Covert Affairs
Genre | Action Drama
Created by | Matt Corman Chris Ord
Starring | Piper Perabo Christopher Gorham Kari Matchett Anne Dudek Sendhil Ramamurthy Peter Gallagher
Opening theme | "Can You Save Me" by Power
Composer(s) | Toby Chu
Country of origin | United States
Original language(s) | English
No. of seasons | 3
No. of episodes | 41 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) | James Parriott Dave Bartis Doug Liman
Editor(s) | Chris Willingham Lori Jane Coleman Lisette Rodriguez (asst.)
Location(s) | Toronto, Ontario, Canada as main; location shooting elsewhere as required
Cinematography | Colin Hoult Jamie Barber
Camera setup | Multiple
Running time | 45 minutes
Production company(s) | Universal Cable Productions Hypnotic Films Television Corman Ord (season 2)
Broadcast
Original channel | USA Network
Original run | July 13, 2010 (2010-07-13) – present
External links
Website

Covert Affairs is a USA Network television series starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham. The one-hour drama premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.[1] The show concluded its first season on September 14, 2010 and was renewed for a second season on August 19, 2010.[2] The second season began airing on June 7, 2011,[3] and a DVD set of the first season was released on May 17, 2011.[4] The series was renewed for a third season by USA Network on September 15, 2011.[5] The third season began on July 10, 2012. On September 25, 2012, Covert Affairs was renewed for a 16-episode fourth season.[6]

## Overview[edit]

A young CIA trainee, Annie Walker, is sent to work at the Domestic Protection Division (DPD), where she serves as a field agent. August "Auggie" Anderson, a blind tech operative, is Annie's guide in her new life. Annie's cover story is that she works in Acquisitions at the Smithsonian Museum.

## Cast and characters[edit]

### Main cast[edit]

- Piper Perabo as Anne Catherine "Annie" Walker: a 28-year-old CIA trainee who is suddenly promoted to field operative in order to help capture her ex-boyfriend, but the cause of her promotion is unknown to her. In addition to English, she speaks seven languages fluently?Italian, Russian,[7] Spanish,[8] German, French, Persian, and Portuguese, which she says is her favorite.[9] She also speaks several other languages with varied skill levels, including Hebrew, Estonian, Chinese and Sinhalese.
- Christopher Gorham as August "Auggie" Anderson: a CIA military intelligence/special ops officer who was blinded while on a mission in Iraq where he served in an Army Special Forces unit. Even though he is still grieving about his injury, he frequently lightens the mood by cracking jokes about his disability. He guides Annie through the paces of her new job. Auggie is an exceptional athlete, winning two high school state championships in wrestling. He has four older brothers and is an Eagle Scout.[10]
- Kari Matchett as Joan Campbell: a senior officer who heads the Domestic Protection Division (DPD); Annie's supervisor and Arthur Campbell's wife, a skilled spymaster who was quite talented in her field days. In the first few episodes of the series, she suspects Arthur is cheating. She also has difficulty separating work from her personal life as shown in the couple's therapy sessions.[11] She attended Pennsylvania State University, and her cover is that she works for the World Bank.[12]
- Anne Dudek as Danielle Brooks (main cast Seasons 1?2, recurring Season 3): Annie's older sister, who is married with two children; Annie lives in her guest house. In Season 1, she is unaware of Annie's real career, knowing only Annie's cover?that she works in Acquisitions at the Smithsonian Institution.[13] In Season 2, Episode 10, Annie tells Danielle the truth about her job and Danielle, upset over being lied to all this time, demands Annie move out. They soon overcome their hurt feelings as Annie lets Danielle into her life more. In the Season 2 finale, Danielle learns her husband has been cheating on her. In Season 3, Episode 3, Danielle tells Annie that her husband wants to make their marriage work and that they are moving to California.
- Sendhil Ramamurthy as Jai Wilcox (Season 1?3): CIA officer assigned to the DPD by Arthur Campbell. His family has a long history with the CIA; his father Henry was formerly the D/NCS. He is always bickering with his infamous father, Henry Wilcox, trying relentlessly to outlive his nefarious shadow. Having found something suspicious in the Agency in his operations, he attempted to share this with Annie before being assassinated by a car bomb in the Season 3 premiere.
- Peter Gallagher as Arthur Campbell (Season 2 , recurring previously): CIA Director of the National Clandestine Service (D/NCS). Joan Campbell's husband. Graduate of Annapolis.

### Recurring cast[edit]

- Eion Bailey as Ben Mercer: Annie's ex-boyfriend, who was being targeted by the CIA, before returning to the Agency near the end of Season 1. He now works as a "black ops" agent for Arthur.[7]
- Gregory Itzin as Henry Wilcox:[14] the former CIA Director of the National Clandestine Service; Jai Wilcox's father.
- Oded Fehr as Eyal Lavin: a Mossad operative who occasionally works with Annie on her missions.
- Sarah Clarke as Lena Smith: Annie's supervisor in another CIA division for a mission in season three. Lena is not satisfied with Annie's performance and sends Annie back to the DPD. Lena believes in more hands on, direct action approach to espionage compared to Joan's cloak and dagger paradigm. After being revealed as an FSB double agent, Lena flees to Russia where she is eventually hunted down and killed by Annie.
- Emmanuelle Vaugier as Liza Hearn: a journalist with a mysterious source inside the CIA, who hopes to publish a series of damaging articles about the Agency.
- Evan Sabba as Michael Brooks: Danielle's estranged husband and Annie's brother-in-law.
- Richard Coyle as Simon Fischer: A venture capitalist, suspected FSB (Russia) spy whom Annie is assigned to cultivate after she joins Lena's division. He is murdered by Lena Smith in her attempt to frame Annie as an FSB double agent.

## Episodes[edit]

The characters Auggie Anderson and Annie Walker are portrayed by Christopher Gorham (left) and Piper Perabo (right).
Main article: List of Covert Affairs episodes

Season | Timeslot (ET) | # Ep. | Premiered | Ended | TV Season | Viewers (in millions)
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Date | Premiere Viewers (in millions) | Date | Finale Viewers (in millions)
1 | Tuesday 10:00 pm (July 13, 2010 ? September 7, 2010) Tuesday 9:00 pm (September 14, 2010) | 11 | July 13, 2010 | 4.88[15] | September 14, 2010 | 5.23[16] | 2010 | 6.70[17]
2 | Tuesday 10:00 pm (June 7, 2011 ? present) | 16 | June 7, 2011 | 4.56[18] | December 6, 2011 | 3.20[19] | 2011 | 5.64[20]
3 | 16 | July 10, 2012 | 3.50[21] | November 20, 2012[22] | N/A | 2012 | TBA

## Awards[edit]

Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient(s)
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
2011
Nominated | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series?? Drama | Piper Perabo[23]

## DVD release[edit]

Season One of Covert Affairs was released on DVD on May 17, 2011 in region 1[24] and region 4 on June 2, 2011.[25] The three disc set features all 11 episodes of Season One, commentary on the "Pilot" episode, "Communication Breakdown", and "When the Levee Breaks" outtakes, deleted scenes, Behind the Scenes featurettes entitled "Welcome to the Farm", "Blind Insight", a Set Tour, and "Celebrate the ADA" PSA. The DVD is also equipped with Descriptive Video Service, a feature that provides descriptive narration of key visual elements for the visually impaired.

Season two was released in April on Region 1 encoded collection, containing all 16 episodes on 4 discs. featuring deleted scenes, a gag reel, comic con intro and behind the scenes location documentary

## Development, casting, and production[edit]

Covert Affairs first appeared on USA Network's development slate in July 2008.[26] The pilot episode was written by Matt Corman and Chris Ord.[26] Casting was underway in June 2009, with the expectation that successful casting would lead to a production commitment.[27] Piper Perabo was the first actress cast in early July 2009 as CIA officer Annie Walker.[28] The casting of Christopher Gorham came in late July,[citation needed] quickly followed by announcement that the pilot had been green-lighted by USA Network.

In early August 2009, Tim Matheson signed on to direct a 90-minute pilot.[29] Further casting announcements included Anne Dudek in mid-August,[30] followed by Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher in early September.[31][32] Eric Lively was cast as a fellow CIA officer as a peer of Perabo's character, and Eion Bailey was cast in a recurring role as Perabo's ex-boyfriend.[31] The pilot began filming in Toronto in September 2009.

In January 2010, the Covert Affairs pilot received a 10 episode order.[29][33] Sendhil Ramamurthy was added to the cast as a CIA officer, replacing Lively's character,[34] along with Emmanuelle Vaugier in a recurring role as a journalist.[35]

The series executive producers are Doug Liman and David Bartis and the co-executive producer is Jonathan Glassner.[1][36] Production of the series is based at a studio in Toronto, Ontario, where the primary static sets are housed, as well as at "stock" shooting locations throughout the local area. This footage is combined with material filmed at the various international locations in which the series' episodes are set, such as Washington, D.C.;[29][35] capturing geographically unique elements of these places. In some cases, the series producers may decide to use a stand-in location for shots that cannot be filmed either in the Toronto area, or at the location where the story is set; for example, if the costs or logistics of the shoot would be impractical, or if the location specified is fictional.

The second season began filming in March, 2011.

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Summer Belongs to USA Network as "Covert Affairs" and "White Collar" Heat Up Tuesday Nights Starting July 13". The Futon Critc. May 5, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
2. ^ Weisman, Jon (August 19, 2010). "USA renews 'Covert Affairs'". Variety.
3. ^ Kate Stanhope (March 17, 2011). "White Collar, Covert Affairs to Return in June". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
4. ^ "Covert Affairs DVD news: Announcement for Covert Affairs?? Season 1". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
5. ^ Gelman, Vlada (September 15, 2011). "Breaking: USA Renews Covert Affairs, Royal Pains and Necessary Roughness". TVLine. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 25, 2012). "USA?s ?Royal Pains?, ?White Collar? ?Covert Affairs? Renewed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
7. ^ a b "Pilot". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 1. July 13, 2010. USA Network.
8. ^ "South Bound Suarez". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 3. July 27, 2010.
9. ^ "Houses of the Holy". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 6. August 17, 2010. USA Network.
10. ^ "No Quarter". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 4. July 27, 2010. USA Network.
11. ^ "Fool in the Rain". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 9. September 7, 2010. USA Network.
12. ^ "A Girl Like You". Covert Affairs. Season 2. Episode 13. USA Network.
13. ^ "What Is and What Should Never Be". Covert Affairs. Season 1. Episode 8. August 31, 2010. 33:20 minutes in. USA Network. "I don't carry a gun, and I'm not a curator, I'm in acquisitions."
14. ^ "24's Gregory Itzin Heading to Covert Affairs". TVGuide.com.
15. ^ Gorman, Bill (July 14, 2010). "Tuesday Cable: Deadliest Catch Soars, Plus White Collar, Covert Affairs, Memphis Beat, The Hills Finale Ratings More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
16. ^ Gorman, Bill (September 15, 2010). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: Covert Affairs, Warehouse 13 Finales; Teen Mom, Sons Of Anarchy More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
17. ^ Gorman, Bill (September 30, 2010). "?Covert Affairs,? ?Rizzoli Isles,? ?The Closer,? ?Jersey Shore,? ?Deadliest Catch? Lead Cable Series Ratings In 2010 Q3 ? Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
18. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 8, 2011). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: Deadliest Catch Tops Night; White Collar, Covert Affairs Return Down, Plus Tosh.0, 16 Pregnant More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
19. ^ Gorman, Bill (December 7, 2011). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Teen Mom 2' Premiere, 'American Chopper' Top 'Sons of Anarchy' Finale 'Storage Wars,' 'Covert Affairs,' 'Moonshiners' More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
20. ^ Seidman, Robert (December 12, 2011). "*Updated* USA Dominates Landscape with Unprecedented Six Straight Years as #1". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
21. ^ Bibel, Sara (July 11, 2012). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Storage Wars' Wins Night, 'White Collar', 'Rizzoli Isles','Pretty Little Liars', 'Covert Affairs', 'Workaholics', 'Jane By Design', More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
22. ^ "Shows A-Z ? covert affairs on usa". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
23. ^ Tuesday, December 14, 2010 (December 14, 2010). "The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations". goldenglobes.org. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
24. ^ Lambert, David (February 17, 2011). "Covert Affairs ? DVD Release for USA's Spy Show with Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
25. ^ "Covert Affairs ? Season 1 (3 Disc Set)". EZY DVD. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
26. ^ a b "USA Network Announces New Cast of Characters on its Development Slate". The Futon Critic. July 20, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
27. ^ "Development Update: Wednesday, June 3". The Futon Critic. June 3, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
28. ^ "Development Update: Thursday, July 2". The Futon Critic. July 2, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
29. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2010). "USA greenlights 'Covert Affairs'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
30. ^ "Development Update: Thursday, August 13". The Futon Critic. August 13, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
31. ^ a b Porter, Rick (September 8, 2010). "Casting call: 'White Collar,' '24,' 'Covert Affairs'". ZAP2it.com. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
32. ^ "Development Update: Wednesday, September 9". The Futon Critic. September 9, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
33. ^ Seidman, Robert (January 7, 2010). "USA Network Picks-Up "Covert Affairs"". TVbythNumbers. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
34. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 8, 2010). "'Heroes' actor cast in new USA series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
35. ^ a b Vlessing, Etan (May 7, 2010). "Emmanuelle Vaugier cast in 'Covert Affairs'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
36. ^ IMDb on executives "The show airs on July 13 (10/9 C) Executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis, Jonathan Glassner (Co-executive producer). A New Series From the Producers of ?Mr. Mrs. Smith? and the Producer of the ?Bourne? Trilogy..."

## External links[edit]

- Official website
- API at the Internet Movie Database
- Please use a more specific TV.com template. See the documentation for available templates.

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