We are still months away from knowing whether or not JJ Abrams will be directing the 2012 Star Trek sequel, but today it was announced he is going back into the director’s chair for the pilot of his new spy show for NBC, Undercovers. The new JJ Abrams executive produced show will be one of the new dramas to fill out the NBC schedule, now that their 10PM Jay Leno has been cancelled.
JJ to direct pilot for his new spy show
In November it was reported that JJ Abrams was in talks to direct the pilot of Undercovers, but today NBC made it official, while announcing their upcoming schedule at the Television Critics Association meeting going on this weekend. Abrams has previously directed the pilots of two of the other shows he created, Lost and Alias. His Lost pilot is consdiered one of the best ever made and helped land him at Paramount directing Mission: Impossible: III, which led to his long-term deal with the studio and a certain Star Trek film.
In Undercovers, Abrams returns to the spy genre of Alias, but the show also has a romantic comedy angle, with the basis of the show being a married couple of spies, not unlike 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In December Abrams hired the Soul Food star Boris Kodjoe to play to play Steven Bloom, but they have not yet announced an actress to play his wife, Samantha Bloom.
Promo image for "Undercovers"
Also, in true Abrams fashion, the show has already a viral website (undercoversweb.com), that contains some mysterious clues to the show. There are two screenshots from a supposed TV news segment reporting that Bloom is missing (with a pic of Kidjoe) with more info. The images also have some Abrams Easter Eggs, like the advertising logo for Oceanic Airlines and the time being 8:15 (both Lost references). There is also an Undercovers Twitter account you can follow.
One of the image clues at undercoversweb.com
For more on NBC’s future drama programming, go to hollywoodreporter.com
Don’t think I’ll be watching it.
That website you linked to (UndercoversWeb) is not an official viral or JJ sponsored site. Just a fanmade page.
Don’t forget about the phone number, the temperature, the channel, and the Ajira airlines logo. All are also LOST references.
Maybe not the channel; I think the numbers are 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42
This sounds good. However I think Abrams should have brought back the ScareCrow and Mrs. King series. In the final season they got married secretly. They could have had them retire and bring them out of retirement and everyone found out that they got married.
Was this the directing project JJ would likely do before he directs the trek sequel ? lol
If you lock JJ, with his love of puzzles, in a room with Neil Stephenson, with his love of cryptography, I’m wondering what scary thing might crawl out.
@ 7.
Something even more scarier then Lost ? lol
I’m definitely onboard for this. I loved Alias and MI3 was, easily, the best of the three. JJ loves his spies and it shows.
Connor, I think you’re right about the channel, if you’re talking about the news network logo. O6 = Oceanic 6? Also I think in the O, that looks like one of those airplane engine things. So I think it is another LOST reference.
That man sure does love to work!
I loved Alias, until they took it down that whole stupid Rimbaldi storyline (fountain of youth indeed!). This is what Abrams does extraordinarily well. action with unexpected twists and fantastic casting. As long as he doesn’t ruin it with ridiculous plot development, I’m all for it!
#7
Imagine if J.J. could figure out how to make Cryptonomicon into a movie!
I suppose it would be more like 2 or 3 movies, though, considering how thick the book is.
I’d buy tickets as soon as I heard about it!
I loved all of Alias and was very angry when they took it off just because Jennifer Garner didn’t want to do it anymore. They had started to put other characters in place to take over as the “main” spies (Rachel Nichols!). That would have worked, IMO. It was going very well with them slowly phasing out Sydney.
Can’t wait!
Not interested.
In the “married couple as spys with a Trek connection” department, does anybody remember the short lived 1996 TV series “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” starring none other than Scott Bakula? He and Maria Bello played spies who posed as a married couple when on the job. I suppose this was the inspiration for the better known 2005 film.
JJ is a talented fellow, I loved Alias so I will be giving this new show a chance.
I love Alias, but they totally ruined it in the fourth and fifth season with contradicting themselves numerous times (the season 3 cliffhanger didn’t match what happened in the beginning of season 4, Irina going good, then evil, then good, than eventually mad… i could go on) :(
Despite that, Alias had its fantastic moments in the last two seasons, but they just weren’t as intense as they could have been if one still could have taken the show serious!
Dani
I was aware of this previously, but nonetheless there was clearly some helpful bits which completed the image to me, appreciate it!