season 3 backgrounder

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 mid20th 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
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
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: mprince@thatcherandco.com
•
Telephone: 914.523.8937
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 groundbreaking 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.
—2—
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.
—3—
IMAGE FPO
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 turnof-the-century buildings (located just minutes
away from Robert Redford’s Sundance Ski Resort)
that serve as the show’s military base.
—4—
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
NOTES
Scott Swofford
POSITION
Executive Producer
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
Jeff Miller
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:
NOTES
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® Awardwinning history series American Ride.
POSITION
Producer
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
Brian McNamara
POSITION
Guest Director
NOTES 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.
—5—
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
NOTES
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.
Blair Treu
POSITION
Guest Director
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
NOTES
John Plummer
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.
POSITION
Writer
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
NOTES
Reed Smoot, ASC
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 Awardwinning documentary feature The Great American Cowboy.
POSITION
Cinematographer
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
NOTES
Christopher DeMuri
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.
POSITION
Art Director
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
NOTES
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.
Harry B. Miller III
POSITION
Editor
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
Carolyn Leone
NOTES
Leone’s 22 television and film credits for her costume design
work include Waiting for Forever, Daddy Day Camp, Everwood, and
Silk Stalkings.
POSITION
Costume Designer
—6—
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Professor Stanfield Hargraves
Christopher Lloyd
NOTES 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.
—7—
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Alice White
Parker Posey
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 secretkeepers 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.
—8—
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Scottie Andrews
George Newbern
NOTES
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.
—9—
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Roy Milligan
Ivan Sergei
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Zelda/The Avon Lady
Finola Hughes
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Chief of Police John Sanders
Richard Gunn
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Dr. Millard Whittison
David Naughton
NOTES
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.
— 10 —
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Hershel Jenkins
Peter Murnik
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Ezekiel Scott
Tom Wright
NOTES 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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Arthur Milligan
Jonathan Morgan Heit
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Timmy Sanders
Charlie Plummer
NOTES
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.
— 11 —
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Madeline Andrews
Malia Tyler
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Wallace Jenkins
Ethan Ross Wills
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Frank Quincy
Scott Christopher
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Dr. Susan Andrews
Maia Guest
NOTES
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.”
— 12 —
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
June Sanders
Taryn O’Neill
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Dr. Ronald Andrews
Jim Turner
NOTES
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.
NAME OF INVESTIGATED
ALIAS
Nurse Regina Clark
Jessica Wright
NOTES
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.
— 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: mprince@thatcherandco.com
•
Telephone: 914.523.8937