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NBC's 'Taken': Standen, Beals Only Returning Regulars For Season 2
NBC announced that Taken, the network's dramatic series prequel to the hit action film franchise, would be undergoing a major overhaul beginning with the second season that will include a change in creative direction and six series regulars exiting the show. Gaius Charles (John), Brooklyn Sudano (Asha), Monique Gabriela Curnen (Vlasik), Michael Irby (Scott), Jose Pablo Cantillo (Dave) and James Landry Hébert (Rem) will not be back for Taken's sixteen-episode season; leaving Clive Standen (Bryan Mills) and Jennifer Beals (Christina Hart) as the only two regulars returning to the show.
Person of Interest EP Greg Plageman takes over for Alexander Cary as showrunner after Cary departed the series once it was renewed by NBC in May. Taken stands as a prequel to the hit Liam Neeson action franchise of, with Standen (Vikings) taking on the role of former Green Beret and future family man Bryan Mills. After suffering a personal tragedy that shatters his life, Mills is recruited by the CIA to for various missions that will allow Mills to acquire a "very particular set of skills" that will serve him well in the future. Insiders are expecting the show to take-on more of a procedural structure going into the second season, similar to NBC's Blindspot and The Blacklist.
Although renewed for a second season, Taken was moved from its original fall premiere and relocated as a midseason series. Ratings-wise, the ten-episode first season only averaged a 1.0 rating and 5.1 million viewers in its Monday, 10 PM time slot but its saving grace is that the show has gained some traction internationally and is relatively inexpensive to produce. Taken guru Luc Besson serves as executive producer along with Matthew Gross, Edouard de Vesinne, Thomas Anargyros, and Cary. EuropaCorp TV and Universal Television produce.
For those of you not familiar with the series, here's a small sample of what Taken had to offer in its first season:
https://youtu.be/KfImQeo3Y1k