InSecurity is a Canadian spy comedy television series that aired on CBC Television from 2011 to 2012. The series centres on a team of covert operatives working for the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), a fictional Canadian intelligence service. The series is set in Ottawa but filmed primarily in Regina, Saskatchewan. The initial season of 13 episodes premiered January 4, 2011.[1] It was followed by a second season of 10 episodes before cancellation by CBC on April 19, 2012 due to budget cuts from the 2012 Canadian federal budget.[2]
| InSecurity | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy drama |
| Created by | Kevin White Robert de Lint Virginia Thompson |
| Written by | Kevin White |
| Directed by | Robert de Lint Ron Murphy Jeff Beesley |
| Starring | Natalie Lisinska William deVry Rémy Girard Matthew MacFadzean Grace Lynn Kung Richard Yearwood Ali Kazmi |
| Theme music composer | The Asteroids Galaxy Tour |
| Opening theme | The Sun Ain't Shining No More |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 23 (and 1 pilot) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producers | Kevin White Virginia Thompson Robert de Lint |
| Production locations | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | Vérité Films Inc. Company Name Here Productions Inc. |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC |
| Release | January 4 – December 12, 2011 |
One of the producers called it "the 24 of Canada";[1] one writer described it as "24 without Jack Bauer; CSI minus the science; and James Bond - if James Bond were Mr. Bean."[3]
The initial pilot focused on the tedium involved in electronic eavesdropping but the decision was made that it would be too "niche". A second pilot was done with a more 24 approach.[1]
Overview edit
The series revolves around a team of incompetent spy-catchers who work for the Canadian National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), a fictional intelligence gathering agency.[4]
- Natalie Lisinska as Alex Cranston, the leader of the team[5]
- William deVry as Peter McNeil, the director of NISA.[5]
- Richard Yearwood as Benjamin N’udu, a loyal and slightly deranged former agent of the fictional Ligerian Secret Service.[5]
- Rémy Girard as Claude Lesage, a veteran French Canadian NISA agent.
- Matthew MacFadzean as Burt Wilson, an incompetent NISA agent that's always getting himself and others into trouble.
- Grace Lynn Kung as Jojo Kwan, a brilliant scientist and NISA agent.
- Ali Kazmi as Nigel
Episodes edit
Pilot (2010) edit
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "B Team" | Robert De Lint | Kevin White | April 27, 2010 | |
| Alex Taylor, a team leader at the Canadian Intelligence and Security Establishment, is tasked to spy on an unemployed shoe salesman who is potentially a Chechen operative. Lesage anonymously gives the Chechen a model train starter kit to enliven his dull life. When Alex sees the surveillance video she believes that the friends who are visiting are using the model train as a cover for a bigger terrorist conspiracy until she gets the translation of video which confirms they are 'nerds playing with trains'. A moment later Burt mistakes modelling clay for C-4 explosives. The A team, led by Alex's ex-boyfriend Peter, are tasked to take down the Chechen and his friends. After Lesage informs Alex that it is not explosives and says that Nathan, the new kid on the team, gave the Chechen the train set Alex confesses to everyone that there are no explosives and it was all a mistake. | ||||
Season 1 (2011) edit
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | CAN. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Doctor" | Robert DeLint | Jennifer Whalen | January 4, 2011 | 0.724[6] | |
| Alex Cranston, a team leader at the National Intelligence and Security Agency, is held captive by uranium smugglers. When NISA agents notice her missing, they attempt to rescue her relatively unharmed, while an interrogation specialist — her old high-school classmate Randy Nussbaum — extracts valuable information. | ||||||
| 2 | "Keeping Up With The Laslovs" | Jeff Beesley | Kevin White & Jennifer Whalen | January 11, 2011 | 0.526[6] | |
| Thinking that they are their new neighbors, a Russian couple in possession of stolen Canadian submarine plans unwittingly invite Alex and Peter, who are tasked with retrieving the plans, into their home for vodka. While keeping tabs on the situation, the other team members are caught by uninvited Russian guests. | ||||||
| 3 | "View To A Nursing Home" | Robert DeLint | Jennifer Whalen | January 18, 2011 | 0.356[7] | |
| After an attempted bombing of the National Arts Council by a right-wing terrorist group known as the "Ottawa Eight", the team runs surveillance on the terrorists responsible from the ideal location — the nursing-home room inhabited by Alex's grouchy grandmother. | ||||||
| 4 | "The Ligerian Candidate" | Robert DeLint | Kevin White & Dylan Wertz | January 25, 2011 | 0.523[8] | |
| Due to post-hypnotic suggestion, N'udu is sent to kill his old friend Masud, a former Ligerian Secret Service agent, and the very man that NISA is protecting at a familiar safehouse. | ||||||
| 5 | "Recycle After Reading" | Ron Murphy | Marvin Kaye & Chris Sheasgreen | February 1, 2011 | 0.463[9] | |
| After a booze-filled night out with Alex, Peter discovers the Jericho file no longer in his possession. As these documents contain crucial information on all NISA undercover agents, the team is tasked to recover them before they can be made into a young schoolgirl's art project. | ||||||
| 6 | "Return of the Deadeye" | Ron Murphy | Max B. Reid & Adam M. Reid | February 8, 2011 | 0.449[10] | |
| Tasked with assassinating a Spanish assassin, the team becomes desperate as their various plans fail to work. Upset that he wasn't included, Claude goes rogue. | ||||||
| 7 | "Spies on Ice" | Robert DeLint | Story by : Max B. Reid, Adam M. Reid & Kevin White Teleplay by : Kevin White | February 15, 2011 | 0.485[11] | |
| Burt retrieves nuclear secrets from the car of Dr. Ho Lung, a North Korean spy attending his son's hockey try out. Alex and Peter pose as the parents of Peter's son in order to buy Burt time. | ||||||
| 8 | "The Kwan Identity" | Ron Murphy | Kevin White & Dylan Wertz | February 22, 2011 | 0.356[12] | |
| JoJo goes undercover as the girlfriend of a Chinese drug dealer who is supplying a neo-Irish Republican Army group with explosives to blow up Queen Elizabeth II. When Alex backs her car into JoJo, she begins to believe that she is Vivian, her undercover alias. The team needs JoJo to continue her work, but Vivian is less than agreeable. | ||||||
| 9 | "El Negotiator" | Robert DeLint | Kevin White & Tim Polley | March 1, 2011 | 0.336[13] | |
| Alex's night off is interrupted when the party she and the team are attending is taken hostage by Mexican terrorists who demand that Canada's government release a member of the group. While Peter makes unsatisfactory attempts at hostage negotiation, N'udu is shot, and the NISA agents are discovered. | ||||||
| 10 | "The Ghost" | Jeff Beesley | Marvin Kaye & Chris Sheasgreen | March 8, 2011 | 0.294[14] | |
| Claude's old friend, Joshua "The Ghost" Crane, a known master of evasion who left NISA eight years ago, is captured with a USB drive that implicates him as being connected to Somali terrorists. However, while the team learns that the group's leaders' names are actually Arabic translations of popular Middle Eastern dishes, he proves the flaws in NISA's security. | ||||||
| 11 | "Going Dutch" | Ron Murphy | Kevin White & Dylan Wertz | March 15, 2011 | 0.409[15] | |
| Alex fears that the Dutch Secret Service has reprogrammed Burt, whom the team must exchange for a captured Dutch spy, to serve as a mole against Canada. | ||||||
| 12 | "Get Cranston" | Robert DeLint | Rebecca Addelman & Jennifer Whalen | March 22, 2011 | 0.321[16] | |
| When a crazed killer targets Alex, NISA must sift through hundreds of suspects but fails to catch the would-be assassin — a university classmate, Penny Cryer, whose nose Alex had broken while playing volleyball. | ||||||
| 13 | "Death By Birthday" | Robert DeLint | Kevin White | March 29, 2011 | 0.362[17] | |
| Alex's birthday takes a turn for the worse when someone sends her a card containing highly concentrated anthrax powder, which is set to kill the entire team (with the exception of Burt) inside of four hours. | ||||||
Season 2 (2011) edit
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | CAN. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | "Agent Oo La La" | Ron Murphy | Mike McPhaden | October 3, 2011 | 0.237[18] | |
| Claude learns that his coworkers have been making fun of his fashion when WikiLeaks releases information on NISA. A series of polygraph tests to find the mole worries Burt, as he is dating the test administrator's girlfriend. Alex attempts to calm the nerves of an informant. | ||||||
| 15 | "The Gift of Life" | Robert DeLint | Kate Hewlett & Kevin White | October 10, 2011 | 0.320[19] | |
| Alex dons a disguise to gain the trust of a pregnant suspect. Burt is saddened by a friend's declining health, causing N'udu to offer a kidney. | ||||||
| 16 | "The Spy Whisperer" | Robert DeLint | Tim Polley & Kevin White | October 17, 2011 | 0.192[20] | |
| While under anesthesia, Alex expresses a personal interest in Peter. Meanwhile, after Burt finds a birth certificate for him, N'udu seeks to take advantage of the time he has left. | ||||||
| 17 | "The Spy Who Fed Me" | Robert DeLint | Jenn Engels & Kevin White | October 24, 2011 | 0.193[21] | |
| Alex's mother undermines her authority at NISA. Burt learns about 'stakeout make-out' when he is tasked on a stakeout with JoJo. | ||||||
| 18 | "Anger Management"[22] | Ron Murphy | Jenn Engels | October 31, 2011 | 0.239[23] | |
| The team is on each other's case when Peter doesn't credit Alex for her role in a secret operation, Claude overhears Burt complaining about him to a psychiatrist, and N'udu suspects Jojo of harboring anger. | ||||||
| 19 | "Spies of a Certain Age" | Robert DeLint | Matt Kippen & Kevin White | November 7, 2011 | N/A | |
| A visiting tech specialist leads Alex into a night of quickly regretted drunken debauchery. Meanwhile, a slip-up complicates Claude and Burt's rural road-trip. | ||||||
| 20 | "Spy Bites Dog"[22] | Jeff Beesley | Denis McGrath | November 14, 2011 | 0.258[24] | |
| Jojo tries to help Alex overcome her dog problems. Claude resents N'udu over his apparent wealth. Peter feels the need to prove his manliness when he learns that Burt used to wrestle. | ||||||
| 21 | "Agent Ex" | Robert DeLint | Matt Doyle & Kevin White | November 28, 2011 | 0.213[25] | |
| In attempt to gain intel, JoJo dates an ex of Alex, troubling Burt. As JoJo's relationship becomes less than professional, Alex's resurfacing feelings bother JoJo and Peter. Claude feigns interest in N'udu's homeland to gain intel of his own – strategies for beating a video game. | ||||||
| 22 | "The Spy, the Friend and her Lover" | Jeff Beesley | Tim Polley & Kevin White | December 5, 2011 | 0.226[26] | |
| An old college roommate visits Alex, and hooks up with N'udu at Alex's condo. The upcoming wedding of two NISA employees stirs JoJo's feelings toward Burt. | ||||||
| 23 | "I Spy Peter" | Robert DeLint | Tim Polley | December 12, 2011 | N/A | |
| JoJo poses as Claude's mail-order bride, Alex investigates Peter under suspicion of unauthorized dealings with a Russian agent, and Burt wastes N'udu's tickets to a soccer game. | ||||||
Reception edit
The CBC Television premiere episode was viewed by approximately 724,000 people.[27]
On February 11, 2011, CBC announced that the show was renewed for a second season.[28]
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Presenter | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Gemini Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role | Grace Lynn Kung | Lost to Tracy Dawson (Call Me Fitz) [29] |
Home release edit
'InSecurity: The Complete First Season' is on DVD in region 0.[30] It was released on November 8, 2011.[31]
References edit
- ^ a b c Will Chabun (2010-12-21). "Filmed in Regina, TV show 'InSecurity' debuts in 2011". vancouversun.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-16. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
- ^ Ryan, Andrew (April 19, 2012). "CBC puts Battle of the Blades on hold". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
- ^ Sheri Levine (2010-12-28). "InSecure nation". www.canada.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-24. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
- ^ Levine, Sheri (January 4, 2011). "CBC's InSecurity is a Canadian twist on James Bond". The Province. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ a b c "TRICON LAUNCHES "INSECURITY", A NEW CBC COMEDY SERIES AT MIPCOM". Archived from the original on 2011-11-08. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ a b Brioux, Bill (January 12, 2011). "New CBC shows take tumble in Week Two". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (January 20, 2011). "CBC will be in double jeopardy without Jeopardy". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (January 26, 2011). "Rick Mercer Report hits record high". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (February 8, 2011). "Ratings across Canada Jan. 31 – Feb. 6". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (February 11, 2011). "CBC renews 22 Minutes, Erica, Mosque, adds five". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (February 22, 2011). "Ratings across Canada Feb. 14 to 20". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (February 24, 2011). "Out at CBC: 18 to Life and Dragon Brett Wilson". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (March 8, 2011). "Ratings across Canada Feb. 28 to March 6". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (March 15, 2011). "Ratings across Canada March 7 to 13". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (March 22, 2011). "Ratings across Canada March 14 to 20". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (March 30, 2011). "Ratings across Canada March 21 to 27". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (April 5, 2011). "Ratings across Canada March 28 to April 3". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (October 12, 2011). "The Brioux Report: Don Cherry helps Hockey Night in Canada to a Top 3 finish behind only Big Bang and House". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (October 19, 2011). "The Brioux Report: Where have all the CBC viewers gone this season?". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (October 25, 2011). "The Brioux Report: CTV wins again with The Big Bang Theory; World Series grounds out". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (November 2, 2011). "The Brioux Report: Big Bang still rules, but Rob Ford gets his 22 Minutes of fame". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ a b "TBTV Shows – Insecurity". CKPR-DT. Retrieved November 26, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Brioux, Bill (November 9, 2011). "The Brioux Report: Bang still big, X Factor no longer a factor in Canadian Top 10". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (November 22, 2011). "The Brioux Report: Goodbye Reege, hello Santa as House and the AMAs make the TV top 10". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (December 7, 2011). "The Brioux Report: Russell Peters beats Wonderful Life in Christmas TV showdown". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (December 14, 2011). "The Brioux Report: How the Grinch stole Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays". Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ^ "Pillars, InSecurity off to secure starts at CBC". 2011-01-06. Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
- ^ Weinman, Jaime (February 11, 2011). "CBC Renews Lots of Stuff". Maclean's. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
- ^ "Canada's Awards Database: 26th Geminis". Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ "CBC".[dead link]
- ^ "InSecurity - Our Spy Spotted a 'Season 1' Set is Coming Very Soon". Archived from the original on 2011-10-28.
