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Revision as of 07:54, 12 July 2016 by Nbdelboy (talk | contribs) (more a political satire than thriller)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) 2016 American TV series or program| BrainDead | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Jonathan Coulton |
| Composer | David Buckley |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production companies | Scott Free Productions King Size Productions CBS Television Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | June 13, 2016 (2016-06-13) – present |
BrainDead is an American political satire science fiction comedy-drama television series created by Robert and Michelle King. CBS announced a 13-episode straight-to-series order on July 22, 2015. The show premiered on June 13, 2016.
Premise
The series centers on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., where alien bugs infect members of Congress.
Documentary filmmaker Laurel Healy agrees to take a job working for her brother, Democratic Senator Luke Healy, in order to secure funding for her next film. However, she comes across a conspiracy in which alien bugs have replaced the brains of several people, including members of Congress. The aliens look like ants, but do not seem to be killed by bug spray. The song "You Might Think" by The Cars is used frequently in the series as a leitmotif for characters who are infected by the aliens.
Singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton writes and performs the recap opening song for each episode.
Cast
Main
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Laurel Healy
- Danny Pino as Democratic Senator Luke Healy
- Aaron Tveit as Gareth Ritter
- Tony Shalhoub as Republican Senator Raymond "Red" Wheatus
- Nikki M. James as Rochelle Daudier
- Johnny Ray Gill as Gustav Triplett
- Charlie Semine as FBI agent Anthony Onofrio
- Jan Maxwell as Democratic Senator Ella Pollack
Recurring
- Zach Grenier as Dean Healy
- Paige Patterson as Scarlett
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Insanity Principle: How Extremism in Politics is Threatening Democracy in the 21st Century" | Robert King | Robert King & Michelle King | June 13, 2016 (2016-06-13) | 4.59 | |
| After funding falls through for her latest documentary, Laurel Healy turns to her father for assistance. He agrees to give her $200,000, but only if she takes a 6-month job in the office of her brother, Senator Luke Healy. Meanwhile, a large meteor is recovered in Russia and sent to the United States aboard a commercial ship; a large colony of ant-like aliens nesting inside escape and infect the crew. The chief engineer's wife becomes suspicious and alerts Laurel, who learns that the shipment was authorized by Luke. A congressional feud over the budget forces a government shutdown before the meteor is properly secured and the aliens spread throughout the city to infect others. With the help of rival staffer Gareth Ritter, Laurel arranges a meeting between Luke and Senator Red Wheatus to end the shutdown. The two forge a compromise, but Red is infected later that evening and reneges on the deal. He instead persuades another senator to defect and strip the party of its congressional majority. While investigating the lab where the meteor was taken, Laurel finds the lead scientist unconscious. Before he can be treated, his head suddenly explodes, killing him. Returning to Luke, Laurel helps him move into his new offices and suspects his secretary has also been infected. | ||||||
| 2 | "Playing Politics: Living Life in the Shadow of the Budget Showdown – A Critique" | Jim McKay | Larry Kaplow | June 20, 2016 (2016-06-20) | 3.46 | |
| 3 | "Goring Oxes: How You Can Survive the War on Government Through Five Easy Steps" | Jim McKay | Jonathan Tolins | June 27, 2016 (2016-06-27) | 3.29 | |
| 4 | "Wake Up Grassroots: The Nine Virtues of Participatory Democracy, and How We Can Keep America Great by Encouraging an Informed Electorate" | Allan Arkush | Peter Parnell | July 11, 2016 (2016-07-11) | N/A | |
| 5 | "Back to Work: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Congress and How It Gets Things Done (and Often Doesn't)" | Allan Arkush | Jacquelyn Reingold | July 18, 2016 (2016-07-18) | N/A | |
| 6 | "Notes Toward a Post-Reagan Theory of Party Alliance, Tribalist, and Loyalty: Past as Prologue" | Fred Toye | Aurin Squire | July 25, 2016 (2016-07-25) | N/A | |
| 7 | "The Power of Euphemism: How Torture Became a Matter of Debate in American Politics" | Fred Toye | Laura Marks | August 1, 2016 (2016-08-01) | N/A | |
Reception
BrainDead received favorable reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 63% approval rating based on 40 critics. The site's critical consensus reads: "While admittedly uneven, BrainDead remains a charmingly idealistic sign of the political times". On Metacritic, the first season of the show holds a 60 out of 100 Metascore based on 36 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
See also
- "You Might Think" by The Cars
References
- "About". CBS.
- Moraes, Lisa de (July 22, 2015). "CBS' BrainDead: 13 Episodes Explaining Aliens Eating Brains of Congress to Debut in Summer 2016". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Birnbaum, Debra (July 22, 2015). "CBS Orders Comic Thriller from Good Wife Producers". Variety. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Hibberd, James (July 22, 2015). "Congress Is BrainDead in New CBS Dramedy Mocking Capitol Hill". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Raftery, Liz. "Here's the Story Behind BrainDead's Delightfully Wacky "Previously On ... " Song", TVGuide, June 21, 2016
- Andreeva, Nellie (September 10, 2015). "Lauren Cohan to Topline CBS' Comic-Thriller Series 'BrainDead'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- Andreeva, Nellie. "Danny Pino to Star in CBS Summer Series 'BrainDead' from 'Good Wife' Creators". Deadline.com. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- "Aaron Tveit to Star in CBS Sci-Fi Drama 'BrainDead'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
- CBS (February 4, 2016). "Tony Shalhoub Joins the Cast of 'BrainDead'" (Press release). The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- Obenson, Tambay A. "Johnny Ray Gill Joins Nikki M. James in New CBS Comic-Thriller, 'BrainDead'". Indiewire. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- Porter, Rick (June 14, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'So You Think You Can Dance' adjusts up, 'Reign' and 'Whose Line' ajdust down, final NBA numbers". TV By the Numbers. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (June 21, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'Bachelorette' adjusts up, 'Spartan' and 'Mistresses' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (June 28, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'Bachelorette' adjusts up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- "(#BD105) Back to Work: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Congress and How It Gets Things Done (and Often Doesn't)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- "(#BD106) Notes Toward a Post-Reagan Theory of Party Alliance, Tribalist, and Loyalty: Past as Prologue". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- "(#BD107) The Power of Euphemism: How Torture Became a Matter of Debate in American Politics". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- BrainDead at Rotten Tomatoes
- BrainDead at Metacritic
External links
Categories:- 2010s American television series
- 2016 American television series debuts
- CBS network shows
- English-language television programming
- Television series by CBS Television Studios
- Television series by Scott Free Productions
- American political television series
- Television shows set in Washington, D.C.
- American science fiction television series