Persons Unknown (TV series)


Persons Unknown is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Christopher McQuarrie that was aired on NBC from June 7 to August 28, 2010, during the summer of 2010. The show revolved around strangers who wake up imprisoned inside a small ghost town with no memory of how they wound up there.
The thirteen-episode summer series premiered on Monday, June 7, 2010 at 10:00 p.m. On June 30, NBC moved the show to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday from its Monday time slot. It completed its run on August 28, 2010.

Overview

Seven diverse strangers, Janet Cooper, Joe Tucker, Moira Doherty, Sergeant Graham McNair, Tori Fairchild, Bill Blackham, and Charlie Morse awaken in a hotel, in a mostly deserted town, with little to no knowledge of how they got there or where they are. The hotel and small 1950s-era town nearby are completely filled with cameras and microphones. Over the course of the following weeks, they are subjected to significant psychological and physical stress. Meanwhile, an investigative reporter begins to look into the disappearances of the missing people despite intimidation by those who apparently know their every move.
Joe is eventually revealed to be a member of "The Program." It is unclear who or what the Program is, or what their motives, resources, or support are. The only indication is that the Program is manipulating them, attempting to influence their behavior, thought patterns, and beliefs.
At the end of the season, despite staging a mass breakout by faking the deaths of everyone in the town except for Joe, all the participants are recaptured, and awaken in an identical hotel built into the hull of a container ship, where the original night manager welcomes them to "Level 2". Joe and Mark Renbe are seen waking in a second hotel, in which Tori Fairchild serves as the hotel manager. Kat Damatto and Ambassador Fairchild are last seen in cages at an undisclosed location.

Cast

Abductees

Persons Unknown was produced by Fox Television Studios through its international model, where series are produced for the United States market with the help of international financing. Filming occurs in foreign locations where production costs are lower, and the series is "pre-sold" to international broadcasters. The completed series is then pitched for sale to American networks for pick up.
Persons Unknown was created by Christopher McQuarrie. In September 2008, Fox announced that it was beginning production of the series, which was co-financed by Televisa in Mexico and Italy's RAI. Filming began in late October 2008 in Mexico City, soon after announcement that Michael Rymer was hired to direct the first episode. Thirteen episodes were produced.
In March 2009, Variety reported that Fox was looking for a network to purchase the series. NBC announced it had acquired the broadcast rights to the series in July 2009.
In July 2010, executive producer Remi Aubuchon promised that the show would “provide all the answers to the questions that we set up”. The series finale was criticized for not following through on this statement. On April 3, 2012, in an interview with CliqueClack TV, producer and writer Remi Aubuchon revealed many of the unanswered plot points of the series, including some of what was planned for a second season.

International broadcast

CountryChannelPremiere date
CanadaZtélé March 15, 2011
FranceTPS StarApril 4, 2011
SerbiaFox Crime
JapanFox Crime
PhilippinesCHASE on BEAM 31
DenmarkTV2 Zulu14 July 2012
GreeceFX
ItalyRai 2
PolandFox Polska2 April 2012
SpainFOX Crime
LithuaniaTV3 Lithuania4 October 2011
Middle East and North AfricaOSN
NetherlandsRTL5
RussiaREN-TV
New ZealandTV3 New Zealand18 February 2012
NorwayTV2
United KingdomSyfy31 October 2011
Czech republicPrima Cool1 July 2012
Belgium2BE21 July 2013
FinlandMTV38 December 2013

DVD release

The complete series DVD, titled "Persons Unknown: The Complete First Season" was intended to be released on September 7, 2010 after being pushed back from an initial August 14, 2010 release. It has yet to be released.

Reception

Critical response

Randee Dawn of Associated Press wrote that its "clever setup and moody atmosphere make this place worth checking into." Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune said the "...pilot efficiently lays out its premise and ratchets up the pressure on the characters, who are only types so far, but it doesn't matter because the plot's the thing here." Overall the show received mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic where it received a score of 49 points out of 100.

Ratings