to the performances. Russell and Rhys are simply terrific in The Americans, playing two people who are asked to do the unthinkable time and again. She’s the hard-edged one; much more militant, much more strict. He is quicker to turn to sentiment or be affected by emotion. But both are very smart and very skilled and Russell and Rhys sold all of these qualities. We bought it when Elizabeth and Phillip were growing closer and sharing warm, genuine moments, while also believing these two could perform amazingly dangerous acts – and also be utterly deadly in a fight. It’s a tricky mix that not every actor could pull off so well. Continue reading THE AMERICANS: SEASON 1 REVIEW – THE SPIES NEXT DOOR

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‘The Americans’ Cast Talks Finale Secrets, Wigs, Slaps (VIDEO)

The cast and executive producers of “The Americans” sat down on April 26 for a panel discussion of the FX drama at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, and we’ve got the entire hour on video for you.

If you’re a fan of the show, you may want to watch the whole thing. But be aware, developments that occurred late in Season 1 and in the season finale are discussed by panelists Joe Weisberg (executive producer/creator), Joel Fields (executive producer), Matthew Rhys (who plays Russian spy Philip Jennings), Noah Emmerich (who plays FBI agent Stan Beeman), Margo Martindale (Claudia) and Annet Mahendru (Nina). You’ll also want to check out our recent interviews with Rhys, Martindale and Emmerich, and a post-finale chat with Fields and Weisberg.

If you don’t have time to watch the whole hour, we’ve provided the approximate time stamps of different topics of discussion, which include: Keri Russell’s propensity for slapping Rhys just before the director shouts “Action;” wigs; the effect of clandestine work on family life; and Stan’s complicated love life.

By the way, the panel was moderated by yours truly, and I must confess — if I had known the camera would be on me that much (or at all), I would have gotten a better wig.


Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

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