Hunted (2012 TV series)
A spy thriller about a private intelligence operative betrayed by her own company.
Hunted is a 2012 British television drama series created and written by Frank Spotnitz, produced by Kudos and Big Light Productions for BBC One and Cinemax. The series follows Samantha, an espionage operative for a private intelligence agency called Byzantium, who survives an assassination attempt she suspects was orchestrated by her own company.
- field
- Television drama
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Spy thriller series starring Melissa George
- premiered
- 4 October 2012 (BBC One), 19 October 2012 (Cinemax)
- number_of_series
- 1
- creator
- Frank Spotnitz
Lore & Background
The series was created by Frank Spotnitz, best known as executive producer and head writer for The X-Files. After wrapping up The X-Files, Spotnitz met Stephen Garrett and Jane Featherstone of Kudos Film and Television, who asked him to work with British television. The idea of a spy series came about during a conversation with Gillian Anderson, who asked if he would ever consider doing a show in Britain. On 13 January 2011, the BBC announced the show, then called Morton, but Anderson was no longer attached due to scheduling conflicts. The title changed from Morton to Nemesis on 22 September 2011, and finally to Hunted on 6 March 2012.
Filming took place on location in Wales, Scotland, London, and Morocco, with no sound stages used. The first series is set mainly in London. Had a second series been commissioned, each series would have taken place in a different European city. The show was accompanied by an Internet campaign known for a psychologically stimulating honeypot.
Reader's Guide
Hunted represents a notable attempt to create a sophisticated international spy thriller for British and American audiences, co-produced by BBC One and Cinemax. Its significance lies in its exploration of private intelligence agencies, a topic Frank Spotnitz researched extensively by speaking with company operators in the US, UK, and Switzerland. The series received a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 70, indicating generally favorable reviews, though UK media reviews of the first episode were mixed. Despite plans for a second series set in Berlin, BBC One declined to commission it due to ratings declines. Cinemax later attempted to reboot the show as a four-hour miniseries called Sam Hunter, but this was officially cancelled in early 2015. The series remains a single-season entry in the spy genre, noted for its twisty plotting and location filming.
Did You Know?
- The series was originally titled Morton, then Nemesis, before becoming Hunted.
- Filming took place entirely on location in Wales, Scotland, London, and Morocco, with no sound stages.
- The oast house featured in episode 5 is a working oast house at Little Scotney Farm, Lamberhurst, Kent, owned by the National Trust.
- A second series was planned to be set in Berlin but was abandoned after BBC One declined to commission it.
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