THIRD SEASON OF BYUtv’S ORIGINAL SCRIPTED AUDIENCES …bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tn… · Now entering its third season, ... (a CIA initiative

BACKGROUNDER

It’s April 1964; two years have passed since

viewers were introduced to the seemingly

idyllic fictional town of Granite Flats,

Colorado. Mysterious behavior still abounds,

loyalties continue to be tested, and nothing

is what it seems to be. Battle lines have been

drawn between the FBI, local law enforcement,

the CIA, and the KGB.

Following a highly successful premiere

in April 2013, Granite Flats, BYUtv’s first

original scripted series, returned for a

second season in April 2014 with more Cold War

suspense to entertain the entire family. Now

entering its third season, this ensemble show,

which was inspired by actual military events

(a CIA initiative called Project MKUltra),

continues to entertain audiences with mid-

20th century intrigue and a plot packed with

secrets while offering a primetime television

option for families.

Produced, written, and created

by a team of top Hollywood and New York

talent who have made some of the industry’s

most successful and long-running family

entertainment offerings, the series was filmed

entirely in Utah at a variety of authentic

1960s-era locations. Under the direction of

BYUtv’s creative director, prolific IMAX film

producer Scott Swofford, the Granite Flats

Notable cast members include award-winning

actors Christopher Lloyd, Parker Posey, George

Newbern, Finola Hughes, and Ivan Sergei

Media Contact: Michelle Prince

Thatcher+Co. • email: [email protected] • Telephone: 914.523.8937

THIRD SEASON OF BYUtv’S ORIGINAL SCRIPTED

SERIES GRANITE FLATS CONTINUES TO INTRIGUE

AUDIENCES WITH SURPRISING PLOT TWISTS, NEW

ENIGMATIC CHARACTERS, AND A FINAL REVEAL

— 2 —

team has captured the look and feel of the

period, conveying the distinctive national

mood of shifting social mores and general

anxiety. Based on Project MKUltra, the story

reveals the then-ubiquitous fear of nuclear

attack and offers a view into the era through

a complex range of nuanced and intriguing

characters.

Granite Flats has added a new genre

to BYUtv’s already diverse roster of original

“see the good in the world” programming

(including original feature and documentary

films, music performances and artist profiles,

scripted comedy, unscripted reality, live

sports, and an American history show) and

represents the bold expansion that the ground-

breaking cable network continues to stake out

in the family market. The High Definition cable

television network’s programs (13 of which won

Emmy® awards in 2014) are carried in more than

55 million homes on Dish Network, DirecTV, and

over 800 cable systems.

THE STORY

In the small, quintessentially American town of

Granite Flats, Colorado, the Cold War rumbles

underneath the lives of the locals. Three

unlikely young heroes form their own private

detective agency, but the implications of what

they’re investigating are actually bigger and

more serious than anyone realizes.

In season one, an unidentified object

(later known to be a Soviet spy satellite) fell

from the sky in a fiery blaze, turning the

town into a place of secrets and fear. The

chief of police and a special agent from the

FBI ferreted out a KGB spy hiding in their

midst. A nurse at the VA Hospital learned that

her boss oversaw mysterious testing done as

part of the CIA’s top secret Project MKUltra

to develop mind-control as a weapon against

the Soviets. In the middle of it all, the kid

detectives gained insight into the complicated

political world that became the backdrop to

their own coming-of-age experiences.

The second season followed the three

kid sleuths as they uncovered dangerous

evidence, while the chief of police and the FBI

continued to investigate the fallen satellite.

An eccentric new English teacher, Professor

Stanfield Hargraves, captivated the kids’

attention as he taught William Shakespeare’s

Hamlet from an Oxfordian perspective,

emphasizing the themes of a secret murder,

false identities, and a divided heart — all of

which resonated not only with the students, but

with their parents as well. The arrival of the

head of the CIA’s counterintelligence program

in Granite Flats rattled some residents, tested

old friendships, and created new alliances.

In season three, friendships and

loyalties continue to be challenged, everyone

has a secret, and nothing is what it seems

to be. The trio of kid sleuths has disbanded

their detective agency as they mature and their

relationships begin to evolve. The chief of

police and the FBI are still working together

to expose covert government operations and

spies. Long-lost family members re-surface in

Granite Flats, further disrupting the lives

of the residents of the town and forcing many

to face up to past indiscretions. Similar

to season two, themes from two pieces of

classic literature, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of

Grass and Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking

Glass, surprisingly mirror the lives of the

characters.

As the Cold War escalates and the

country confronts enormous national and global

challenges – including the assassination

of President Kennedy – the tale of Granite

Flats unfolds through the perspectives of an

ensemble of diverse and multi-generational

characters.

Like the first two seasons, season three

consists of eight new one-hour episodes. The

cast features top Hollywood and New York

actors who have made some of television and

film’s most successful programs.

— 3 —

GUEST APPEARANCES

Season three has attracted a steady flow of

top Hollywood guest directors and acting

talent, including Golden Globe and Independent

Spirit Award nominee Parker Posey (Waiting for

Guffman, The House of Yes, Superman Returns)

and Scandal star George Newbern (Father of

the Bride I & II, Adventures in Babysitting).

Posey, who is often referred to as the “Queen

of the Indies,” plays Alice White, the aunt

of 14-year-old main character Arthur Milligan.

In a world of secrets and spies, Alice will

unmask some truths that will not gain her

favor in small town Colorado. Newbern plays

Scottie Andrews, a left-wing civil liberties

attorney from New York City who is the uncle

of 14-year-old main character Madeline Andrews.

Scottie’s fondness for his niece, as well as

his boisterous and outgoing personality, helps

him find his place in Granite Flats.

Last season’s guest stars included

three-time Emmy® Award-winning actor

Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future I-III,

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Taxi), Ivan

Sergei (The Break-Up, Jack & Jill), and

Daytime Emmy®-winner Finola Hughes (General

Hospital). Lloyd, Hughes, and Sergei are

returning for season three.

— 4 —

THE SET: TOWNS THAT TIME FORGOT

The Granite Flats production team brings

a vast collective knowledge of historical

recreation and a familiarity with the look and

feel of 1960s Mountain West America, having

worked on hundreds of Hollywood period films

and television programs. The show’s creative

direction, set design, dialogue, and wardrobe

pay great attention to both minute physical

details – such as lipstick colors, the model

of the police chief’s gun, street and store

signage, the look of distant landscapes,

cultural references, and colloquial speech – as

well as the overall demeanor of the characters.

This focus results in a production quality

that transports viewers in time.

The series is filmed entirely on

location in Utah, spread over 40 square miles,

in towns and buildings that retain the ambiance

of the show’s era and have seemingly remained

impervious to the passage of time. The fictional

Main Street of Granite Flats is actually the

old copper town of Magna, located on the

west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Additional

locations include the Olmsted hydroelectric

power plant and a sequestered complex of turn-

of-the-century buildings (located just minutes

away from Robert Redford’s Sundance Ski Resort)

that serve as the show’s military base.

IMAGE FPO

— 5 —

Executive Producer and Director Scott Swofford is a television

production veteran best known for his work on over 30 IMAX films

in 50 countries, including Mysteries of Egypt which grossed

$80,000,000 worldwide and Amazon, which was nominated for an

Academy Award in 1996.

After graduating from the film program at Brigham Young

University, Swofford worked for advertising firm Bonneville

Productions and collaborated with directors of popular

television series such as Hill Street Blues and M*A*S*H.

He became the director of production after four years at

Bonneville. Then, deciding to branch out, Swofford discovered

the world of IMAX films.

In 1998, Swofford co-produced Olympic Glory, the

official film of the Nagano Olympics, with renowned producer and

director Frank Marshall (The Bourne Series, The Curious Case

of Benjamin Button, The Sixth Sense). The two teamed up again

in 2006 to create Roving Mars, an IMAX documentary about the

Mars Exploration Rovers, for Disney. He also produced films

for National Geographic and WGBH in Boston and served as the

Director of Media for the “I’m a Mormon” campaign.

Swofford came to BYUtv, the country’s only nationwide

university-affiliated TV network, in November 2010 to create

intelligent, inspiring programming available to an audience

of more than 55 million households nationwide. In an effort

to provide BYUtv viewers with what they say is missing from

today’s television programming – an original, scripted, family

friendly series – Swofford reached out to his colleagues in

the IMAX world and assembled a world-class team of production

experts, writers, producers, art directors, cinematographers,

and editors who are also well-versed in period films and

historic recreations. This venerable team includes:

Miller has 23 film and television credits, including the

National Geographic documentary Lewis and Clark: Great Journey

West, and Redemption Road, as well as BYUtv’s Emmy® Award-

winning history series American Ride.

Brian McNamara is a character actor, director, and producer who

has made more than 100 TV and film appearances. His first major

role was in The Flamingo Kid. He then went on to star in Short

Circuit and played the lead in Billionaire Boys Club, for which

he received a Golden Globe® Award nomination. Additional film

acting roles included Caddyshack II, Arachnophobia, Mystery

Date, and The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold. His TV appearances

include The O.C., Monk, Ghost Whisperer, Manhattan, AZ, and

recently, Army Wives. Brian made his directorial debut with the

thriller Lost Signal, in which he also had a starring role.

Scott Swofford

Executive Producer

Jeff Miller

Producer

Guest Director

Brian McNamara

NAME OF INVESTIGATED NOTES



POSITION

POSITION

POSITION

— 6 —

Plummer is a genre-spanning writer who has worked in

television, film, new media, and theater. His television credits

include productions for NBC, TBS, Comedy Central, Bravo,

Discovery, IFC, National Geographic, and PBS. He is known for

his production of Twelfth Night, which was the subject of the

PBS documentary Shakespeare on the Hudson, and his work on the

IFC series, The Whitest Kids U’ Know.

Treu directed Little Secrets, Wish Upon a Star, Meet the

Mormons, a feature-length documentary produced by The Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Called to Serve, a

film about LDS Missionaries. He teamed up with Brigham Young

University professor Stephen F. Duncan, KBYU-TV, and BYUtv to

create Real Families, Real Answers, a family-oriented reality

series that demonstrates families managing real-life situations

with commentary from scholarly experts.

A venerable cinematographer, Smoot’s director of photography

credits include dozens of feature films for television and

theatrical release such as Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones

and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Justin Bieber: Never Say

Never, and Walt Disney Pictures classic Homeward Bound: The

Incredible Journey. Smoot was cameraman on the Academy Award-

winning documentary feature The Great American Cowboy.

Amongst his many credits, DeMuri was Art Director for all 212

episodes (9 seasons) of the CBS series Touched by an Angel and

for the 2011 Academy Award-winning FOX Searchlight feature 127

Hours.

Miller is a picture and sound editor with 40 film and television

credits, including work for Back to the Future, Bones, Hawaii

Five-O, and the documentary Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man.

His works have been recognized in the form of a Primetime Emmy®

Award, an award for outstanding achievement in editing at the

2012 Williamsburg International Film Festival, and other honors

over the last few decades.

Leone’s 22 television and film credits for her costume design

work include Waiting for Forever, Daddy Day Camp, Everwood, and

Silk Stalkings.

John Plummer

Blair Treu

Writer

Guest Director

Cinematographer

Art Director

Reed Smoot, ASC

Christopher DeMuri

Harry B. Miller III

Editor

Costume Designer

Carolyn Leone

NAME OF INVESTIGATED


NOTES

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POSITION

POSITION

POSITION

POSITION

POSITION

POSITION

— 7 —


NOTES

ALIAS

An eccentric junior high English teacher with a smart, teasing

sense of humor, Professor Hargraves captivates the attention

of the kids with his quick wit. While teaching Hamlet from an

Oxfordian perspective, emphasizing the themes of secret murder,

false identities, and a divided heart, Hargraves becomes an

increasingly mysterious character. As Timmy and Madeline grow

closer to him, they begin to question his deeper purpose.

Three-time Emmy® Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd is well

known for his roles in the Back to the Future trilogy, One

Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and the

television series Taxi.

Professor Stanfield Hargraves Christopher Lloyd

— 8 —


NOTES

Aunt of Arthur Milligan, she is Beth’s older, never-married,

eccentric and mysterious half-sister. She is a truth-teller,

a visionary, and an un-masker thrown into a world of secret-

keepers and spies.

Golden Globe® and Independent Spirit Award nominee Parker

Posey has appeared in nearly 90 film and television productions,

including Waiting for Guffman, The House of Yes, A Mighty Wind,

The Battle of Mary Kay, Broken English, and Superman Returns.

Alice White

ALIAS

Parker Posey

— 9 —


NOTES

ALIAS

A left-wing New York City civil liberties attorney. The polar

opposite of his brother Dr. Ronald Andrews, Scottie is a

boisterous, quick-witted, brilliant force of life whose looks

and boundless confidence helped him win cases and hearts once

upon a time. A dark past and family secrets bring him to

Granite Flats to reconnect with his family.

George Newbern, a regular on Scandal, has had a prolific TV and

film career with credits like Justice League, Father of the

Bride, Saw VI, Chicago Hope, and Designing Women.

Scottie Andrews George Newbern





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The assumed-to-be deceased Air Force Lieutenant who is the

father of Arthur and husband of Beth. At the end of season two,

it is revealed that Roy is not dead, but is in fact running a

covert operation in Moscow.

Ivan Sergei is best known for his roles in The Break-Up with

Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston and Jack & Jill opposite

Amanda Peet. He also had recurring roles on Charmed and Gravity.

Successful Avon lady with a bright, cheery exterior demeanor

who is, in fact, a KGB operative working in America.

Daytime Emmy®-winner Finola Hughes is best known as General

Hospital staple Anna Devane. Her other credits include the film

Like Crazy and recurring roles on Charmed, Pacific Palisades,

and All My Children.

The vigilant chief of police of Granite Flats. Works closely

with the FBI to track suspicious spy activity and the missing

Soviet satellite. Very protective of his family and his town,

he is the father of Timmy Sanders and husband of June Sanders.

Richard Gunn was a series regular on James Cameron’s TV hit

Dark Angel, playing the role of Sketchy. He has appeared in TV

series such as Dexter, CSI, and The Mentalist. Gunn starred

opposite James Caan and Paul Sorvino to critical acclaim in the

Lionsgate feature film For the Love of Money and most recently

appeared in the psychological thriller Hidden in the Woods.

Head doctor of Granite Flats’ military hospital. He is at the

center of mysterious CIA experiments taking place on unwitting

soldiers and citizens and works closely with Doctors Susan and

Ronald Andrews.

David Naughton is best known for his starring role in the feature

film An American Werewolf in London, which won the first Academy

Award® for special effects makeup, as well as for his role as

the lead in the “Be a Pepper” ad campaign for Dr. Pepper, which

made television history. He has recently worked on the series’

Grey’s Anatomy, Psych, The Mentalist, and Major Crimes.

Roy Milligan

Zelda/The Avon Lady

Chief of Police John Sanders

Dr. Millard Whittison

Ivan Sergei

Finola Hughes

Richard Gunn

David Naughton

— 10 —





NOTES

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ALIAS

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Former military sergeant and single father of Wallace, who went

to live with nurse Regina Clark when Hershel took the blame for

an explosion at the base. After his acquittal, Hershel lived

in the church basement working as a handyman until he secured

a spot on the police force by proving himself to Chief Sanders.

His next task is to prove himself to Wallace and Regina.

Peter Murnik has appeared in nearly 100 television shows and

movies, including Justified, ER, Northern Exposure, Quantum

Leap, and Desperate Housewives, and he has a recurring role

on JAG. Murnik also appeared on the big screen in Lee Daniels’

The Paperboy.

An African American FBI agent investigating the suspicious

events taking place in Granite Flats. The character is part of

what was an actual groundbreaking initiative by J. Edgar Hoover

to train “negro” agents, connecting the fight for civil rights

in the U.S. and the struggle against communist oppression.

Tom Wright has spent nearly four decades as a professional

actor and has appeared in over 90 feature films (including

Barbershop, Barbershop 2, Sunshine State, and six John Sayles

films), 60 television shows (including Grimm, The Mentalist,

Modern Family, Rizzoli & Isles, 24, The Pentagon Wars, and CSI)

and over 40 stage productions, including on Broadway (Taste of

Honey) and Off-Broadway.

After the death of his father, Arthur moved to Granite Flats.

With new friends Timmy and Madeline, he started a successful

detective agency. Arthur becomes obsessed with a cipher the

sleuths found and decoded, and seeks help from Dr. Whittison,

who leads him even further into the world of espionage.

Jonathan Morgan Heit was most recently in the film Escape from

Planet Earth and Disney’s animated series, Jake and the Never

Land Pirates. Heit also starred in Date Night, Valentine’s Day,

and Bedtime Stories, and his television credits include Monk,

How I Met Your Mother, ER, General Hospital, and 18 Family Guy

episodes.

Son of the local chief of police, Timmy is an excitable and

endearing youth and one of the founding members of “The Case

Crackers,” a trio of kid sleuths in town. He is best friends

with Arthur and Madeline and a potential love interest of

Madeline’s.

Charlie Plummer has a recurring role on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire,

and he appeared in the feature film by The Sopranos’ creator

David Chase, Not Fade Away. He has also appeared in Person of

Interest and Nick at Nite’s Wendell and Vinnie.

Hershel Jenkins

Ezekiel Scott

Arthur Milligan

Timmy Sanders

Peter Murnik

Tom Wright

Jonathan Morgan Heit

Charlie Plummer

— 11 —





NOTES

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ALIAS

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Adoptive daughter of Doctors Susan and Ronald Andrews. She is a

founding member of “The Case Crackers,” a trio of kid sleuths,

and is an intellectually precocious girl whose curiosity

fuels her love of detective work. When Madeline questions her

parentage, Timmy and Madeline break into her parents’ safe

deposit box. Instead of adoption papers, they find files about

project MKUltra, stunning and upsetting them both, but binding

their hearts even more to each other.

Malia Tyler has appeared in many national commercials, as well

as made appearances on television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel

Live and Make It or Break It.

The only son of Hershel Jenkins. He lives with his foster

mother, Regina Clark. He is a classmate of the sleuth

trio, “The Case Crackers,” whose bullying behavior masks

his insecurities, loneliness, and pain. As Wallace begins to

mature and become closer to his father, he also forms a close

friendship with Timmy Sanders.

Ethan Ross Wills has appeared in numerous national commercials

and acted in many short films, including playing the lead role

of Arrow in Eddie & Arrow. His voice-over credits include the

lead in the film What It Is.

A former soldier, Frank volunteered to be a subject of

government mind control testing. Frank and Beth grew close as

they worked to gather intelligence on the operation, but under

drug-induced hypnosis Frank revealed he was the training officer

of Beth’s husband, Roy, complicating the budding romance.

Scott Christopher starred in five episodes of Greg Berlanti’s

Everwood. He has also held roles in Touched by an Angel and

Promised Land and starred in the films The Last Eagle Scout and

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend alongside Alyssa Milano and Beau

Bridges.

A psychiatrist, married to Dr. Ronald Andrews and the adoptive

mother to Madeline. Dr. Andrews and her husband are highly

involved in a secret drug-testing program run by hospital head

Dr. Whittison.

Maia Guest voiced various characters on VH1’s animated

series ILL-ustrated and appeared in the sci-fi romantic comedy

Astronomy of Errors. Her voice can be heard in episodes from

season two of Granite Flats singing “All Through the Night.”

Madeline Andrews

Wallace Jenkins

Frank Quincy

Dr. Susan Andrews

Malia Tyler

Ethan Ross Wills

Scott Christopher

Maia Guest

— 12 —




NOTES

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ALIAS

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Supportive but suspicious wife of the chief of police, she is a

stay-at-home mother of five children, including Timmy.

Taryn O’Neill is not only a successful actor, but also counts

producing, directing, and writing among her many talents.

O’Neill produced the sci-fi comedy series Hurtling Through Space

at an Alarming Rate, as well as After Judgement, both of which

she also starred in. She also appeared in Compulsions and as a

voice in Continuum.

Doctor of Science. Married to Dr. Susan Andrews and adoptive

father to Madeline, and along with his wife is highly involved

in Dr. Whittison’s secret plans.

Jim Turner is best known for his long running role on the

HBO hit series Arli$$. With more than 30 years of experience,

he has also appeared in the films St. Elmo’s Fire, The Lost

Boys, The Ref, Kicking & Screaming, and Bewitched. He has

guest starred in numerous TV programs including That ‘70s Show,

Dharma & Greg, Yes, Dear, Boston Legal, Brothers & Sisters, The

Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, and Parenthood.

Nurse at the Granite Flats military hospital, caretaker of

Wallace Jenkins and former girlfriend of Slim Kirkpatrick.

Jessica Wright has appeared as a guest star on numerous TV

shows including Boston Public, Scrubs, Bones, My Boys, and

Without a Trace. She also starred in the short film Collision.

June Sanders

Dr. Ronald Andrews

Nurse Regina Clark

Taryn O’Neill

Jim Turner

Jessica Wright

— 13 —

ABOUT BYUtv

Owned by Brigham Young University and based

in Provo, Utah, BYUtv is a groundbreaking

high definition cable television network,

which has actively and strategically built

its roster of original “see the good in the

world” programming to fill a void in the

primetime market. Amidst the proliferation of

TV programming, the cable network’s offerings

stand out for their thoughtful examination

of redeeming elements in our fast-paced,

multifaceted world. The topics are varied,

hard-hitting, and nuanced. Whether through

its unrivaled live college sports coverage,

documentary and feature films, scripted

comedy, scripted dramas, or unscripted reality

programs, BYUtv is filling a void as a vital

presence in the contemporary television

landscape.

Currently, BYUtv is available in High

Definition and carried to more than 55 million

homes in every state of the country via

cable, satellite, and multiple digital media

platforms including byutv.org and the BYUtv

app for Roku, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire

TV, and iOS, Android, and Windows mobile

devices. The non-commercial station’s reach

is unprecedented for any university in the

world and offers approximately 1,000 hours of

original programming annually, including 500

hours of live HD collegiate sports.

Media Contact: Michelle Prince

Thatcher+Co. • email: [email protected] • Telephone: 914.523.8937

Documents

THIRD SEASON OF BYUtv’S ORIGINAL SCRIPTED AUDIENCES …bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tn… · Now entering its third season, ... (a CIA initiative