Alcatraz (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Alcatraz is an upcoming American television series filmed in Vancouver, BC, starring Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia
. Bad Robot Productions
produced the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by Elizabeth Sarnoff
, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. The series was officially picked up by Fox on May 10, 2011. It is currently planned as a midseason replacement
to air on Mondays at 9 pm starting January 16, 2012.
), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history—both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster
), were guards at the prison—Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill
) tries to impede her investigation, she is doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto (Jorge Garcia
), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he is loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he has not aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the merciless Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner
).
Madsen and Doc reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra
), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane will not be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.
Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work—the history of Alcatraz—come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive cop fiancé, Jimmy Dickens (Santiago Cabrera
), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.
and Warner Bros. Television
. The series is executive-produced by J. J. Abrams
, Bryan Burk
and Elizabeth Sarnoff
. Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, both of Kyle XY
fame, created the concept and Sarnoff was brought on later in the process. Sarnoff wrote the pilot along with Lilien and Wynbrandt. Danny Cannon
directed and executive-produced the pilot. In September 2011, Jennifer Johnson
became an executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Sarnoff. After Sarnoff stepped down in November 2011, Daniel Pyne joined Johnson as showrunner.
, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots
.
Alcatraz is an upcoming American television series filmed in Vancouver, BC, starring Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia
. Bad Robot Productions
produced the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by Elizabeth Sarnoff
, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. The series was officially picked up by Fox on May 10, 2011. It is currently planned as a midseason replacement
to air on Mondays at 9 pm starting January 16, 2012.
), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history—both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster
), were guards at the prison—Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill
) tries to impede her investigation, she is doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto (Jorge Garcia
), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he is loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he has not aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the merciless Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner
).
Madsen and Doc reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra
), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane will not be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.
Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work—the history of Alcatraz—come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive cop fiancé, Jimmy Dickens (Santiago Cabrera
), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.
and Warner Bros. Television
. The series is executive-produced by J. J. Abrams
, Bryan Burk
and Elizabeth Sarnoff
. Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, both of Kyle XY
fame, created the concept and Sarnoff was brought on later in the process. Sarnoff wrote the pilot along with Lilien and Wynbrandt. Danny Cannon
directed and executive-produced the pilot. In September 2011, Jennifer Johnson
became an executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Sarnoff. After Sarnoff stepped down in November 2011, Daniel Pyne joined Johnson as showrunner.
, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots
.
Alcatraz is an upcoming American television series filmed in Vancouver, BC, starring Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia
. Bad Robot Productions
produced the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by Elizabeth Sarnoff
, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. The series was officially picked up by Fox on May 10, 2011. It is currently planned as a midseason replacement
to air on Mondays at 9 pm starting January 16, 2012.
), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history—both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster
), were guards at the prison—Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill
) tries to impede her investigation, she is doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto (Jorge Garcia
), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he is loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he has not aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the merciless Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner
).
Madsen and Doc reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra
), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane will not be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.
Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work—the history of Alcatraz—come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive cop fiancé, Jimmy Dickens (Santiago Cabrera
), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.
and Warner Bros. Television
. The series is executive-produced by J. J. Abrams
, Bryan Burk
and Elizabeth Sarnoff
. Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, both of Kyle XY
fame, created the concept and Sarnoff was brought on later in the process. Sarnoff wrote the pilot along with Lilien and Wynbrandt. Danny Cannon
directed and executive-produced the pilot. In September 2011, Jennifer Johnson
became an executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Sarnoff. After Sarnoff stepped down in November 2011, Daniel Pyne joined Johnson as showrunner.
, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots
.
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
. Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
produced the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, Deadwood and Lost.-Career:...
, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. The series was officially picked up by Fox on May 10, 2011. It is currently planned as a midseason replacement
Midseason replacement
In American and Canadian television, a midseason replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May...
to air on Mondays at 9 pm starting January 16, 2012.
Pilot
When San Francisco Police Department Det. Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to Jack Sylvane (guest star Jeffrey PierceJeffrey Pierce
Jeffrey Pierce is an American actor, film director and film producer. He is best known for portraying the titular character in the television series Charlie Jade. He got his start in acting at the Shakespeare and Company in Lennox, Massachusetts and at the Beverly Hills Playhouse...
), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history—both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster
Robert Forster
Robert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
), were guards at the prison—Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill
Sam Neill
Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
) tries to impede her investigation, she is doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto (Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he is loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he has not aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the merciless Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner
Jason Butler Harner
Jason Thomas Butler Harner is an American actor.-Biography:Harner was born in Elmira, New York and grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, where he had the opportunity of seeing a handful of plays at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. His middle name Butler is his mother’s maiden name. He graduated...
).
Madsen and Doc reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra
Parminder Nagra
Parminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009...
), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane will not be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.
Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work—the history of Alcatraz—come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive cop fiancé, Jimmy Dickens (Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.
Main
- Sarah Jones as Rebecca Madsen, a San Francisco Police Department homicide detective
- Jorge GarciaJorge GarciaJorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
as Dr. Diego “Doc” Soto, an Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast - Sam NeillSam NeillNigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
as Emerson Hauser, an enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent - Parminder NagraParminder NagraParminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009...
as Lucy Banerjee, Agent Hauser's technician - Robert ForsterRobert ForsterRobert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
as Ray Archer, Det. Madsen's surrogate uncle - Santiago CabreraSantiago CabreraSantiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
as Jimmy Dickens, Det. Madsen's supportive cop fiancé - Jonny Coyne as Edwin James, the iron-fisted warden of Alcatraz
- Jason Butler HarnerJason Butler HarnerJason Thomas Butler Harner is an American actor.-Biography:Harner was born in Elmira, New York and grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, where he had the opportunity of seeing a handful of plays at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. His middle name Butler is his mother’s maiden name. He graduated...
as E.B. Tiller, the merciless associate warden
Recurring
- Jeffrey PierceJeffrey PierceJeffrey Pierce is an American actor, film director and film producer. He is best known for portraying the titular character in the television series Charlie Jade. He got his start in acting at the Shakespeare and Company in Lennox, Massachusetts and at the Beverly Hills Playhouse...
as Jack Sylvane, a former Alcatraz inmate who supposedly died decades ago.
Development
Alcatraz is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot ProductionsBad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
and Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
. The series is executive-produced by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
, Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk is an American film and television producer, as well as an occasional screenwriter.A graduate of USC's School of Cinema-Television, Bryan Burk began his career working with producers Brad Weston at Columbia Pictures, Ned Tanen at Sony Pictures and John Davis at FOX...
and Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, Deadwood and Lost.-Career:...
. Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, both of Kyle XY
Kyle XY
Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
fame, created the concept and Sarnoff was brought on later in the process. Sarnoff wrote the pilot along with Lilien and Wynbrandt. Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon is a film and television screenwriter, director and producer.- Career :Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre...
directed and executive-produced the pilot. In September 2011, Jennifer Johnson
Jennifer M. Johnson
Jennifer M. Johnson is an American television writer and producer. She has worked in both capacities on the series Lost, Reunion, Cold Case and is a co-creator of the series Chase. Johnson won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series for her work on Lost.-Career:Johnson began...
became an executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Sarnoff. After Sarnoff stepped down in November 2011, Daniel Pyne joined Johnson as showrunner.
Critical reception
In June 2011, Alcatraz was one of eight honorees in the Most Exciting New Series category at the 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards1st Critics' Choice Television Awards
The 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards, presented by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association , the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, and took place on June 20, 2011 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California...
, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
.
International distribution
| Country | Channel | Premiere date |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Watch Watch (TV channel) Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:... |
January 2012 |
External links
Alcatraz is an upcoming American television series filmed in Vancouver, BC, starring Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
. Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
produced the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, Deadwood and Lost.-Career:...
, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. The series was officially picked up by Fox on May 10, 2011. It is currently planned as a midseason replacement
Midseason replacement
In American and Canadian television, a midseason replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May...
to air on Mondays at 9 pm starting January 16, 2012.
Pilot
When San Francisco Police Department Det. Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to Jack Sylvane (guest star Jeffrey PierceJeffrey Pierce
Jeffrey Pierce is an American actor, film director and film producer. He is best known for portraying the titular character in the television series Charlie Jade. He got his start in acting at the Shakespeare and Company in Lennox, Massachusetts and at the Beverly Hills Playhouse...
), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history—both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster
Robert Forster
Robert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
), were guards at the prison—Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill
Sam Neill
Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
) tries to impede her investigation, she is doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto (Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he is loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he has not aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the merciless Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner
Jason Butler Harner
Jason Thomas Butler Harner is an American actor.-Biography:Harner was born in Elmira, New York and grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, where he had the opportunity of seeing a handful of plays at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. His middle name Butler is his mother’s maiden name. He graduated...
).
Madsen and Doc reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra
Parminder Nagra
Parminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009...
), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane will not be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.
Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work—the history of Alcatraz—come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive cop fiancé, Jimmy Dickens (Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.
Main
- Sarah Jones as Rebecca Madsen, a San Francisco Police Department homicide detective
- Jorge GarciaJorge GarciaJorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
as Dr. Diego “Doc” Soto, an Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast - Sam NeillSam NeillNigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
as Emerson Hauser, an enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent - Parminder NagraParminder NagraParminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009...
as Lucy Banerjee, Agent Hauser's technician - Robert ForsterRobert ForsterRobert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
as Ray Archer, Det. Madsen's surrogate uncle - Santiago CabreraSantiago CabreraSantiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
as Jimmy Dickens, Det. Madsen's supportive cop fiancé - Jonny Coyne as Edwin James, the iron-fisted warden of Alcatraz
- Jason Butler HarnerJason Butler HarnerJason Thomas Butler Harner is an American actor.-Biography:Harner was born in Elmira, New York and grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, where he had the opportunity of seeing a handful of plays at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. His middle name Butler is his mother’s maiden name. He graduated...
as E.B. Tiller, the merciless associate warden
Recurring
- Jeffrey PierceJeffrey PierceJeffrey Pierce is an American actor, film director and film producer. He is best known for portraying the titular character in the television series Charlie Jade. He got his start in acting at the Shakespeare and Company in Lennox, Massachusetts and at the Beverly Hills Playhouse...
as Jack Sylvane, a former Alcatraz inmate who supposedly died decades ago.
Development
Alcatraz is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot ProductionsBad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
and Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
. The series is executive-produced by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
, Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk is an American film and television producer, as well as an occasional screenwriter.A graduate of USC's School of Cinema-Television, Bryan Burk began his career working with producers Brad Weston at Columbia Pictures, Ned Tanen at Sony Pictures and John Davis at FOX...
and Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, Deadwood and Lost.-Career:...
. Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, both of Kyle XY
Kyle XY
Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
fame, created the concept and Sarnoff was brought on later in the process. Sarnoff wrote the pilot along with Lilien and Wynbrandt. Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon is a film and television screenwriter, director and producer.- Career :Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre...
directed and executive-produced the pilot. In September 2011, Jennifer Johnson
Jennifer M. Johnson
Jennifer M. Johnson is an American television writer and producer. She has worked in both capacities on the series Lost, Reunion, Cold Case and is a co-creator of the series Chase. Johnson won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series for her work on Lost.-Career:Johnson began...
became an executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Sarnoff. After Sarnoff stepped down in November 2011, Daniel Pyne joined Johnson as showrunner.
Critical reception
In June 2011, Alcatraz was one of eight honorees in the Most Exciting New Series category at the 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards1st Critics' Choice Television Awards
The 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards, presented by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association , the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, and took place on June 20, 2011 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California...
, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
.
International distribution
| Country | Channel | Premiere date |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Watch Watch (TV channel) Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:... |
January 2012 |
External links
Alcatraz is an upcoming American television series filmed in Vancouver, BC, starring Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
. Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
produced the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, Deadwood and Lost.-Career:...
, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. The series was officially picked up by Fox on May 10, 2011. It is currently planned as a midseason replacement
Midseason replacement
In American and Canadian television, a midseason replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May...
to air on Mondays at 9 pm starting January 16, 2012.
Pilot
When San Francisco Police Department Det. Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to Jack Sylvane (guest star Jeffrey PierceJeffrey Pierce
Jeffrey Pierce is an American actor, film director and film producer. He is best known for portraying the titular character in the television series Charlie Jade. He got his start in acting at the Shakespeare and Company in Lennox, Massachusetts and at the Beverly Hills Playhouse...
), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history—both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster
Robert Forster
Robert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
), were guards at the prison—Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill
Sam Neill
Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
) tries to impede her investigation, she is doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto (Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he is loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he has not aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the merciless Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner
Jason Butler Harner
Jason Thomas Butler Harner is an American actor.-Biography:Harner was born in Elmira, New York and grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, where he had the opportunity of seeing a handful of plays at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. His middle name Butler is his mother’s maiden name. He graduated...
).
Madsen and Doc reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra
Parminder Nagra
Parminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009...
), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane will not be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.
Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work—the history of Alcatraz—come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive cop fiancé, Jimmy Dickens (Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.
Main
- Sarah Jones as Rebecca Madsen, a San Francisco Police Department homicide detective
- Jorge GarciaJorge GarciaJorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
as Dr. Diego “Doc” Soto, an Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast - Sam NeillSam NeillNigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
as Emerson Hauser, an enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent - Parminder NagraParminder NagraParminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009...
as Lucy Banerjee, Agent Hauser's technician - Robert ForsterRobert ForsterRobert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
as Ray Archer, Det. Madsen's surrogate uncle - Santiago CabreraSantiago CabreraSantiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
as Jimmy Dickens, Det. Madsen's supportive cop fiancé - Jonny Coyne as Edwin James, the iron-fisted warden of Alcatraz
- Jason Butler HarnerJason Butler HarnerJason Thomas Butler Harner is an American actor.-Biography:Harner was born in Elmira, New York and grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, where he had the opportunity of seeing a handful of plays at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. His middle name Butler is his mother’s maiden name. He graduated...
as E.B. Tiller, the merciless associate warden
Recurring
- Jeffrey PierceJeffrey PierceJeffrey Pierce is an American actor, film director and film producer. He is best known for portraying the titular character in the television series Charlie Jade. He got his start in acting at the Shakespeare and Company in Lennox, Massachusetts and at the Beverly Hills Playhouse...
as Jack Sylvane, a former Alcatraz inmate who supposedly died decades ago.
Development
Alcatraz is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot ProductionsBad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
and Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
. The series is executive-produced by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
, Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk is an American film and television producer, as well as an occasional screenwriter.A graduate of USC's School of Cinema-Television, Bryan Burk began his career working with producers Brad Weston at Columbia Pictures, Ned Tanen at Sony Pictures and John Davis at FOX...
and Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth Sarnoff
Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, Deadwood and Lost.-Career:...
. Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, both of Kyle XY
Kyle XY
Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
fame, created the concept and Sarnoff was brought on later in the process. Sarnoff wrote the pilot along with Lilien and Wynbrandt. Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon
Danny Cannon is a film and television screenwriter, director and producer.- Career :Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre...
directed and executive-produced the pilot. In September 2011, Jennifer Johnson
Jennifer M. Johnson
Jennifer M. Johnson is an American television writer and producer. She has worked in both capacities on the series Lost, Reunion, Cold Case and is a co-creator of the series Chase. Johnson won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series for her work on Lost.-Career:Johnson began...
became an executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Sarnoff. After Sarnoff stepped down in November 2011, Daniel Pyne joined Johnson as showrunner.
Critical reception
In June 2011, Alcatraz was one of eight honorees in the Most Exciting New Series category at the 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards1st Critics' Choice Television Awards
The 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards, presented by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association , the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, and took place on June 20, 2011 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California...
, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
.
International distribution
| Country | Channel | Premiere date |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Watch Watch (TV channel) Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:... |
January 2012 |
External links