Counterstrike (1990 TV series) explained

Alt Name:	Force de frappe
Genre:	Action-adventure
Language:	English
Num Seasons:	3
Num Episodes:	66^[1]
Producer:	Julian Marks
Runtime:	60 minutes

Counterstrike is a Canadian-French crime-fighting, espionage, action-adventure television series. The series premiered in Canada on CTV, in France on TF1, and in the United States on the USA Network, on July 1, 1990. It ran for three seasons, airing 66 hour-long episodes in total.

Plot

After his wife is kidnapped by terrorists, international industrialist Alexander Addington assembles a clandestine team of troubleshooters to help combat terrorism around the world. He recruits Peter Sinclair from Scotland Yard to lead the team. They set up a French con artist and art/jewelry thief named Nicole Beaumont and blackmail her into joining because of her valuable criminal connections. The third team member is Luke Brenner, an American mercenary whom they rescue from a Mexican jail. The series' other recurring characters are Bennett and J.J., Alexander's valet and pilot, respectively.

In the second season's second episode Peter and Alexander encounter a French reporter named Gabrielle Germont whom they recruit into the team to prevent her from publishing a story about them. In the season's third episode Peter and Gabrielle rescue Hector Stone, an American CIA-operative and former Navy SEAL whose cover has been blown, and invite him to join the team.

The character of Alexander's daughter Suzanne Addington, who designed the team's computer systems, was also written out of the series at the beginning of the second season. Suzanne appears in one third season episode, although played by a different actress. In her stead Alexander gets a secretary/confidante named Hélène Previn.

Cast

• Christopher Plummer as Alexander Addington (1990–1993)
• Simon MacCorkindale as Peter Sinclair (1990–1993)
• Cyrielle Clair as Nicole Beaumont (1990–1991)
• Stephen Shellen as Luke Brenner (1990–1991)
• Laurence Ashley-Taboulet as Suzanne Addington (1990–1991)
• Sophie Michaud as Gabrielle Germont (1991–1993)
• James Purcell as Hector Stone (1991–1993)
• Patricia Cartier as Hélène Previn (1991–1993)
• Andre Mayers as J.J. (1990–1993)
• Tom Kneebone as Bennett (1990–1993)

Episodes

Season 1 (1990–91)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date

Season 2 (1991–92)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date

Season 3 (1992–93)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date

Awards and nominations

• 1992 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Simon MacCorkindale) – Nominated
• 1992 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Christopher Plummer) – Nominated
• 1994 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Sophie Michaud) – Nominated
• 1994 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (James Purcell) – WON

Broadcast

Counterstrike premiered in Canada on CTV and in France (as Force de frappe) on TF1 on July 1, 1990. It premiered in the United States on the USA Network on July 1, 1990.

Reruns aired in Canada on Showcase and TVtropolis.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Force de frappe . Seriebox . fr . Counterstrike . 24 December 2022.