2007 FOX PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT GUIDE - DRAMA SERIES

The Apostles (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANY
20th Century Fox Television

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Chuck Pratt

WRITER
Chuck Pratt

DIRECTOR
David McNally

CAST (from left to right)
Keith Robinson as John "Preacher" Calhoun
Meghan Markle as Kelly Calhoun
Shawn Hatosy as Peter McBride
Yara Martinez as Erin McBride
Grayson McCouch as "Iron Mike" Brinjak
Leslie Hope as Dee Brinjak
Jessalyn Gilsig as Christine Rydell

When you live every day knowing it could be your last, you live that much more intensely.

THE APOSTLES is a series about the private lives of cops who share side-by-side dwellings at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Simi Valley, a suburban enclave just north of Los Angeles. It's about their dreams and passions, their lies and secrets.

Young officer JOHN "PREACHER" CALHOUN (Keith Robinson, "Dreamgirls," "Over There") is a committed Christian in a godless world, fighting to protect his belief system and madly in love with new bride KELLY (Meghan Markle, "CSI: NY"), a former dancer he "saved" from the mean streets. Living next door to the Calhouns is a couple who've been married forever, colorful "IRON MIKE" BRINJAK (Grayson McCouch, "As the World Turns") and his wife DEE (Leslie Hope, "Commander in Chief," "24"). Mike's a dinosaur in an evolving police department, loved by everyone in the department but feeling increasingly unloved at home as Dee finishes law school and reenters the workplace after years as a devoted wife and mother. The split-level next door is home to young married cops PETER (Shawn Hatosy, "Factory Girl") and ERIN (Yara Martinez, "The Hitcher") McBRIDE. A new baby in the house only adds to the fragility of their eggshell-thin relationship. Peter, on the edge, is harboring deep secrets. Meanwhile, Erin's career is skyrocketing; promoted over her husband, she's now a detective. The job is a dream-come-true for Erin until her lieutenant and mentor, CHRISTINE RYDELL (Jessalyn Gilsig, "Heroes", "Nip/Tuck"), stirs up trouble in the neighborhood by using the police investigation into the death of her own ex-husband to force Erin into questioning her friends, neighbors and even her husband, Peter.

As viewers will quickly learn, something terrifying is brewing behind this peaceful facade. It seems the deadly danger of the streets has followed the heroes home.

Written and executive-produced by Chuck Pratt ("Desperate Housewives," "Melrose Place") and directed by David McNally ("Justice," "Coyote Ugly"), THE APOSTLES comes from 20th Century Fox Television.

Canterbury's Law (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Sony Pictures Television
Apostle

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Denis Leary
Jim Serpico
Mike Figgis

WRITER
Dave Erickson

DIRECTOR
Mike Figgis

CAST (from left to right)
Julianna Margulies
as Elizabeth Canterbury
Linus Roache as Matthew Canterbury
Ben Shenkman as Russell Cross
Trieste Dunn as Molly McConnell
Jocko Sims as Chester Fields

From executive producers Denis Leary and Jim Serpico ("Rescue Me," "The Job") and writer Dave Erickson ("Murder in Greenwich") comes CANTERBURY'S LAW, a courtroom drama about a rebellious female defense attorney who's willing to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused.

ELIZABETH CANTERBURY (Julianna Margulies, "ER") is a force of nature. An attorney on the rise, she puts her career on the line to take on risky and unpopular cases, even when they take a toll on her personal life. Elizabeth and her law professor husband MATTHEW CANTERBURY (Linus Roache, "Batman Begins," "The Chronicles of Riddick"), haunted by the disappearance of their young son, have settled in Providence, Rhode Island, in an attempt to distance themselves from the tragedy and put their relationship back together. But those goals become elusive whenever Elizabeth's work provides a stark reminder of the justice absent in their own lives.

At the office, Canterbury has surrounded herself with a brilliant but motley crew of attorneys. RUSSELL CROSS (Ben Shenkman, "Pi," "Angels in America") was forced out of the Providence District Attorney's Office when he went toe-to-toe with his morally bankrupt boss, D.A. ZACH WILLIAMS. His reputation tarnished, Russell turned to Canterbury, the only attorney willing to take him in. Now Russell provides a much-needed voice of reason for Canterbury even when she doesn't want to hear it, his position of influence well-earned by their years of friendship.

CHESTER FIELDS (Jocko Sims, "Dreamgirls," "CSI") and MOLLY McCONNELL (Trieste Dunn, "United 93") are the associates rounding out Canterbury's legal crew. Chester is a blue-blooded congressman's son who is embarrassed by his privileged upbringing and has turned his back on politics. Molly, in contrast, is headstrong, passionate and quick to take sides � even if she finds herself in the opposite corner from Canterbury.

Created by Dave Erickson and directed by Mike Figgis ("Leaving Las Vegas," "Cold Creek Manor"), this captivating series from Sony Pictures Television and Apostle introduces an attorney like no other: whose professional battles are as vivid as her personal ones; whose strengths and vices, victories and demons all combine to serve those in need of justice.

Company Man (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
20th Century Fox Television
Realtime Productions

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Robert Cochran
David Ehrman
Jon Cassar
Joel Surnow
Howard Gordon

WRITERS
Robert Cochran & David Ehrman

DIRECTOR
Jon Cassar

CAST (from left to right)
Stana Katic as Sara Baker
Billy Brown as Tom Wicks

From the creative team behind "24," television's most exciting drama, comes a thriller with a different twist. Executive producers Robert Cochran, David Ehrman ("The Fugitive"), Jon Cassar, Joel Surnow and Howard Gordon ("24") explore the world of espionage through the eyes of an innocent man forced to spy for the National Security Agency.

PAUL FISHER, a brilliant engineer who works in the defense industry, is an otherwise ordinary man with ordinary abilities, trying to live a normal life � until he's thrust into a world of intrigue, violence and betrayal. Paul is an unwilling spy, forced to serve his NSA handlers in order to hide a secret that could destroy him.

His burden is made even greater by the fact that, in order to protect his loved ones, he can't tell them what he's doing. An everyman pushed without warning into a brutal, Jack Bauer-esque world, Paul must learn the ropes of his second "job" very quickly, or die � all the while fighting desperately to keep his marriage together. Paul's independent-minded wife, KATE, becomes suspicious when their once-strong bond seems to be unraveling with Paul's increasingly secretive behavior. She's determined to find out what's going on � even to the point of hiring a private investigator.

Sexy, tough Agency handler SARA BAKER (Stana Katic, "24") cajoles, seduces, bullies and blackmails Paul into working for her. Baker's veneer covers a growing admiration for Paul. But it's her job to pull him away from Kate and guide him through his various missions. TOM WICKS (Billy Brown, "Criminal Minds"), Baker's jaded but extremely competent partner, doesn't share her admiration for Paul's decency; in fact, he may be somewhat jealous of it. Paul and Wicks could not be less alike and the gap between them only widens as they work together. However, as with Baker, Paul has no choice but to trust Wicks with his life.

Directed and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Cassar ("24"), this unique series from 20th Century Fox Television and Realtime Productions combines the excitement of a thriller with the heart of a sophisticated character drama.

The Cure (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Warner Bros. Television
Weed Road Pictures

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Patrick Massett
John Zinman
Akiva Goldsman
Danny Cannon

WRITERS
Patrick Massett
John Zinman

NON-WRITING PRODUCERS
Brittany Lovett
Stephanie Koff

DIRECTOR Danny Cannon

CAST (from left to right)
Oded Fehr as Grayden Hall
Esai Morales as Jorge Robles
Anson Mount as Darren Elliott
Liz Vassey as Andie Malik
Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon as Kennedy Ericson

From executive producers Akiva Goldsman ("A Beautiful Mind," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith") and Patrick Massett & John Zinman ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Friday Night Lights") comes a medical thriller in which one brilliant man is willing to put his life and freedom on the line to bring hope to those with nowhere else to turn.

Dr. GRAYDEN HALL (Oded Fehr, "Sleeper Cell," "UC: Undercover") was once a titan of the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. A storied doctor, world-renowned researcher and ruthless businessman, he was a key architect of this multi-trillion-dollar business. But when personal tragedy struck, Grayden was forced to reexamine his life, his work, and the industry he helped build. Realizing that the healthcare system is broken, Grayden went rogue � seeking out the cutting-edge medical therapies and fringe thinking the medical establishment can't or won't support.

Working with Grayden is an elite team of medical researchers and physicians who, through unconventional means, bring radical and untested new therapies directly to desperate people in need of a cure: Dr. DARREN ELLIOTT (Anson Mount, "In Her Shoes," "Conviction"), whose tour in Iraq as a battlefield surgeon makes him no stranger to guerilla medicine; ANDIE MALIK (Liz Vassey, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"), a genius in biotech devices; and JORGE ROBLES (Esai Morales, "NYPD Blue"), an expert in stem cell technology. Aided by KENNEDY ERICSON (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, "NYPD Blue," "The Jamie Foxx Show"), a lawyer with the air of a carnivore, they will have to stay one step ahead of outside forces that threaten to expose their clandestine operation � forces willing to stop at nothing to protect the wealth and power the healthcare system hoards.

Grayden's genius and newfound sense of mission will guide him, but he'll also draw upon the cutthroat business techniques he cultivated in his former life as he takes on old allies who have become intractable foes.

Directed and executive-produced by Danny Cannon ("CSI"), this provocative series from Warner Bros. Television will have viewers asking the question: If your life were on the line and you had nowhere to turn, who else would you trust to deliver you THE CURE?

K-Ville (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANY
20th Century Fox Television

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Jonathan Lisco

WRITER
Jonathan Lisco

DIRECTOR
Deran Sarafian

CAST (from left to right)
Anthony Anderson as Marlin Boulet
Cole Hauser as Trevor Cobb
Maximiliano Hern�ndez as Billy "K-9" Faust
Blake Shields as Jeff "Glue Boy" Gooden
Tawny Cypress as Ginger "Love Tap" LeBeau
John Carroll Lynch as Captain James Embry

When everything changes, so do the rules.

From writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco ("NYPD Blue," "The District") comes an explosive police drama set in New Orleans � America's new Wild West. Two years after Katrina, the city is still in chaos. Criminals roam the streets with AK-47s, many cops have quit, and the jails, police stations and crime labs still haven't been rebuilt. But the cops who remain have courage to burn and a passion to reclaim their city.

MARLIN BOULET (Anthony Anderson, "The Departed," "The Shield") is a brash, funny, in-your-face veteran of the NOPD's Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets the most-wanted criminals. Even when his partner deserted him during the storm, Boulet held his post, spending days in the water saving lives and keeping order. Now, two years later, he's unapologetic about bending the rules when it comes to collaring bad guys. The stakes are too high, and the city too lawless, for him to do things by the book.

Boulet's new partner, TREVOR COBB (Cole Hauser, "The Break-Up," "ER"), was a soldier in Afghanistan before joining the NOPD. He's tough and committed, but if he's less than comfortable with Boulet's methods, it's because he's harboring a dark secret. Cobb has come to New Orleans seeking redemption, but redemption can be dangerous. Will Boulet be able to trust him? Will Cobb's past endanger them both?

Rounding out the crew of cops are hotheaded BILLY "K-9" FAUST (Maximiliano Hern�ndez, "Law & Order," "Shark"), who often speaks before thinking; wisecracking JEFF "GLUE BOY" GOODEN ("Blake Shields, "Sleeper Cell," "Veronica Mars"), the team's comic relief; tough-as-nails GINGER "LOVE TAP" LeBEAU (Tawny Cypress, "Heroes"), the only female on the squad, who gives as good as she gets; and Captain JAMES EMBRY (John Carroll Lynch, "Zodiac," "The Drew Carey Show"), who wrangles the eclectic personalities of his squad with equal parts humor and tenacity.

Through its no-holds-barred crime stories, this intriguing series from 20th Century Fox Television and director Deran Sarafian ("House," "CSI") will take viewers from the Victorian mansions of the Garden District to the rubble of the Lower 9th Ward. In the aftermath of Katrina, with the future of New Orleans hanging in the balance ... the stakes could not be higher in K-VILLE.

New Amsterdam (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Regency Television
Scarlet Fire Films

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Allan Loeb
David Manson
Lasse Hallstr�m
Leslie Holleran
Steven Pearl

WRITERS
Allan Loeb & Christian Taylor

DIRECTOR
Lasse Hallstr�m

CAST (from left to right)
Nikolaj Coster Waldau
as John Amsterdam
Zuleikha Robinson as Dr. Eva Marquez
Alexie Gilmore as Sara Dillane
Stephen Henderson as Omar

Directed and executive-produced by visionary Lasse Hallstr�m ("My Life As a Dog," "The Cider House Rules," "Chocolat," "The Hoax") and written by Allan Loeb ("Things We Lost in the Fire," "21") and Christian Taylor ("Showboy," "Six Feet Under"), NEW AMSTERDAM is the story of a New York homicide detective unlike any other. He is brilliant, mysterious, reckless, magnetic, unknowable. And he has a profound secret � he is immortal.

In 1642, JOHN AMSTERDAM (Nikolaj Coster Waldau, "Kingdom of Heaven"), then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam � later to become New York City � stepped in front of a sword intended for a Native Indian girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe. The girl in turn rescued Amsterdam, weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. Amsterdam will not age, she told him, until he finds his one true love. Only then will he become whole and ready for mortality.

But Amsterdam has found this to be a mixed blessing. Over the course of three centuries, he's experienced endless adventure and honed his many talents. But everyone Amsterdam meets must leave him in time; lovers and children die while he remains young. His sole confidante and lifelong friend is the sage jazz club owner OMAR (Stephen Henderson, "Law & Order: SVU"), the keeper of Amsterdam's secret, as well as a few of his own. As the exhilaration of eternal life has given way to emotional isolation and bitter loneliness, Amsterdam discovers the blessing has become a curse.

Having witnessed its entire history, from colonial outpost to mega-metropolis, John Amsterdam is the living embodiment of New York City. He and the island of Manhattan are now part and parcel of each other. Bringing to bear the unorthodox techniques and unique knowledge gained from his vast life experience, Amsterdam today is one of the NYPD's best homicide detectives, sparring with his vibrant, strong-willed partner EVA MARQUEZ (Zuleikha Robinson, "Rome," "The Lone Gunmen") as they solve difficult murder cases. But when Amsterdam suffers and then recovers from what appears to be a massive heart attack while chasing a suspect, and Dr. SARA DILLANE (Alexie Gilmore, "Find Love") pronounces him dead in the ER, he realizes that the Indian girl's prophesy may have come true � he felt the pain in his heart that she had foretold so long ago. His soul mate must have been nearby. As he works to find a killer on the streets of New York, Amsterdam understands that his own life � and possibly his death � have changed forever.

From executive producers Allan Loeb, David Manson ("Saved," "Thief," "Nothing Sacred"), Steven Pearl ("Untraceable") and Leslie Holleran ("Chocolat," "The Cider House Rules," "The Hoax"), this intriguing series invites viewers to explore the enduring mysteries of life, death, and true love.

Nurses (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
20th Century Fox Television
Josephson Entertainment
Shed Productions

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Barry Josephson
Eileen Gallagher
Brian Park
PJ Hogan

WRITERS/CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Samantha Goodman
Andrew Stern

DIRECTOR
PJ Hogan

CAST (from left to right)
Eliza Dushku as Eve Morrow
Gregory Harrison as Dr. Richard Morrow
Sara Rue as Chris Korenek
Ramon Rodriguez as Patrick De Leon
Jaclyn DeSantis as Joanne "Jo" Mazur
Melinda Page Hamilton
as Margo MacDonald
Brett Dalton as Dr. Kurt Taylor
Drew Sidora as Becca Dimato

From executive producers Barry Josephson ("Bones") and Shed Productions (UK hits "Footballers' Wives," "Bad Girls"), director PJ Hogan ("My Best Friend's Wedding") and writers Samantha Goodman and Andrew Stern ("Return to Me"), NURSES is a hospital show that puts the focus where it truly belongs: on the women and men who spend their days at the beck and call of the doctors, proving once and for all who's truly in charge. And while the nurses of Philadelphia General Hospital work hard, they play hard, too � sometimes before their shifts have even ended.

Trying to put a checkered past behind her, newbie nurse EVE MORROW (Eliza Dushku, "Tru Calling") returns to, of all places, the hospital where her brilliant and intimidating father Dr. RICHARD MORROW (Gregory Harrison, "Ed," "Falcon Crest") calls the shots as Chief and her smug stepbrother Dr. KURT TAYLOR (Brett Dalton) is a rising star on the staff.

Eve joins the nursing team on the fast-paced Med/Surg Unit and immediately finds herself in hot water when she enlists the help of the beautiful BECCA DIMATO (Drew Sidora, "Girlfriends," "White Chicks") � who has a penchant for one-night stands and pilfered pharmaceuticals � in a quest to help a patient by proving that Dr. Taylor, Becca's latest conquest, has made an incorrect diagnosis. The acerbic JOANNE "JO" MAZUR (Jaclyn DeSantis, "Windfall," "Luis") is a single mom who's enjoying a workplace romance with sexy male nurse PATRICK De LEON (Ramon Rodriguez, "Day Break," "The Wire"), as her envious co-workers wonder aloud what she has that they don't. CHRIS KORENEK (Sara Rue, "Less Than Perfect") is dangerously bored with her marriage to her high school sweetheart and secretly wonders if she has what it takes to be a surgeon. And while tightly-wound charge nurse MARGO MacDONALD (Melinda Page Hamilton, "Desperate Housewives") must play mother hen to them all, she quietly longs to be one of the girls.

Few would have the wherewithal to survive all this, but it's just another 12-hour shift for the NURSES.

Sarah Connor Chronicles (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Warner Bros. Television
C-2 Pictures

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Josh Friedman
David Nutter
James Middleton
Mario Kassar
Andrew Vajna
Joel Michaels

WRITER
Josh Friedman

DIRECTOR
David Nutter

CAST (from left to right)
Lena Headey as Sarah Connor
Thomas Dekker as John Connor
Richard T. Jones as James Ellison
Summer Glau as Cameron

Executive producers Josh Friedman ("War of the Worlds"), David Nutter ("Supernatural," "Smallville") and C2 Pictures ("Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines") bring to television an intense new drama based on the celebrated heroine of the "Terminator" movies: Sarah Connor.

At the end of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," Sarah vanquished the liquid metal Terminator sent from the future to kill her teenage son, John. Sarah and John now find themselves alone in a very dangerous, complicated world. Fugitives from the law, they are confronted with the reality that still more enemies from the future, and the present, could attack at any moment.

SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES reveals what happens when SARAH CONNOR (Lena Headey, "The Brothers Grimm," "300") stops running and goes on the offensive against an ever-evolving technological enemy bent on destroying her life, and perhaps the world. Her son, 15-year-old JOHN CONNOR (Thomas Dekker, "Heroes"), knows that he may be the future savior of mankind, but is not yet ready to take on the mantle of leadership that he's told is his destiny. John finds himself inextricably drawn to CAMERON (Summer Glau "Serenity," "The Unit"), an enigmatic and otherworldly student at his high school, who soon proves to be much more than his confidante � she assumes the role of Sarah and John's fearless protector. On their trail are not only threats from the future, but an intelligent and tough FBI agent, JAMES ELLISON (Richard T. Jones, "Judging Amy"), who soon becomes a powerful ally.

Directed by David Nutter and produced by Warner Bros. Television and C-2 Pictures, SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES represents an exciting reinvention of the "Terminator" franchise, in which the strong and intrepid Sarah discovers that protecting her son and stopping the rise of the machines is more difficult than she had ever imagined.

Supreme Courtships (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
20th Century Fox Television
Adelstein Productions

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
John Eisendrath
Gary Tieche
Marty Adelstein
Michael Thorn

WRITER
Gary Tieche

DIRECTOR
Ian Toynton

CAST (from left to right)
Shane West as Tommy Fallon
Luke MacFarland as Allen Moore
Leslie Odom Jr. as Marcus Truman
Zachary Knighton as Clyde Glenn
Bridget Regan as Holly Sturgess
Camille Guaty as Amber Chavez
Kate Burton as Justice Suzanne Mary Lynch
Kurtwood Smith as Justice Henry Greenberg

From executive producers Gary Tieche ("MDs"), John Eisendrath ("Playmakers," "Alias") and Marty Adelstein ("Prison Break") comes an irreverent, behind-thescenes look at the United States Supreme Court and the young people who help steer the country's future in response to some of the most complex issues of our time.

Part legal drama and part twenty-something soap, the series follows six Supreme Court clerks � America's best and brightest � whose strong intelligence and ample egos are matched only by their active personal lives. They're dealing with hot-button issues in a pressure-cooker workplace, which means passions will run high. There's sexy overachiever HOLLY (Bridget Regan, "The Black Donnellys"); introverted do-gooder CLYDE (Zachary Knighton, "The Hitcher"); and Libertarian MARCUS (Leslie Odom Jr., "CSI: Miami," "Vanished"), who's as ambitious in the high court's chambers as he is between the sheets. When Marcus' reckless personal behavior threatens his standing in the court, an unlikely ally comes to his rescue.

AMBER (Camille Guaty, "Prison Break," "The Nine") is faced with an impossible decision when an unplanned pregnancy threatens not only to derail her career plans, but forces her to choose between her conservative ex-boyfriend who is the father of her child, ALLEN (Luke MacFarland, "Brothers and Sisters"), a trust fund baby trying to prove he's more than just a legacy in the court; and her new love and fellow clerk, TOMMY (Shane West, "ER", "Once and Again"), a cocky bluecollar liberal who grew up on the streets of Brooklyn. Amber's decision not only affects her personally, but also alters the direction of the court when a shift in her beliefs helps sway moderate Justice SUZANNE MARY LYNCH's (Kate Burton, "Grey's Anatomy," "Rescue Me") opinion on an incredibly controversial matter.

Under the guidance and watchful eye of Acting Chief Justice HENRY GREENBERG (Kurtwood Smith, "That �70s Show"), the clerks will work on provocative and sometimes offbeat cases, all while struggling to manipulate their friendships and their Justices in order to see their personal agendas prevail.

Directed by Ian Toynton ("24," "The O.C."), SUPREME COURTSHIPS promises an intriguing glimpse into the professional and private lives of the best young legal minds in the country, as they come of age in America's highest court. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Adelstein Productions.

Them (working title)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
CBS Paramount Network Television
Circle of Confusion

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
David Eick
John McNamara
Jonathan Mostow

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
David Engel

WRITERS
David Eick
John McNamara

DIRECTOR
Jonathan Mostow

CAST (from left to right)
James D'Arcy as Cain Johnson
Rachel Nichols as Donna Shaw
Steve Toussaint as Uriah Selleck
Freya Stafford as Tara Spader
Ben Feldman as Floyd Grunwald
Reg Rogers as Ezekial Smits

Executive producers Jonathan Mostow ("Breakdown," "Terminator 3"), David Eick ("Battlestar Galactica") and John McNamara ("Profit," "Eyes") deliver THEM, a revolutionary new drama about a sleeper cell operating in the everyday environs of modern-day Los Angeles � a sleeper cell from another world.

They might be the friendly new neighbors next door or the office workers carpooling alongside you on the freeway. But they are nothing like us. They arrive emotionless, follow orders without question, and none of them knows the true nature of their mission on Earth. What a few of them do know, however, is that something unexpected has happened: Our emotions affect them like a dangerous, uncontrollable virus. Once indulged, any feelings they have toward us can suddenly shatter their carefully codified order.

CAIN JOHNSON (James D'Arcy, "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World") is the cell's vigilant, determined Enforcer, tasked with investigating agents who "go rogue." A new arrival, he struggles to understand our strange human ways, such as why we give each other dead foliage to express tenderness. When cell agent Adam Bridges betrays his own kind because of his love for a human woman, Cain is ordered to hunt him down. In the process, while learning more about his prey and, eventually, himself, Cain begins to question the true purpose of his cell's mysterious mission on Earth � is it one of mercy, or domination? And what role does he actually play in it?

EZEKIAL SMITS (Reg Rogers, "Runaway Bride") is the cell's Assimilator, a kind of bureaucratic shrink who orients new arrivals to this world, then monitors their progress and reports anyone he deems "unstable." Yet he himself has a secret addiction. An officious, volatile taskmaster, Smits is also responsible for naming each new agent as he or she assumes human form. For inspiration, he draws from two of this planet's most enduring publications: the Bible and TV Guide.

URIAH SELLECK (Steve Toussaint, "The Knock"/UK), the silkily domineering Sector Chief, rules by fear and intimidation. The ambitious TARA SPADER (Freya Stafford, "White Collar Blue"/Australia) is in charge of media disinformation; she'll follow any order Uriah gives, as long as it assures her advancement within the cell. Naomi Tyler Moore is Tara's counterpart and total opposite, as seductive as she is free-spirited, using her powerful sexuality to gather information on unsuspecting human males. But as Cain soon learns, humans aren't the only ones vulnerable to Naomi's appeal. Meanwhile, DONNA SHAW (Rachel Nichols, "Alias"), the ordinary human woman with whom Adam has fallen in love � as has her friend FLOYD GRUNWALD (Ben Feldman, "Living with Fran") � triggers a deadly manhunt when it appears she might be the key to the cell's overall mission.

Directed by Jonathan Mostow, this CBS Paramount Network Television and Circle of Confusion production is a mind-bending thriller about the collision of love, loyalty, fear, betrayal � and what it means to be truly human.