Hunted

Contemporary spy thriller Hunted starring Melissa George was purported to be a replacement for the BBC’s long-running MI-5 before its premiere earlier this Fall. However, despite fairly strong ratings for its first episode, the series lost half of its audience over its six episode UK run. By the time a BBC spokesperson confirmed that the drama would not return for a second series, claiming, “"It hasn't found the mainstream audience it was hoped,” the news didn’t really seem that surprising.

Pretty open and shut case of a fledging drama failing to live up to its expectations, right? Not so fast. Hunted has an American co-producer, which means that the drama is surprisingly going to get a second chance at life. Hunted airs on Cinemax here in the States, and the network is apparently very happy with the show and its performance in the American market – enough to give it a second series in some as yet to be determined form. Talk about a last minute stay of execution!

The BBC has released the first trailer for Hunted, a new contemporary spy thriller from the producers of MI-5 starring Grey’s Anatomy’s Melissa George. The eight-part series features George as Sam Hunter, an elite operative for a private intelligence company who is trying to untangle the aftermath of an attempt on her life. Of course, the catch is that it might be her own team that’s trying to kill her, and she returns to her firm not knowing who she can trust. Dun dun dun!

George, already a veteran of spy dramas thanks to her turn on ABC’s Alias, seems much more interesting and likeable in this brief clip than she did during most of her run as Sydney’s nemesis Lauren. (Sidebar: I actually like George a lot as an actress, but I will never forgive that Alias subplot.)

Click through and take a look for yourself!