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With a title like Countdown, Jensen Ackles‘ incredibly welcome return to series TV had better be packing the explosive twists. “You will get them,” promises showrunner Derek Haas. “And by the time we get to the climax, it gets even more literal.”
That’s saying a lot given that Prime Video‘s new thriller — a pulse-pounding, guns-blazing homage to ’80s hit films such as Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, and Tango & Cash about a covert task force racing to save L.A. from catastrophe — is surprising from the get-go. Within the first 10 minutes, we get a big-name cameo, an OMG! ground-chase sequence that ends tragically for a Homeland Security officer, and a wisecracking Ackles in prison garb. It’s clear this show is here for a good time, not a grim time.
“The last 20 years of television — not in a bad way — [has embraced] the sort of dark sensibility where if you have a detective, it’s like they’re so haunted by the job, they drink and all of these things,” assesses Haas, who, among other credits, cocreated Chicago Fire and codeveloped Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. This new series, he says, is the opposite: a classic popcorn entertainment with cheeky heroes, smart dialogue, and practical stunts galore. “I just like the fun vibe of those old movies.”
Elizabeth Morris / Amazon
Luckily, he had a kindred spirit in Ackles. The actor was quick to sign on as nonchalant LAPD homicide officer Mark Meachum after hearing how Countdown‘s adrenalized action and smart-a-- heroics were embedded in his own DNA by 15 seasons as Supernatural‘s demon-hunting Dean Winchester.
Haas’ charter was to “create this character around Ackles, who’d have fit perfectly in the world of Die Hard. He’s such a great actor; you can’t match his energy, and he’s genuinely hilarious.”
“I certainly knew Derek’s pedigree,” admits Ackles, adding that the two “hit it off right away” after realizing they’d both grown up in north Texas. “Then I got a clear sense of what he wanted to do. I was like, ‘Oh, this is not only in my wheelhouse, it’s the stuff I grew up being attracted to.’”
And it’s not just Ackles’ Meachum saving the day. In the series opener, he’s teamed with a colorful cadre handpicked by an old pal, Special Agent Nathan Blythe (Euphoria‘s Eric Dane). Among them: FBI-ers Evan Shepherd (Violett Beane) and Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight), DEA pro Amber Oliveros (Jessica Camacho), and narcotics transfer Lucas Finau (Uli Latukefu). The idea for this off-the-books Avengers-like team capable of witty banter and bada--ery, Haas confesses, was inspired by a technical adviser on Chicago P.D. who had told him that the government often recruits experts from various branches for task forces.
Elizabeth Morris / Amazon
“I thought this whole world was really interesting — the idea that they’re all-stars, that you could have these rebel personalities in each department put into a squad led by somebody who is very good at his job,” Haas says. So while the team’s mission is life-or-death, their methods are lightened by gallows humor. And, this being TV, plenty of character development.
“You really get a sense of who these people are,” agrees Ackles. “Not just together as the team, but individually. That lets the audience invest in the characters and not just the story.”
There was a similar investment off-camera. Haas brought in two consultants, and the cast went through gun training. Camacho spoke to “many different law-enforcement agents and officers,” went on a ride-along, and sat in with a task force. “Every day they’re facing high stakes and have to be on high alert,” she marvels. “It creates this deeply embedded sense of camaraderie between them and their partners.”
Much like the ties that formed during Countdown‘s long days and many night shoots in L.A., apparently. “There was a disgusting amount of chemistry that was formed very quickly off-set that lends itself to on-set chemistry,” says Ackles.
“The cast members and Derek watched the first three episodes,” recalls Camacho of a key bonding moment. “We were screaming with joy. It was so exciting. We’re like, ‘Oh my God, Derek, this is a ride!’”
Will viewers be just as clocked-in to Countdown? “I think they’re going to be shocked a few times through the course of 13 episodes,” teases Haas. “They’re not going to be happy with me several times.” But mostly, they’ll be getting hours of pleasure.
Countdown, Series Premiere, Wednesday, June 25, Prime Video
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