NBC Wants to Save Money, but Doesn’t – Meet Persons Unknown

So, NBC has made a big deal about saving money. One of the best ways to do that (aside from airing a comedy program five nights a week) is to take part in international co-productions. Pay for half plus you get different styles and feels for series than the usual broadcast fare.

Well, so far NBC swiftly canceled its three international co-productions last year, Crusoe, The Listener, and The Philanthropist. The Listener especially hampered by a horrible lead-in courtesy of 30 Rock repeats. (Yet the series did very well in Canada.)

Another co-production, Persons Unknown is waiting in the wings. 13 episodes ready to go and with NBC filling slots on its line-up post-Olympics… they pass on this drama. After NBC’s episode count confirmation today, Persons Unknown is still on deck, but don’t hold your breath it’ll actually air (in the US at least). Right John Cho? (*cough*The Singles Table*cough*)

Anyway, here’s the trailer for the series and it seems very Prisoner/Twin Peaks-y with a little Kidnapped:


The series was originally developed for Sci Fi but scooped up by big sister NBC.
Here is the series description via The Futon Critic:
“From Academy Award-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Usual Suspects’), who executive produces with Heather McQuarrie, ‘Persons Unknown’ is a surreal mind-game of a series centering on a group of strangers who awaken in a deserted town with no memory of how they arrived, only to realize that there is no escape. Watched by omnipresent security cameras, their every attempt at leaving the town’s borders is thwarted by mysterious forces. The only source of information is fed randomly through remotely controlled televisions, and as mistrust begins to breed, every alliance will be tested, especially when new guests begin to arrive. ‘Persons Unknown’ is from Fox Television Studios.”

The Futon Critic also has a preview of the pilot and their thoughts on it. Sounds promising… if NBC actually airs it.
Here is the official website featuring the trailer: https://personsunknown.com/

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