Hey, what are you watching on TV tonight? That's right, you are watching J.J. Abrams' sexy new spy series, Undercovers, tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC. Wow, good answer, smarty-pants!
Not only does this new series hold serious promise—and deserve your love and attention—but same goes for some other upcoming projects we just chatted with Abrams about. Trust me. You Lost and Alias fans will want to read on:
Alias Revival? First, you should know that ABC insiders tell me there still is talk among the suits at the Alphabet net of bringing back fan-favorite/obsession Alias in some form. "I know we do want to do an Alias reboot at some point," a highly placed ABC source tells me. "It's something that keeps coming up. It's just a matter of timing."
But if that's true, it's news to J.J. "I know there were some discussions about that early on," he tells us. "But it was internal Disney discussions, not discussions with me. So I'm not sure what they're thinking now. At the moment obviously they have True Lies, which I'm sure is going to fill their need for a spy series, and we're obviously very busy at Bad Robot [J.J.'s production company]. So the idea of even discussing it is going to be very delayed for a while. But it's not only up to me; if they wanted to redo it, they could do it with or without me. It's not really my decision."
A J.J.-less Alias? The fans may have a beef or two with that.
Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson Reunion: So what about the rumor that J.J. and Bad Robot are working on a new series with Lost's Terry O'Quinn (Locke) and Michael Emerson (Ben)? "I will say that I could not be more excited about the pilots Bad Robot is producing this year," J.J. tells us, referring to three potential upcoming shows, one of which includes Terry and Michael. "The people we're working with are among my favorite creative people, and the idea of getting to work again with Terry O'Quinn on what will be the third show we do together, and working with Michael Emerson again, who is equally brilliant, and Jonah Nolan, and to do the show with Liz Sarnoff...All three of these shows are shows that I would watch, so I'm thrilled that we were lucky enough to set them up with networks. It's too early to talk about these shows, but I can't wait to get them done and hopefully onto the air."
Undercovers Tonight! As for the new J.J. Abrams series that already is on the air—NBC's Undercovers—the charmingly seductive espionage drama debuts its second episode tonight. And unlike past Abrams series, you don't have to have seen every episode to enjoy it. (Though the pilot can be seen right here.)
"This show is designed to have a fun, sexy adventure every week with a couple that is in love and gorgeous and also spies," J.J. explains. "The episodes are more or less self-contained, but that doesn't mean there won't be larger stories. We'll call back what [Samantha's and Steven's] histories are and why they left the agency to begin with. So it's also something that if you watch over time, there will be secrets revealed about the characters. And not just to the audience, but to each other, because they don't really know the true stories of each other's history."
He's not kidding about the pretty. Have you seen stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Samantha) and Boris Kodjoe (Steven)? It's as if the angels took their best genetic material and mixed it in a Petri dish with sexiness and sizzle.
But don't let those good looks fool you: J.J. points out that Boris is incredibly athletic (an internationally ranked tennis player) and Gugu is a "natural" at fight scenes. "In a weird way when you're that good-looking, it's like a strike against you because you think, 'Oh there's no way they can also be talented and funny and a good actor.' But the truth is they are, and we lucked out because they're really good their jobs."
Undercovers airs tonight at 8 pm on NBC. Check it out!
—Additional reporting by Megan Masters
Follow @kristindsantos on Twitter for more TV scoop on stars that come from angels.
________
In case you missed it, here's the latest TV Spoiler Chat: