Spy Game (TV series)
| Spy Game | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action-adventure/Drama |
| Created by |
John McNamara Ivan Raimi Sam Raimi |
| Written by |
Scott Brown Anne Collins John McNamara Kathy McCormick Eric Morris Gene F. O'Neill David Simkins Noreen Tobin Jeff Vlaming |
| Directed by |
Lou Antonio James Frawley Elodie Keene Winrich Kolbe John T. Kretchmer Les Landau Doug Lefler Alan J. Levi Jefery Levy Martha Mitchell T.J. Scott Oz Scott |
| Starring |
Linden Ashby Allison Smith Bruce McCarty Keith Szarabajka D.D. Howard |
| Composer(s) | Christophe Beck |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (4 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
John McNamara Sam Raimi Robert G. Tapert |
| Producer(s) | Edward Ledding |
| Cinematography | Stephen McNutt |
| Running time |
60 minutes (with commercials) |
| Production company(s) |
McNamara Paper Products, Inc. Renaissance Pictures Warner Bros. Television Universal Television |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | March 3 – July 12, 1997 |
Spy Game is an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC for 13 episodes during the spring and summer of 1997. The series was created by screenwriter and physician Ivan Raimi, director Sam Raimi, and writer John McNamara. The series was originally developed under the title Cloak and Dagger, but was renamed prior to airing.
Plot
The series starred Linden Ashby as Lorne Cash, a retired secret agent who reluctantly agrees to get back into the "spy game" and work for a secret government agency. Following the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the downsizing of international intelligence agencies worldwide, the reduced demand for highly qualified espionage agents has flooded the civilian market with displaced former agents. With the surplus of independent agents running rogue operations, Cash is called in to work with a meager agency whose sole directive is to police these newly freelance spies.
Cash is an "old-school" agent who is more apt to rely on his wits and his fists rather than the latest high-tech gadgets, which occasionally puts him at odds with his gadget-happy (but no less capable) partner, Max London, played by Allison Smith. Despite initial friction, the two quickly establish a rapport (with the usual romantic overtures). Some of the show's humor is generated from Lorne's reluctance to use modern gadgets, as well as the occasional revelations about his past and his high connections. In the premiere episode, for example, Lorne calls the president who is a personal friend and is given a security clearance higher than his boss'.
The series was a throwback to the stylish spy series of the 1960s, with particular comparison being made to The Avengers and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., while at the same time poking fun at the genre. (The opening credits were a parody of the opening credits of The Avengers.) The show's first episode featured cameos by numerous stars of spy shows of the past (including Patrick Macnee and Robert Culp).
Spy Game was canceled after nine of the thirteen episodes produced were aired.
Cast
- Linden Ashby as Lorne Cash
- Allison Smith as Maxine "Max" London
- Bruce McCartyas Micah Simms
- Keith Szarabajka as Shank
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Why Spy?" | March 3, 1997 |
| 1-2 | "With Friends Like These" | March 10, 1997 |
| 1-3 | "Nobody Ever Said Growing Up Was Easy" | March 17, 1997 |
| 1-4 | "Dead and Gone Honey" | June 7, 1997 |
| 1-5 | "You Just Can't Trust Anyone These Days" | June 14, 1997 |
| 1-6 | "What, Micah Worry?" | June 21, 1997 |
| 1-7 | "What Family Doesn't Have Its Ups and Downs" | June 28, 1997 |
| 1-8 | "And That About Concludes Our Session" | July 5, 1997 |
| 1-9 | "Lorne and Max Drop the Ball" | July 12, 1997 |
| 1-10 | "Go, Girl" | Never aired |
| 1-11 | "Necessity is the Mother of Infection" | Never aired |
| 1-12 | "How Diplomatic of You" | Never aired |
| 1-13 | "Well, Nothing to Fear But Death Itself" | Never aired |
Though the last four episodes were never aired in the USA, they were shown overseas, for instance by Channel 4 in the UK (though very late at night).
External links
- Spy Game at the Internet Movie Database
- Spy Game at TV.com
- Spy Game at epguides.com