Tag Archives: Breakout Kings

A&E cancels ‘Breakout Kings’ after two seasons

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Today cable network A&E cancelled addicting drama Breakout Kings after two seasons of holding modest ratings. From Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora (the creators of FOX’s Prison Break), Breakout Kings followed a special task force consisting of U.S. marshals and convicts whose goal was to chase down and lock up criminals. Though season 1 was criticized for lack of character development, season 2 made up for it by delving directly into the psyche of arguably the most interesting and entertaining character of the series, Lloyd Lowery (played by the brilliant Jimmi Simpson). Spoiler alert… Season 2 also happened to open with a major death, that of U.S. Marshal Charlie Duchamp (Laz Alonso). The loss of Alonso was hard-hitting, but it also accelerated the series in many ways: Zancanelli allotted the Kings more freedom in terms of how they assisted in tracking down criminals on the loose, and the death sparked the season long arc (and oh-so-gratifying conclusion) involving the maniac Damien Fontleroy (props to Jason Behr for a killer performance).

Spoiler alert… Season 2 ended not so long ago with the Kings in a sticky situation. The U.S. Marshals Chief Director gave the trio an offer they seemingly could not refuse: if they tell the truth about Damien’s fall and turn in Ray they will be immediately released from prison with time served. Thankfully, and in a rare move, co-showrunner Santora shed light on the direction the show would have taken if it had continued on. Via Twitter: “How it ends. BOKs pretend to turn Ray in but double cross Marshals so they go free & Ray walks. Shea gets rich w/ elbow savers. Erica raises daughter in the country. Ray starts private security biz, lives near his daughter. Lloyd & Jules marry. Name their son Charlie.” He concluded, “Wish A&E kept BOK going. Matt and I don’t own the show. So when it’s cancelled, it’s over. Goodbye to the BOK fans. Thanx for the support.” While Santora is now looking for his next show to work on, his partner Olmstead has already moved on to executive produce the upcoming NBC drama Chicago Fire. (Update (5/18): Santora has joined the CBS Dennis Quaid/Michael Chiklis period drama Vegas as co-executive producer.)

The tag for this season was “one king will fall.” Unfortunately, they all fell by season’s end. And it was because of a force infinitely more powerful and twisted than Damien Fontleroy: ratings. Ray, Shamus, Erica, Lloyd, Jules. Your antics will be missed.

[Via Deadline 1, 2]

This week in NEW TV: ‘Breakout Kings’ & ‘Breaking In’

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SUNDAY (3/4)

Breakout Kings — A&E — 10PM

A&E’s breakout drama from 2011 is back. From the producers of Prison Break Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora, Breakout Kings is centered around a special task force led by veteran U.S. Marshal Charlie Duchamp (Laz Alonso) and a former one Ray Zancanelli (Domenick Lombardozzi). In season one, the Marshals came up with this ingenious plan: collect convicts and have them help catch other cons. Last year’s season tag, of course, was “it takes a con to catch a con.” The incentive? For each con they help the Marshals capture, their jail sentence gets reduced by one month and they get transferred to a more friendly minimum-security facility. The resourceful cons are ex-gangbanger Shea Daniels (Malcolm Goodwin), bounty hunter with anger issues Erica Reed (Serinda Swan) and the brilliant factist-not-racist Dr. Lloyd Lowery (Jimmi Simpson). Also part of the task force is Julianne Simms (Brooke Nevin), the neurotic analyst who stations herself at their Brooklyn headquarters.

What can you expect to see in season 2? In an interview with TVLine, Serinda Swan spilled some details. “We have this through line of Damien [the season premiere’s elusive target], which is pretty cool. But the main thing we heard from the fans last year was the desire to know more about the characters’ stories, about their lives, to see them interact more. And I think [series creators] Matt [Olmstead] and Nick [Santora] and the whole writing team did a wonderful job listening, because this year they did that. As a result, we got to have more fun, and we get more laughs. For example, there is a lot of humor in the breakouts. You’ll have [a convict] running naked across a field, while all of us are staring at each other like, “What exactly is going on here?”

Then there’s this: the tag for season two (as revealed in the key art pasted above) is “one king will fall.” Now get this: the name of the premiere episode is “An Unjust Death.” Will one of the Kings perish in tonight’s opener, drastically changing the show’s dynamic? Tune in at 10PM on A&E.

TUESDAY (3/6)

Breaking In — FOX — 9:30PM

This right here is proof that TV shows can in fact come back from the dead. After airing just seven episodes last year, FOX cancelled the modestly rated workplace comedy Breaking In. And then it was decided that it would make for a great midseason replacement on FOX’s Tuesday night comedy lineup while Glee is on hiatus. So now it’s back and this is definitely a show you need to put on your (DVR) schedule.

It’s quirky, it’s fun, and best, it’s different. In sum, Christian Slater plays a master of manipulation at Contra Security, a company that gets hired to break into places to test their security systems and make them more secure if they’re found to be weak. In season one, nearly every episode involved Slater and his team (Bret Harrison, Alphonso McAuley, Trevor Moore, and Odette Annable) breaking into people’s homes, companies, whatever and we laughed at all the antics that went on at the office. This season co-creator Adam F. Goldberg promises more laughs because the show will truly shine as a workplace comedy and most of the action will take place at Contra. Other changes this year: Trevor Moore’s master of disguise character is out, Annable sexy Melanie will be mostly absent due to her obligations at House (will her boyfriend Dutch (Michael Rosenbaum) return, we don’t know), and Megan Mullally is in as a series regular. She plays Slater’s boss, and British bombshell Erin Richards will factor into things as her assistant.

Missed out on season one? No worries. You can easily hop into Breaking In tonight and see what you missed out on. This show was resurrected for a reason: it’s good. The season two opener airs Tuesday night at 9:30PM on FOX.

A&E renews ‘Breakout Kings’ for a second season

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I’ve got great news for fans of Dr. Lloyd Lowery and all his hilarious eccentricities: after a solid debut A&E has granted Breakout Kings a second season! Laz Alonso, Domenick Lombardozzi, and their gang of ‘Breakout Kings’ (Malcolm Goodwin, Jimmi Simpson, Serinda Swan, and let’s not forget analyst Brooke Nevin) are set to return in all-new episodes sometime next year. The show from the producers of Prison Break premiered with the highest demo numbers for an A&E drama series (1.5 million adults 18-49 and 1.6 million adults 25-54) and averaged about 2.2 million viewers throughout the season.

[Via Deadline; EW-InsideTV]

TV Reminder: Robert Knepper reprises T-Bag tonight on ‘Breakout Kings’

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Prison Break fans, listen here: Robert Knepper will reprise Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell, the slimy, handicapped villain from Prison Break, on tonight’s episode of Breakout Kings. In an interview with TVLine, Knepper shared his excitement about bring back the fan favorite everyone loved to loathe.

“Nick Santora – one of my favorite writers on Prison Break – wrote me an email right before we started shooting, saying, “You know what? I think this might be the best dialogue I’ve ever written for T-Bag.” And I’m here to tell you it was. It was all the familiar things you love to hate about T-Bag – the danger, the humor – but it was interesting to highlight him in this episode by saying, “Let’s try to get in his head a bit. Let’s figure out why he’s doing this.” And the pathos and emotion that comes out is just…. I could not have just jumped into this thing if I hadn’t had four years of basically getting ready for it.”

When asked why is escapes prison this time around he said, “There is a huge reason. I’m not going to give it away, because it’s so beautiful, and it’s such an incredibly important reason. I will tell you that he’s not escaping to escape. It’s not just, “I want to be free.” He has a very, very specific reason for doing it, and it will break your heart.”

Knepper’s four-episode guest stint on Breakout Kings begins tonight in “The Bag Man” at 10PM on A&E. Check out a handful of images in the gallery below.

[Images via IGN]

Reminder: ‘Breakout Kings’ premieres tonight on A&E [Update: Strong ratings!]

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I consider the 2005-2009 FOX series Prison Break to be one of the most thrilling and entertaining serialized programs produced for television. The Break writer/producer team Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora is ready for a second outing in a familiar setting. Tonight is the series premiere of Breakout Kings, an ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run. “It takes a con to catch a con” is the show’s slogan–sounds like a fun concept. If you’re a loyal Break fan then obviously you know what to expect from Olmstead and Santora; namely edge-of-your-seat action sequences and smart, witty dialogue. Though Kings will play out more like a procedural (the show will focus on a new criminal each week), it is being described as a character-based show so the relationships and personalities that form amongst the ensemble cast of cops and convicts will play an integral part in the show’s development. If you need a solid reason to tune in each week here it is: Break’s Robert Knepper will be reprising the brilliantly sinister Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell later this season in a four episode arc!

Breakout Kings begins its 13-episode season tonight at 10PM on A&E. Check out stills from the pilot below, and click here to read more about show.

Bonus! Click here to watch the producers discuss the round table writing process.

Update: The Breakout Kings premiere received the highest demo numbers for an A&E drama series–1.5 million adults 18-49 and 1.6 million adults 25-54. That’s up 25% and 14%, respectively, from the network’s previous ratings record holder The Glades (which premiered in July 2010). In terms of total viewership, Kings‘ 2.9 million viewers did not beat out The Glades‘ undisputed record of 3.6 million. Says Bob DeBitetto, President and general manager of A&E and BIO: “Breakout Kingsis a smart, action-packed drama with great storytelling and authentic well-drawn characters. Clearly the series has struck a chord with the younger viewers.” Yes, yes it has.

[Images via IGN; Deadline]

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Trailer: A&E’s ‘Breakout Kings’

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A&E’s upcoming drama from the producers of Prison Break is almost here. Quench your anticipation with this here trailer which includes glimpses into the season as well as thoughts from the main cast and producers.

Because there’s nothing more dangerous than a convict on the run, we decided to use fugitives to help catch a fugitive. Get it, got it, good. ..Oh, and did you catch the return of Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell, hm pretty?

Breakout Kings premieres Sunday, March 6 at 10PM on A&E.

‘Breakout Kings’ producers compare ‘Prison Break’ to their upcoming A&E series

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As you know, Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora collaborated on the 2005-2009 FOX series Prison Break and now their working together again on another fugitive-themed show called Breakout Kings.  At the Television Critics Association last week they talked about their “love [for] law-breaking.”  On teaming up with Santora for a second time, Olmstead said, “So we just wanted to kind of have fun on the show and keep on working together. So that was the main attraction for me.”  He continued, “What was attractive was not only the momentum of storytelling that you get when you have a fugitive on the run — as opposed to a dead body where there’s a little bit more time to find that person because that dead body is not going anywhere — it was also about the theme that helped kind of unlock the show for us when we’d start to first talk about it, which was everybody is running from something. And so it really kind of unlocked the characters in that we then went in and made sure that all of the characters had that thing that they were running from and towards.”

Refresher: Breakout Kings follows an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run.  Laz Alonzo (Avatar) and Domenick Lombardozzi (The Wire) are the veteran U.S. Marshals; their special task force is comprised of Jimmi Simpson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Malcolm Goodwin (American Gangster) and Serinda Swan (Smallville); Brooke Nevin (The 4400) is a civilian who assists the group.

Expect the villains to be terribly awful criminals.  Santora says, “It’s integral. You have to have really bad, bad guys, or there’s just no stakes from the beginning of the episode. At the same time, each week it can’t be the Son of Sam who is breaking out of prison. It would get repetitive. So it’s a challenge, and we have been so fortunate this year. The actors were just telling Matt and I how great the guest actors are that we’ve had this season on the show.”  Just last week I reported on two of the show’s guest actors: Lost’s Mark Pellegrino and Prison Break vet Robert Knepper.  Knepper will be reprising Break‘s T-Bag for a four-episode arc.  The producers were asked if we can expect other Break alum to come on as surprise guests and Santora replied, “You never say never, but we don’t want it to become a reunion show where we are constantly bringing guys back from Prison Break. And I think we can say safely of all of the bad guys on Prison Break, how are you going to top T-Bag? T-Bag is T-Bag.”  Very true. Continue reading ‘Breakout Kings’ producers compare ‘Prison Break’ to their upcoming A&E series →

It’s official: Robert Knepper will reprise T-Bag in A&E’s ‘Breakout Kings’, bringing Lost’s Jacob with him

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Good news all around!  Back in early October Prison Break producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora shared their interest in reviving Prison‘s ultimate villain Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell for their new fugitive-themed drama Breakout Kings.  And guess what?  Since 20th Century Fox approved the character crossover, actor Robert Knepper has agreed to bring him back.  Not only has he agreed, he’s overly excited to do so.  In an interview with Give Me My Remote, he shared his elation about working with Olmstead and Santora again.  It’s going to be a pretty wild ride. It’s a very trusting thing I have with these guys,” said Knepper. “We spent four years together. All the writers and I, we always wrote back and called each other and said really positive things to each other in those four years. I have tremendous faith in them and I’m not worried at all about what they’re going to do.”  He continued, “It may be career suicide, but I loved playing T-Bag. This is a very, very funny, deep, complex character who really scared the sh– out of people and yet people loved him.”  If you’re a Prison Break fan, you should read the entire interview; Knepper goes down memory lane reminiscing about how much he loved playing T-Bag, especially in season one which he describes as “sheer gold.”  He also says that he might land a part in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming series Alcatraz–now wouldn’t that be something!  He says that T-Bag is locked into at least one episode, but if all goes well I’m hoping that the guest role becomes something more substantial.

Lost fan are you now?  According to TV Line, the man who played Island protector Jacob–Mark Pellegrino–has been cast as a “trained assassin” and will appear in episode ten of the series.  Pellegrino is Virgil Downing, “a notorious international contract killer who always gets the job done…Although he’s suspected in at least-three dozen other killings, his only conviction was for murdering a police commissioner — six years prior to breaking out of his maximum-security cell.”

Breakout Kings is “a new action-packed ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run.”  Originally pitched to FOX but later picked up by A&E, the series is set to premiere on Sunday, March 14 at 10PM.

[Via GiveMeMyRemote; TVLine]

Robert Knepper to revive ‘Prison Break’ baddie T-Bag in upcoming A&E series ‘Breakout Kings’?!

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Well that’s the plan, according to Breakout Kings producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora.  The former Prison Break producers want veteran actor Robert Knepper to play Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell in the their upcoming fugitive-themed drama.  According to various sources, EW’s Michael Ausiello reports that 20th Century Fox, the studio behind Break and Kings has “signed off on the [character] crossover.”  All there’s left to do is get Knepper on board to play the part again.  If my memory serves me right (of course it does!), T-Bag was voted by the Brothers Scofield and Co. in the Prison Break series finale and to be forced to go back to jail.  He’s scum, and that’s where he belonged.

Though both shows revolve around the life of fugitives, Breakout Kings has a slightly altered plotline.  It’s being described as “a new action-packed ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run.”  I really hope Knepper bites the bait (former Prison Break producers are at the helm) and signs on to revive T-Bag for the new series.  T-Bag is a dark, flawed character with quick wits and a totally creepy attitude.  He’s definitely one of the best written villains in recent TV history, so to watch his character make a comeback would be beyond awesome.  Originially produced for FOX, the A&E series will premiere in 2011; 13 one hour episodes have been ordered.  Look after the break for the first teaser trailer.

[Via EW-AusielloFiles; Deadline] Continue reading Robert Knepper to revive ‘Prison Break’ baddie T-Bag in upcoming A&E series ‘Breakout Kings’?! →