Some pre-season-three links

[jae]

The producers and lead actors were all at the TCA panel in California this week. Here's a liveblog from Hitfix with the full (somewhat spoilery) scoop on what was said, and a piece from Entertainment Weekly, and another from TVLine.

FX CEO John Landgraf did a bit at the TCA as well, and among other things, he said that he expects the show to run for at least five seasons. (!!!!)

Americans, it looks like the show will soon be viewable on Hulu.

A new U.S. spy drama called Allegiance has been drawing comparisons to The Americans: Hollywood Reporter, IGN.

A Lancaster, Pennsylvania newspaper has an opinion piece about the show.

And for all New Yorkers or people who can get there easily: there is a raffle going on for two tickets to the season three premiere at the Museum of Modern Art. Let us know if you enter, we will cheer you on!

Comments

[sistermagpie]

The Hitfix blog was great and makes things sound really juicy. I hadn't thought about Elizabeth feeling rejected by the difference of opinion but of course that fits with her character - and of course Philip wouldn't get it because, well, he's been living with the opposite for years! I loved how that made it seem like they found a way to tie in the disagreement to something really sweet--like it wasn't just an angry battle but a battle where they're also trying to hold on.

But also the awkward conversation sounds fantastic.

Finally... *snerk* Grievance.

ETA: Also Allegience sounds like, to start with, Americans without the guts. (They don't want to be spies...so we've avoided that pesky loyalty to Russia and made the Centre the bad guys.)

[jae]

The awkward conversation is the bit I most look forward to. I'm trying not to have as high hopes for it as I am tempted to, because man, have I been hoping for a scene like that since day one.

Allegiance is a full-on attempt at a remake of that Israeli show Ta Gordin that treonb hand-subtitled for me last year. So I won't be watching it because it is a rip-off, but it's actually not really a rip-off of The Americans.

-J

[sistermagpie]

Oh, I know it's a remake of the Israeli show but that doesn't change how the premise reads like a version of The Americans with all the problems fixed for a wider network audience, what with the American hero and completely reluctant spies.

[treonb]

I'd just like to add that in the American remake I think they took out some of the parts which most appealed to me.

Part of that is the fact that the original actually made the loyalty problem a real-life issue, and not some old Cold War thing. And though the Russians were the bad guys, they actually had a point.

[sistermagpie]

I am not at all surprised that the Israeli show had something very different going on with it!

[treonb]

Well, I'm hoping they won't change the entire plot.

[wendelah1]

In a way, wouldn't it be better for the new series to go its own way? I haven't seen the original obviously, but given the differences already present, maybe the new series needs to grow from there, and not try to repeat what was already done.

[treonb]

The question is whether they're just a sanitized version of The Americans. If they throw out enough plot points (and it seems that's what they're doing), then the answer becomes: yes.

[(Anonymous)]

It seems such a shame we can't see video of the TCA panel, but the HitFix blog is a good substitute. And there were some nice still photos of the cast and the J's.

CA

[jae]

I think that sort of industry-insider panel is a lot more spoilery than the sort of thing they're normally willing to let out to the general public in advance of a season, so it's probably just as well that we can't see it! But I agree, I'd totally watch it if it were available. :)

-J

[(Anonymous)]

You are no doubt right, but it seems that Matthew let out a pretty big spoiler about his character in a recent interview. I am surprised that he did so. Generally, the actors have been quite cautious in their comments. I suppose that also came from the TCA weekend.