Why Taken Is Making Big Changes Heading Into Season 2
Don't call it a reboot. Think of it more as a reimagining, or a reconceptualization. That's right, when NBC's Taken returns to the airwaves in January for its second season (on January 12, to be specific), the program will be a heading in a new direction under the guidance of executive producer Greg Plageman, the showrunner for this second sprint. Recently, CinemaBlend traveled to the Toronto set of Taken to find out what was in store for Bryan Mills (Clive Standen) and his particular set of skills, and in the process, we heard from Plageman why he thought the show needed a repurposing. He explained:
Taken, which made its debut on NBC with a 10-episode run in 2017, acted as an origin story of sorts for the character Liam Neeson brought to life in three previous Taken films. We knew that Bryan Mills (played in the show by Clive Standen) was a resourceful former green beret with a special set of skills who routinely put them to violent uses in the movies. In the first season of the television show, Mills was overcoming a personal tragedy involving his sister, and those personal stakes carried the weight of the debut season.
But as Taken showrunner Greg Plageman elaborated, it's not feasible for the storylines to be personal to Bryan Mills every week:
The importance of that team will be centered around Jennifer Beals' character, Christina Hart -- the only other first season character to return. When discussing why it was vital to bring Hart back, Plageman told us:
We will have a lot more on Taken heading into its second season, including details on new characters played by Adam Goldberg and Jessica Camacho. For now, here's the latest poster for the new season:
Taken will hold its second season premiere on Friday, January 12, at 9 pm EST. There will be 16 episodes this season, which is six more than last year. What will Taken do with all of this new real estate? We're excited to find out.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.