NBC's "Persons Unknown" Has Stargate Ties

Stargate Universe executive producer and writer Joseph Mallozzi included in his recent weblog entry a clip for NBC’s upcoming miniseries Persons Unknown. He also wanted to let his readers know that there is some Stargate talent behind the series: “Check it out. It’s an advance trailer for Persons Unknown, a delightfully creepy-looking mini-series that premieres on NBC June 7th. And its Executive Produced by SGU’s very own Remi Aubuchon! In addition to his show running duties, Remi also wrote a bunch of scripts for the series – as did SGU’s Linda McGibney – so I’m more than a little eager to check it out. The premise is intriguing and, quite frankly, it looks pretty damn cool. Circle the date on your calendars!”

Both Aubuchon and McGibney joined the writer-producer staff for SGU’s second season, currently in production.

Although he’s not in the regular cast, Stargate actor Robert Picardo is also tied to the show, which was filmed in Mexico during the fall of 2008 and wasn’t picked up by NBC until July 2009. Back in April 2009, before the show was picked up, Picardo talked with SCI FI WIRE about the producers, writers, and the other actors, as well as about his brief role (he doesn’t appear until the last episode):

“That’s from Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects. And the executive producer is Remi Aubuchon, who also wrote the Caprica pilot along with Ron Moore. It’s reminiscent of the classic Patrick McGoohan series The Prisoner. It’s about these people who are strangely abducted and held against their will and are apparently being studied or manipulated. It’s a very exotic, paranoid premise for a show. The actors are great. Alan Ruck, an old friend of mine, is one of the main cast members.

“I’m a very powerful guy, sort of the power behind the power. I won’t even tell you his name, because the name is kind of a placeholder. But it was great to work with [director] Michael Rymer, who did Battlestar Galactica, and I’m hoping the show is picked up in the U.S. It’s sold throughout Europe and South America, and I don’t know that they have an American buyer yet, but I’m confident they will, because I saw the pilot and it’s great.

“[If] the show goes beyond 13, then I will recur.”

Persons Unknown (IMDb) premieres on NBC on Monday, June 7, at 10 PM ET.

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