Taken Season 2 arrives on Amazon
David Farnor | On 13, Jan 2018
“This man is wired to protect others…” That’s the sound of Bryan Mills making an impression on other people, with his very particular set of skills. Yes, the lead from Luc Besson’s Taken franchise is returning once again for Season 2 of his prequel series.
Exec-produced by Besson, NBC’s programme stars Clive Standen as the young Mills, a former Green Beret who is pulled into a career as a deadly CIA operative. Teaming up with former CIA spy Christina Hart (Jennifer Beals) and a team of covert operatives, as they embark on rescue missions around the world, Season 2 picks up as Bryan fights for his life inside a secret Mexican prison and plans a series of dangerous deals to put him on track for escape to the USA.
Season 1 was met with a mixed reaction, with our review describing it as a “misfiring action thriller”. Can Season 2 mark an improvement for the NBC show, which was renewed for 16 new episodes after proving popular with international audiences despite its relatively low budget? It comes with a new showrunner – Greg Plageman, of Person of Interest – which bodes well. Either way, you can find out for yourself now, as Season 2 of Taken lands on Amazon Prime Video today – with new episodes arriving weekly, within 24 hours of their US broadcast.
Read on for a trailer, or head this way to see what else is coming to Amazon Prime Video in January 2018.
Taken renewed for Season 2
11th May 2017
NBC has renewed Taken for Season 2.
Based on the movie starring Liam Neeson, the TV show was ordered straight-to-series by the network back in 2015, with Vikings’ Clive Standen in the lead role as a younger version of the formidable CIA agent Bryan Mills.
Exec produced by Luc Besson, it follows the origin story of the younger, hungrier, former Green Beret, as he deals with a personal tragedy that shakes his world. As he fights to overcome the trauma of the incident and exact revenge, Mills is pulled into a career as a deadly CIA operative – a job that awakens his very particular set of skills.
The programme was promptly snapped up by Amazon Prime Video as an exclusive IN the UK, with episodes arriving online within 24 hours of their US broadcast.
“Disappointingly dull and a tragic waste of an actor, Taken is a misfiring action thriller,” we wrote in our review of Season 1. “Whether or not you’re a fan of the film is irrelevant: this spin-off is nothing like it. It has a very particular set of skills. Unfortunately, all of them are rubbish.”
The show has not performed particularly well in the US, but Variety reports that it has been popular international and, given its relatively low budget, that was enough to earn a sophomore run.
The second season will consist of 16 hour-long episodes, with NBC now seeking a new showrunner, following the departure of EP Alexander Cary.
NBC’s decision to renew Taken arrives at the same time as the network has chosen to cancel Timeless, which airs on Channel 4 in the UK.
Taken TV series to premiere on Amazon in UK
6th February 2017
Amazon has acquired the exclusive UK rights to the Taken TV series.
Based on the movie starring Liam Neeson, NBC commissioned the show straight-to-series in 2015. Filming began on location in Ontario in September 2016, with Clive Standen in the lead role as a younger version of the formidable CIA agent Bryan Mills.
The programme is executive produced by Luc Besson and follows the origin story of the younger, hungrier, former Green Beret, as he deals with a personal tragedy that shakes his world. As he fights to overcome the trauma of the incident and exact revenge, Mills is pulled into a career as a deadly CIA operative – a job that awakens his very particular set of skills.
Alexander Cary (Legends, Homeland) serves as writer and executive producer of the show, with Matthew Gross, Edouard de Vésinne, Thomas Anargyros and director Alex Graves also executive producing alongside Besson.
The show also stars Jennifer Beals, Gaius Charles, Brooklyn Sudano, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Michael Irby, James Landry Hébert and Jose Pablo Cantillo. It premieres on 27th February on NBC in the USA, with Amazon releasing each episode exclusively in the UK on Amazon Prime Video within 24 hours of their Americab debut. Episode 1 will land on 28th February.
The deal marks a homecoming of sorts for Standen, who can currently be seen in Vikings, another of Amazon’s exclusive acquisitions. With Season 4 of History’s drama wrapping up last week, anyone missing Standen from their screens won’t have to wait long for their next fix.
Here’s a trailer for the show:
Every hero has a beginning. #Taken is coming to #PrimeVideo February 28. pic.twitter.com/Ih249JiQzL
— Amazon Video UK (@AmazonVideoUK) February 6, 2017
Taken joins The Path as Amazon’s latest exclusives premiering in February on Prime Video, which costs £5.99 a month as a standalone, contract-free subscription. For more on what’s coming soon to Amazon Prime Video UK this month, click here.