The Americans season 1 explained

Season Number:1
Bgcolour:
  1. 141414
Image Upright:1.15
Network:FX
Num Episodes:13
Episode List:List of The Americans episodes

The first season of the American television drama series The Americans premiered on January 30, 2013, and concluded on May 1, 2013. It consisted of 13 episodes, each running for approximately 45 minutes, except for a pilot of over an hour. FX broadcast the first season on Wednesdays at 10:00 pm in the United States. The series is produced by DreamWorks Television. The Americans was created by Joe Weisberg.

Set in the 1980s during the Cold War period, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as a married American couple in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., their two children, and their neighbor Stan Beeman, an FBI agent.[1]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Production

Conception

The Americans was created by Joe Weisberg, a former CIA officer.[2] Despite setting the story in the world of espionage, Weisberg set out to tell the story about a marriage.[3] "The Americans is at its core a marriage story. International relations is just an allegory for the human relations. Sometimes, when you're struggling in your marriage or with your kid, it feels like life or death. For Philip and Elizabeth, it often is."[4] Executive producer Joel Fields described the series as working different levels of reality: the fictional marriage between Philip and Elizabeth, and the real-world experiences of the Cold War.[4]

Weisberg described working at the CIA as a mistake, but indicated it helped him develop several storylines in the series,[5] basing some plot lines on real-life stories,[5] and integrating several things he learned in his training, such as communication protocols and the use of dead drops.[6] Weisberg was fascinated by stories he had heard from spies who had served abroad while raising their families.[6] He was interested in bringing that concept to television, with the idea of a family of spies, rather than just one person.[6] Weisberg also said that the CIA inadvertently gave him the idea for creating a series around spies, explaining, "While I was taking the polygraph exam to get in, they asked the question, 'Are you joining the CIA in order to gain experience about the intelligence community so that you can write about it later' – which had never occurred to me. I was totally joining the CIA because I wanted to be a spy. But the second they asked that question…then I thought, 'Now I'm going to fail the test.'"[7]

Weisberg was partially influenced by the events of the Illegals Program to write a pilot script for the series. His research material included notes on the KGB's Cold War left by Vasili Mitrokhin and conversations with some of his former colleagues at the CIA.[3] He stated that, unlike the circumstances involving the 2010 Russian spy ring, he had opted to set the story in the early 1980s because "a modern day [setting] didn't seem like a good idea", adding, "People were both shocked and simultaneously shrugged at the [2010] scandal because it didn't seem like we were really enemies with Russia anymore. An obvious way to remedy that for television was to stick it back in the Cold War. At first, the '70s appealed to me just because I loved the hair and the music. But can you think of a better time than the '80s with Ronald Reagan yelling about the evil empire?"[3]

Development

After reading Weisberg's novel, An Ordinary Spy, executive producer Graham Yost discovered that Weisberg had also written a pilot for a possible spy series. Yost read the pilot and discovered that it was "annoyingly good", which led to the beginning of motions to develop the show.[8] Shooting of the pilot began in May 2012 and lasted until mid-June. Filming began for the rest of the first season in November 2012 in the New York City area. The production used location shots to simulate a dramatic setting of Washington, D.C. Early filming was delayed by flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy.[9]

Casting

Weisberg stated that he had no idea about who would star in the series before casting began.[10] FX president John Landgraf had the idea to cast Keri Russell in the series.[10] Leslie Feldman, who is the head of casting at DreamWorks, saw Matthew Rhys in a play and suggested him to Weisberg.[10] Russell and Rhys had met briefly at a party years before, but were not fully introduced.[11] They both were attracted to the series because of its focus on the relationship between their characters. Said Rhys, "You have two people who have led the most incredibly strange life together with incredibly high stakes, in this scene of domesticity that is an absolute lie, and at the end of the pilot they're finding each other for the very first time."[11]

Russell described the pilot script as "interesting ... it was so far from a procedural. I didn't know that I wanted to do it. I always say no to everything. I never want to do anything. [Laughs.] But I just couldn't stop thinking about it. I read it...and I kept trying to figure it out, because it's so not clear. It's still not clear to me. But there's so many different levels to it". Rhys said of his character, "He's a sort of gift of a part in that he's very sort of layered and multi-faceted. And when you meet him, he's at this great turning point in his life where everything's changing for him. You just get to do everything. You get to do the kung fu, and you get to do the emotional scenes, you get to do the disguises. It's the full package for an actor. It's a dream."[12] Noah Emmerich was initially hesitant about taking a role in the series. He explained: "The truth is, from the very beginning, I thought, 'I don't want to do a TV show where I carry a gun or a badge. I'm done with guns and badges. I just don't want to do that anymore'. When I first read it I thought, 'Yeah, it's really interesting and really good, but I don't want to be an FBI guy."[13] His friend, Gavin O'Connor, who directed the pilot episode, convinced him to take a closer look at the role. Emmerich stated that he responded to the aspect of marriage and family. "It was really interesting, and it was really intelligent and unusual, and it stood out from the pack."

Episodes

See also: List of The Americans episodes.

Reception

Reviews

The first season of The Americans received positive reviews from critics. Based on 51 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received an 88% approval rating from critics, with an average score of 7.8 out of 10. The consensus reads, "The Americans is a spy thriller of the highest order, with evocative period touches and strong chemistry between its leads."[14] On Metacritic, the first season scored 78 out of 100 based on 35 reviews.[15] The American Film Institute listed it as one of the top ten television series of 2013.[16] Rob Brunner of Entertainment Weekly described it as "an absorbing spy thriller"[17] while David Hinkley of the New York Daily News praised the pace, noting that "It's a premise that requires as much clever dramatic footwork as you might expect, and creator Joe Weisberg, a former CIA agent, handles the challenge".[18] Verne Gay of Newsday called it a "smart newcomer with a pair of leads that turns The Americans into a likely winner" and gave it a grade of an A−.[19] Gail Pennington, television critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave The Americans a rating of three out of four stars. In her review of the debut episode, Pennington stated "The Americans isn't just a heart-pounding action drama; by presenting heroes that are also villains, it also confronts viewers with TV's deepest moral dilemma since The Sopranos".[20] However, Hank Stuever of The Washington Post observed that "The Americans struggles to crack a certain code; the concept is tantalizing, but the follow-through lacks the momentum that gets viewers to commit". He described it, however, as "another well-made, provocative TV drama" and suggested that it "could benefit from having the finite boundaries of being a miniseries rather than launching itself into the ambitious realm of an ongoing series."[21]

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominee(s)Result
20133rd Critics' Choice Television Awards[22] Best Drama ActorMatthew Rhys
Best Drama ActressKeri Russell
Best Drama Series
Best Drama Supporting ActorNoah Emmerich
29th TCA Awards[23] Individual Achievement in DramaMatthew Rhys
Outstanding New Program
Outstanding Achievement in Drama
Program of the Year
65th Primetime Emmy Awards[24] Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama SeriesMargo Martindale
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme MusicNathan Barr
18th Satellite Awards[25] Best Actress in a Drama SeriesKeri Russell
Best Drama Series
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV MovieMargo Martindale
66th Writers Guild of America Awards[26] Best New Series
American Film Institute Awards 2013Best Television Program of The Year

Home media release

The first season of The Americans was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on February 11, 2014[27] and in region 2 on March 3, 2014.[28] The set includes an audio commentary for "The Colonel" by Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields and Noah Emmerich; three featurettes, "Executive Order 2579: Exposing the Americans", "Perfecting the Art of Espionage" and "Ingenuity Over Technology"; a gag reel; deleted scenes; and trailers.[27]

Notes and References

  1. News: 'The Americans': FX Orders Cold War Spy Series Starring Keri Russell . . Chris . Harnick . August 9, 2012 . October 30, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021233200/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/the-americans-fx-keri-russell-tv-series_n_1760732.html . October 21, 2012 . live.
  2. Web site: The Dark Stuff, Distilled . . March 29, 2013 . July 15, 2013 . Laura M. . Holson.
  3. Web site: The real CIA behind 'The Americans' . . January 30, 2013 . January 30, 2013 . Olivia B. . Waxman . https://web.archive.org/web/20131022153220/http://entertainment.time.com/2013/01/30/qa-the-cia-officer-behind-the-new-spy-drama-the-americans/?iid=ent-main-lead . October 22, 2013 . live.
  4. Web site: A Conversation With The Americans Showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields . Slate . January 31, 2013 . October 6, 2013 . Thomas . June . https://web.archive.org/web/20130811203634/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/interrogation/2013/01/the_americans_fx_spy_series_creators_joe_weisberg_and_joel_fields.html . August 11, 2013 . live.
  5. Web site: 'The Americans' Invade New York's Paley Center . . October 5, 2013 . October 6, 2013 . Leeds . Sarene . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005214124/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/the-americans-invade-new-yorks-paley-center-20131005 . October 5, 2013 . live.
  6. Web site: DIRECTV Interview: The Americans Masterminds Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields . DirecTV . April 24, 2013 . October 6, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131019081445/http://news.directv.com/2013/04/24/directv-interview-the-americans-masterminds-joe-weisberg-and-joel-fields/ . October 19, 2013 . live.
  7. Web site: 'The Americans' Changes Focus in Season Two and Other Intel from PaleyFest . October 7, 2013 . October 25, 2013 . Indiewire . Bernstein . Paula . https://web.archive.org/web/20131027220448/http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-americans-panel-hints-at-change-of-focus-in-season-two . October 27, 2013 . live.
  8. Web site: The Americans debuts on FX Canada Jan. 30 . The Canadian Press . January 30, 2013 . January 31, 2013 . Bill . Brioux . https://web.archive.org/web/20150701030556/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2013/01/30/the_americans_debuts_on_fx_canada_jan_30.html . July 1, 2015 . live.
  9. Web site: FX's 'The Americans' Studio Flooded by Hurricane Sandy; Shooting Delayed (Exclusive) . TheWrap TV . November 7, 2012 . March 5, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130328234942/http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/americans-studio-damaged-hurricane-sandy-flooding-possibly-exposed-sewage-63931 . March 28, 2013 . live.
  10. Web site: Creators Joseph Weisberg and Joel Fields Talk THE AMERICANS Season Finale, Crafting the Cliffhanger, Season 2, and More . Radish . Christina . Collider . December 8, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131213120743/http://collider.com/the-americans-season-1-finale-joseph-weisberg-joel-fields-interview/ . December 13, 2013 . live.
  11. Web site: The Spy Who Married Me: Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys on 'The Americans' . Egner . Jeremy . The New York Times . January 24, 2013 . December 8, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131214095254/http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/the-spy-who-married-me-keri-russell-and-matthew-rhys-on-the-americans/?_r=0 . December 14, 2013 . live.
  12. Web site: 'The Americans' Premiere: Keri Russell And Matthew Rhys Talk Sex, Spy Games And America Vs. Russia . Laura . Prudom . . January 30, 2013 . February 2, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130203162525/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/the-americans-premiere-keri-russell-matthew-rhys_n_2584664.html . February 3, 2013 . live.
  13. Web site: Yahoo! TV Q&A: 'The Americans' Star Noah Emmerich on His Character, His Twitter, and His Celebrity BFF . Kimberly . Potts . Yahoo . March 11, 2013 . April 5, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130320181558/http://tv.yahoo.com/news/yahoo--tv-q-a---the-americans--star-noah-emmerich-on-his-character--his-twitter--and-his-celebrity-bff-002248899.html . March 20, 2013 . live.
  14. Web site: The Americans: Season 1 (2013) . Rotten Tomatoes . October 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140228230103/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-americans/s01/ . February 28, 2014 . live.
  15. Web site: The Americans: Season 1 . Metacritic . February 1, 2013.
  16. Web site: AFI Names Best Movies and TV Shows of 2013 . Variety . December 9, 2013 . December 9, 2013 . Tim . Gray . https://web.archive.org/web/20131211020752/http://variety.com/2013/film/awards/afi-names-best-movies-and-tv-shows-of-2013-1200937298/ . December 11, 2013 . live.
  17. Rob . Brunner . Entertainment Weekly . The Americans Review . 113 . January 25, 2013.
  18. Web site: TV review: 'The Americans' . New York Daily News . January 30, 2013 . January 30, 2013 . David . Hinkley . https://web.archive.org/web/20130131235734/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tv-review-americans-article-1.1250383 . January 31, 2013 . live.
  19. Web site: 'The Americans' review: Spy drama another FX winner . Newsday . January 28, 2013 . January 30, 2013 . Verne . Gay . https://web.archive.org/web/20131021133712/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/the-americans-review-spy-drama-another-fx-winner-1.4523171 . October 21, 2013 . live.
  20. Web site: Pennington . Gail . TV Review: FX's The Americans makes Cold War hot . The St. Louis Post-Dispatch . January 30, 2013 . January 30, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140820082649/http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/tv-review-fx-s-the-americans-makes-cold-war-hot/article_836b3ce1-26f9-5933-8edd-a2fe196d2315.html . August 20, 2014 . live.
  21. Web site: The Americans: A tense look at spies like us . The Washington Post . January 29, 2013 . January 30, 2013 . Hank . Stuever . https://web.archive.org/web/20130131005225/http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/the-americans-a-tense-look-back-at-spies-like-us/2013/01/29/427a6e9e-69a2-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html . January 31, 2013 . live.
  22. Web site: 2013 Critics' Choice Television Awards: Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones, New Girl and More Earn Nominations . E! Online . Tierney . Bricker . May 22, 2013 . June 4, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927111408/http://www.eonline.com/news/421716/2013-critics-choice-television-awards-big-bang-theory-game-of-thrones-new-girl-and-more-earn-nominationssid=rss_msn_news . September 27, 2013 . live.
  23. Web site: Tatiana Maslany, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Americans, Bunheads, Parks and Rec, Big Bang Among Winners at 2013 TCA Awards . TVLine . Michael . Ausiello . August 3, 2013 . August 4, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160422050315/http://tvline.com/2013/08/03/tca-awards-winners-2013-breaking-bad-parks-and-recreation/ . April 22, 2016 . live.
  24. Web site: The Americans . Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . July 19, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130721090215/http://www.emmys.com/shows/americans . July 21, 2013 . live.
  25. Web site: '12 Years a Slave' Tops Satellite Award Nominations . The Wrap . Steve . Pond . December 2, 2013 . December 8, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140121082129/http://www.thewrap.com/Satellite-Awards-12-Years-a-Slave-Gravity-American-Hustle-Breaking-Bad . January 21, 2014 . live.
  26. Web site: Breaking Bad, Orange Is the New Black, House of Cards Lead 2014 WGA Nominations . TVLine . Michael . Ausiello . December 5, 2013 . December 5, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131206071420/http://tvline.com/2013/12/05/writers-guild-award-nominations-2014-list-wga/ . December 6, 2013 . live.
  27. Web site: The Americans – Finalized Street Date, Extras, Packaging for 'The Complete 1st Season' . TVShowsOnDVD.com . David . Lambert . December 4, 2013 . December 4, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131207182746/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Americans-Season-1/19234 . December 7, 2013.
  28. Web site: The Americans – Season 1 [Blu-ray] ]. Amazon.co.uk . August 21, 2013.