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As you all know I am sometimes given to writing about television. Most of my entries about TV concern the bashing of today’s programming followed with the obligatory proclamation that it lacks substance and intelligence. While this is true of most of the fare being offered up to viewers of the Twenty-First Century, there is one show that I think has some promise. Initially I would have scorned this program as nothing more than a T & A romp trying to recapture the halcyon days of Charlie’s Angels or perhaps its latter day counterpart She Spies. However I must admit that “Covert Affairs” offers more than one might think at first look.
The show is centered on a newly hired female CIA operative and her blind technical support assistant and mentor. Rounding out the cast of characters are her blindly ambitious handler and the departmental director, who just happens to be married to the ambitious handler. Their marital issues often cloud their working relationship, imagine that.
USA Network is the programmer for the series which doesn’t showcase any big name stars. Piper Perabo stars as our heroine Annie Walker. According to IMDB, she’s never had anything more than bit roles on television series and this is her first starring role. I am not going to lie to you good folks, if this girl were merely sitting at a news desk reading names from a phone book I would probably DVR it. The rest of the characters are also played by unfamiliar faces that have yet to make their starring debut. The only member of the cast that I recognize from any previous endeavors is Kari Matchett who had recurring roles on both Invasion and ER.
The show has parallel stories running in that each episode has its primary plot, but there is also an ever present back story arc that centers around a mysterious individual Annie met during the first episode and that individual’s relationship to the handler, the director and the CIA in general. The back story arc is sometimes woven into the primary episodic storyline but never really overshadows it, at least not yet, but I think that may soon change.
I encourage you all to give the show a chance. It airs on USA network with first runs coming out on Tuesdays at 9:00 PM Central. If you go to IMDB.com it will list the dates and times of previous shows including the pilot episode.
The show is centered on a newly hired female CIA operative and her blind technical support assistant and mentor. Rounding out the cast of characters are her blindly ambitious handler and the departmental director, who just happens to be married to the ambitious handler. Their marital issues often cloud their working relationship, imagine that.
USA Network is the programmer for the series which doesn’t showcase any big name stars. Piper Perabo stars as our heroine Annie Walker. According to IMDB, she’s never had anything more than bit roles on television series and this is her first starring role. I am not going to lie to you good folks, if this girl were merely sitting at a news desk reading names from a phone book I would probably DVR it. The rest of the characters are also played by unfamiliar faces that have yet to make their starring debut. The only member of the cast that I recognize from any previous endeavors is Kari Matchett who had recurring roles on both Invasion and ER.
The show has parallel stories running in that each episode has its primary plot, but there is also an ever present back story arc that centers around a mysterious individual Annie met during the first episode and that individual’s relationship to the handler, the director and the CIA in general. The back story arc is sometimes woven into the primary episodic storyline but never really overshadows it, at least not yet, but I think that may soon change.
I encourage you all to give the show a chance. It airs on USA network with first runs coming out on Tuesdays at 9:00 PM Central. If you go to IMDB.com it will list the dates and times of previous shows including the pilot episode.
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