Posted in: Amazon Studios, TV | Tagged: countdown
Countdown: Jensen Ackles Series' Episode Titles Have Extra Meaning
Showrunner/EP Derek Haas explained why the episode titles for Jensen Ackles-starring Countdown are even more important than you might expect.
As we inch closer to the three-episode premiere of Showrunner/EP Derek Haas' Jensen Ackles (The Boys, Supernatural)-starring and executive-producing Countdown on June 25th, we're starting to learn more and more about what we can expect. For example, we now know to pay extra special close attention to the episode titles when they're released. Why? Haas offered the heads-up heading into the weekend that "'Countdown' episode titles are always taken from dialogue" and shared his process in determining the right phrase from the dialogue to choose.
Countdown: A Look at Prime Video's Jensen Ackles-Starring Series
When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles) is recruited to a secret task force, alongside undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement, to investigate. But the hunt for the killer soon uncovers a plot far more sinister than anyone could have imagined, kicking off a race against time to save a city of millions. Ackles's Mark Meachum is described as a rogue L.A. detective, wrong-side-of-the-tracks kind of guy who takes risks that most people wouldn't take. That could make things difficult when Meachum finds himself part of an elite team that also includes Nathan Blythe (Eric Dane), Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho), Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight), Evan Shepherd (Violett Beane), and Lucas Finau (Uli Latukefu).
Speaking exclusively this week with EW, Haas noted that the show's drama won't just be about big action scenes, with Meachum involved in some romantic entanglements. "It's not going to be just one," Haas added about the potential romantic dynamics at play. "I love the triangle. It's my favorite shape. And we're going to have a few of those." In addition, Ackles discussed what it was like working with the ensemble cast, how Supernatural fans might find similarities between Meachum and Dean Winchester, and how the series made him feel a bit like Tom Cruise:
Ackles on Working with the "Countdown" Cast: "It's like every ingredient for a perfect dish. Everybody blends well together. Everybody's so giving and happy to do whatever it takes for the team."
Ackles on Fans Finding Similarities Between Mark Meachum & Dean Winchester: "There's probably going to be some familiarity from that fandom with this guy. It's not like I'm going so opposite spectrum with this character. He's going to be a familiar taste, which is good. I like doing that. I mean, I played Dean for 15 years. I loved playing that kind of a character. And I think this guy is in the vein of that, just with a completely different set of circumstances."
Ackles on Getting "Getting My Tom Cruise On" with "Countdown": "I actually just did some ADR the other day for an action sequence. I was watching it and I was like, 'Oh, I'm getting my Tom Cruise on here. This is some full-on action stuff.'"
