‘Mindhunter’ star discusses show’s fate, new series ‘Manhunt’
PASADENA, Calif. — “Manhunt: Deadly Games,” filmed in Pittsburgh from June to October 2019, debuts all 10 episodes Feb. 3 on Spectrum Originals, an on-demand service available to subscribers of Spectrum cable systems. Spectrum isn’t in Western Pennsylvania, making “Manhunt” out of reach to local viewers.
Eventually “Manhunt,” which aired its first season on Discovery Channel, will have a second window on an outlet that’s available nationally — maybe a streamer like Netflix — but when and where that might be has not been determined.
The first season of “Manhunt,” which aired on Discovery in 2017, chronicled the Unabomber case. The 10-episode “Deadly Games” explores the aftermath of the 1996 terrorist bombing of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta where security guard Richard Jewell (Cameron Britton, “Mindhunter”) was initially treated as a hero for finding the bomb and saving bystanders. Then law enforcement suspected him of planting the bomb. Months later, they began to tune into the actual killer, Eric Rudolph (Jack Huston).
“Where Jewell starts when you watch interviews with him — say, a few days after the bombing — he still thinks he’s a hero. He’s still painfully nervous and self-conscious,” Mr. Britton said during a news conference Saturday at the Television Critics Association winter 2020 press tour. “Then he goes through this horrible trial by fire where the world hates him. And even six months later, you watch those interviews and there’s a strength in him. There’s a groundedness in him. He rose to this occasion, to this adversity. And when I saw these two different people in that short of a span, I thought this is a fascinating arc of a human to play 10 episodes of.”
Originally titled “Manhunt: Lone Wolf,” executive producer Andrew Sodroski said production company Lionsgate changed the name to “Manhunt: Deadly Games” because “Lone Wolf” doesn’t play well internationally and “Deadly Games” works better as a title worldwide.
Although set more than 20 years ago, the issues explored in “Manhunt: Deadly Games” ring true today.
“It’s like the world of the story is a world of fake news, a self-serving Washington establishment that cares more about the story than about the truth, the story of a divided America and a psychopathic narcissist who takes advantage of our division for his own gain,” Mr. Sodroski said. “That’s like the world we live in right now. And for us, I think it was really important always to be digging under the surface of these characters and these movements so that we can understand how an individual person makes these decisions.”
As for filmed-in-Pittsburgh Netflix thriller “Mindhunter,” which went on an indefinite hiatus when the leading actors were released from their contracts due to director/executive producer David Fincher’s busy schedule, Mr. Britton said he was surprised by the news.
“I’m ready to shoot tomorrow if they’re ready,” said Mr. Cameron, who had a season-toseason contract playing serial killer Ed Kemper. “It’s one of the best-written shows ever — such layered and complex characters. It’s worked on so
diligently. To me, it’s what making TV is all about.”
Mr. Britton said he hasn’t spoken to Mr. Fincher about the future of “Mindhunter,” but he hopes the show will be revived: “At some point, I’d love to meet with him and ask him what the plan is and ask him if it’s not going to continue, why, because I’m a fan of the show as well as a member of it.”
Kept/canceled/revived
Ahead of its Jan. 24 firstseason finale, Disney Plus ordered a 10-episode second season of “The World According to Jeff Goldblum.”
National Geographic Channel renewed “Life Below Zero” for two more seasons and “Life Below Zero: Port Protection” for one more season, and it also ordered an eight-part spin-off, “Life Below Zero: Next Generation.” Nat Geo also ordered an additional season of “Brain Games” (8 p.m. Monday) and “Running Wild With Bear Grylls,” which airs its current season finale Tuesday at 10 p.m. with Green Tree native Zachary Quinto traipsing through a Panama jungle.
A former Animal Planet series will be revived on BBC America in 2021: “Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty” follows three families descended from the original meerkat matriarch.
Channel surfing
“The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” the third “Dead” series, which follows two sisters who grew up in a world of walkers, debuts at 10 p.m. April 12 on AMC. … Reboot of ‘80s anthology series “Amazing Stories,” executive produced by Steven Spielberg, debuts March 6 on subscription streaming service AppleTV Plus. … Oscarnominated documentary “The Cave,” about a female doctor who works in a subterranean hospital in wartorn Syria, debuts commercial-free at 9 p.m. Saturday on National Geographic Channel. … 2003 Upper St. Clair High School grad Ryan McCormick has been promoted to vice president, communications, at E!