First Impressions: GRACELAND

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a special screening of the pilot episode of the upcoming new USA Network drama Graceland and I have to say that this series is a bit of a departure for the network that has specialized in “blue sky” shows for the past seven seasons. Graceland is easily the darkest (in terms of tone) show that the cabler has introduced to its very loyal viewing audience, but it is definitely worth the visit.

While I don’t want to spoil the pilot episode for those who want to tune in when the show debuts on the USA Network on June 6 here is the basic premise of Graceland:

It is a place where nothing is what it seems and everyone has a secret. From the outside, this idyllic beachfront property is inhabited by a group of young, diverse roommates. Inside, a vastly different world is exposed: one that sustains itself through a complex web of lies. Graceland delves into the lives of an elusive group of undercover agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and US Customs, who live and operate under one roof (the house got its name because the drug lord from whom the authorities seized the property was known to be an obsessed Elvis Presley fan). When forced to give up any shred of normalcy and the question of trust is a matter of life or death, the house becomes their sanctuary, their “Graceland.”

There you have it – the basic idea behind this series that is actually based on a true story (in terms of the house and the agency contained within the house if not the characters). Jeff Eastin, the man behind the fan favorite USA Network series White Collar, is the creator and executive producer of this new drama that will feature perhaps one of the best looking cast on current TV (although that statement could be said about any TV show, right?).

Here is a rundown on the cast:

Mike Warren – Mike (actor Aaron Tveit from Les Miserable) is a freshly minted FBI agent just out of the Academy. He is sent to live at Graceland and work with Briggs (more on him in a minute), whom he idolizes. What he doesn’t have in life experience he makes up for in smarts. He’ll need them to fulfill his secret mission at Graceland, one that will put him at odds with his roommates. [NOTE: You so need to pay close attention to the ending scene of the pilot to find out Mike’s true mission!]

Paul Briggs – Senior FBI agent Paul Briggs (actor Daniel Sunjata from Rescue Me) has a legendary track record in the bureau. But after a mysterious event that sent him on an unexplained leave of absence a few years ago, he traded in his suit and tie for a more Zen existence. He is assigned to train Mike, the rookie who has just arrived at the house -a task he reluctantly takes on.

Catherine ‘Charlie’ DeMarco – Charlie (actress Vanessa Ferlito from CSI: NY) is a strong-willed undercover FBI agent. She’s a chameleon on the job, easily turning herself into anything from a believable junkie to a classy businesswoman. Whatever her guise, she’s brimming with attitude and determined to take the bad guys down.

Joe ‘Johnny’ Tuturro – The fun-loving prankster of the house, Johnny (actor Manny Montana from the online series Cybergeddon) is Briggs’ right hand man and the heart of Graceland. Growing up, Johnny almost followed in his brother’s footsteps and joined a gang. Instead, he became a Navy Seal trainee, where he learned everything from undersea recoveries to diffusing bombs, and then finally joined the FBI.

Dale ‘DJ’ Jakes – Dale (actor Brandon Jay McLaren from The Killing and Falling Skies) is a quick-tempered U.S. Customs agent, who is the most territorial of the roommates. What’s his is his, and he’ll make sure everyone knows it. He’s a tough nut to crack, but underneath his shell is a truly dedicated agent with a lot of wisdom. Jakes is a bit of a lone wolf, but he is always there to help the team when they’re in need.

Paige Arkin – Paige (actress Serinda Swan from Breakout Kings) is a smart and sexy DEA undercover agent with a smile that lights up the room and a killer left-hook. She drinks hard, plays hard and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She’ll do whatever it takes to arrest the enemy and after she has them in cuffs, she uses her talents for ball-busting to make even the hardest criminal cooperate.

Also featured prominently in the pilot is actress Scottie Thompson (from NCIS fame) and actors Courtney B. Vance (from FlashForward), Clayne Crawford (from The Glades) and Jay Karnes (from Last Resort and Burn Notice).

Following the special advanced screening, the audience got to watch a pre-recorded Q&A session with the main cast moderated by Tim Stack, writer at Entertainment Weekly that was filmed in front of a live audience in New York City.

During that Q&A, the cast shared the following:

• Vanessa is actually very different from her on-screen persona, claiming that she’s “a bit of a square and that looks can be deceiving”; and the rest of the cast sharing that Vanessa is the one that keeps them in line and in organized order on the set;

• Despite Aaron’s vocal background, he believes that his character Mike would not be able to sing at all; and during a visit to the set by his parents, who could not remember his lines despite being the one of set “who always remembers his lines and everyone else’s too” chimed Daniel;

• Serinda was brought into the project very quickly, being introduced in the second episode of the debut season with her first scene being that of singing karaoke in Korean – no joke! In fact, she apologized to all those who know Korean and hoping that those who don’t will enjoy it;

• The entire cast admitted that there is at least one small part of their characters that is like each of them, but they would not elaborate which small part (tricky little actors they are); and,

• That the beachfront property used in the pilot is actually the second home of the owners, is worth $17 million dollars and was only used for the pilot. Each of the rooms used in the house were reproduced on set in nearly minute detail and the cast could not stop raving over how amazing the sets are for Graceland.

Graceland will make its debut on the USA Network on Thursday, June 6 at 10/9c. Don’t miss out on this great new addition to the network’s line-up of programming.