5 Things to Know About NBC's 'American Odyssey'
A soldier (Anna Friel) stranded in hostile territory.
A corporate lawyer (Peter Facinelli) who stumbles onto a case of international corruption.
An activist (Jake Robinson) who stumbles onto a conspiracy that reaches into the upper echelon of the military.
Those are the three hyperlinked storylines that thread their way through American Odyssey, NBC’s new action drama. Premiering on April 5, the series is overseen by Adam Armus and Kay Foster, whose credits include Heroes and The Following. The show’s producers pass along five need-to-know details about American Odyssey.
1. It’s Got a New Title
Up until about a month ago, the series was simply known as Odyssey, which the producers say was inspired by the classic Greek poem — the story of another soldier who was stranded abroad and had to fight their way home. But then as Armus and Foster were bunkered in the editing room putting the series together, NBC wondered if that title was encompassing enough. “We said, ‘Do you have any other ideas?’” remembers Armus. “And they picked out American Odyssey, and we were like, ‘That works.’ It’s basically an American soldier’s story, and there are lots of characters in it that support that story.” Along with the new title, the network also gifted the producers with a new poster, one that depicted Friel in fatigues looking ready for the fight ahead. “She became much more aggressive [in that poster]; I think they wanted to make the audience realize she’s not just a victim, but also fights back. And that’s a good thing.”
Related: NBC Promos ‘American Odyssey’ Spy Thriller via Google Maps Pact
It doesn’t hurt, of course, that the new title and the new poster both echo the recent box office hit American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as fallen soldier, Chris Kyle. While Armus declines to specify if that consideration was behind the title switch, he’s happy to reap the benefits. “If it makes people watch because of American Sniper, absolutely!” he says with a laugh.
2. Anna Friel Transformed Herself Into a Fighting Machine
Best known on these shores for her far more whimsical role in the cult comedy, Pushing Daisies, Friel wasn’t the obvious choice to play a U.S. military operative stranded behind enemy lines. And, at first, the producers were dubious as well. “We talked to a lot of actresses about the role, and we thought about having someone bigger and more imposing looking, because the role requires a lot of physicality,” Armus says. “But Anna came in and auditioned and she was absolutely phenomenal. You don’t think of Anna Friel in this way, but when we saw her do it, she was the best.” And Foster adds that the actress attacked pre-production boot camp with the same ferocity that she attacked her audition. “She spent time with the soldiers during her training. She was awesome on that front, and really believable as a soldier.”
3. The Producers Almost Predicted the Future
Armus and Foster first put pen to paper for American Odyssey four years ago in 2011, when American troops were returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the Occupy movement was front and center on these shores. Wanting to capture that moment in time, but also not seem behind the times, they kept a close eye on the news as they crafted the story. And when they saw reports of terrorist groups like Al Qaeda leaving the Middle East for North Africa, they promptly shifted the setting of American Odyssey to that continent, a change that anticipated the current state of affairs in nations like Libya. “It all kind of fell together as we were adjusting it over the years and that enabled us to keep writing scripts and make it relevant,” Armus explains.
4. The Story Is Scarily Realistic
Sure, a lot of American Odyssey has been heightened for dramatic effect. But the producers rooted a lot of the bigger issues and incidents in reality, inspired by such documentaries as Dirty Wars and the Oscar-winning CITIZENFOUR, and news stories like the tensions between U.S. troops and private military contractors. “There are over 100 private military organizations in North Africa and the Middle East,” Armus says. “We thought, ‘That’s where a story lies. Who are these operators and what is their story?’” The producers also consulted with a military advisor to make sure they had their details correct. “We asked him if our story was believable, and he said ‘It’s the tip of the iceberg,’” says Foster. “That’s a scary thought.”
Related: ‘Smallville’ Alum Allison Mack Gets Pulled Into NBC’s ‘American Odyssey’
5. The Conspiracy Ain’t Over in the Finale
While Armus says that the series finale will provide closure to some storylines, American Odyssey is an open-ended series. “It’s a show that can last several seasons. We plan to keep the same characters, just spin them off into different consequences and circumstances. This one particular problem may go away, but problems persist throughout the world. We haven’t decided [what country] we’ll take the story next year, but we’re thinking about Northern Ireland, South America, and Central America. We’re thinking about places were there is unrest and people are feeling subjugated and trying to fight for the truth.”
American Odyssey premieres Sunday, April 5 at 10 p.m. on NBC.
