# The Grid (TV serial)

The Grid is a 2004 television drama serial co-produced by the BBC, Fox TV Studios and Carnival Films. It starred Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies. It aired on TNT in the US and on BBC Two in the UK over three consecutive nights and is available on DVD in the UK, United States and Australia. It also aired on Seven HD in Australia in 2007.

## Premise

The series follows an international Counter-Terrorism team whose purpose is to combat terrorism; the series focuses on the team's mission to disrupt a terrorist cell bent on destroying the world's economic foundations. The team is assembled following an incident in which a failed Sarin attack in London leaves several terrorists and innocents dead. The team is composed of: Maren Jackson, an administrator for the National Security Council; Max Canary, SAC of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF); and Raza Michaels, an expert on Middle Eastern culture who works for the CIA; in addition, the American team works with two British Intelligence agents, senior field agent Derek Jennings of MI5 and mid-level administrator Emily Tuthill of MI6. Maren Jackson must fight to keep the team together, when they are misled by the terrorists and evacuate Manhattan's subways under a false alarm.
Maren had created the team specifically to cut through red tape and encourage inter-agency cooperation, but she is stymied by Acton Sandman, the CIA's Assistant Director for Counter Terrorism, who believes that he should be leader of the team, and the CIA should be in charge of its operation. To manipulate the situation, Sandman puts political pressure on Raza, and eventually fires him when Raza remains loyal to Maren.
When it becomes evident that there is an imminent threat Maren Jackson and Acton Sandman put their differences aside and work together to prevent the terrorist cell from striking. During the course of the operation Emily Tuthill and Raza Michaels become a couple, and she is distraught when tragedy befalls Raza in Syria when trying to talk down a group of children who had been coerced by the cell leader to martyr themselves. The lives of some of the team are changed forever following the successful operation. Maren Jackson is sworn in as the new National Security Advisor. Emily Tuthill resigns from MI6 after nearly killing Yussef Nasseriah, the terrorist cell leader, following the death of Raza, while Max Canary, Acton Sandman and Derek Jennings return to work at their various agencies.

## Cast

| Actor | Character | Description |
| Dylan McDermott | Max Canary | Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's New York City JTTF, member of Maren Jackson's team. |
| Julianna Margulies | Maren Jackson | NSA Operative who assembles and leads an international Counter-Terrorism Team. |
| Tom Skerritt | Acton Sandman | CIA's Assistant Director for Counter Terrorist Operations; adversary of Maren Jackson. |
| Piter Marek | Raza Michaels | CIA Analyst and key member of Maren Jackson's team. His position on Maren's team puts him at odd with his boss, Acton Sandman. |
| Bernard Hill | Derek Jennings | Head of MI5's Counter Terrorist Operations, and a member of Maren Jackson's team. |
| Jemma Redgrave | Emily Tuthill | Head of MI6's Foreign Counter Terrorist Operations, and a member of Maren Jackson's team. |
| James Remar | Hudson Benoit | International Businessman and Love Interest of Maren Jackson. |
| Alki David | Yussef Nasseriah | Leader of the terrorist cell. |
| Barna Moricz | Kaz Moore | Son of a Russian immigrant and member of Yussef Nasseriah's cell. |
| Silas Carson | Dr. Raghib Mutar | A Saudi doctor who is an old friend of Yussef Nasseriah and becomes a member of his cell. |
| Andy Velasquez | Foud al Bansour | Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States. |

## Episodes

The show had 6 episodes however when originally aired on TNT Episodes 1 & 2 aired as one episode as did Episodes 5 & 6. As such they are listed here as one episode.
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Director | Original airdate |
| 1, 2 | "Hour One/Hour Two" | Tracey Alexander and Ken Friedman | Mikael Salomon | 19 July 2004 (2004-07-19) |
| The escape of deadly Sarin nerve gas in a London hotel alerts British Intelligence that a terrorist cell is operating in the city. Joined by American counter-terrorist agents from the FBI, CIA and NSA, the search begins for the terrorists' next target. |||||
| 3 | "Hour Three" | Tracey Alexander and Ken Friedman | Mikael Salomon | 26 July 2004 (2004-07-26) |
| Although the inter-agency team is officially disbanded after a terrorist bombing in Nigeria, the agents decide to stay together and pursue the deadly and determined terrorist cell. |||||
| 4 | "Hour Four" | Tracey Alexander and Ken Friedman | Mikael Salomon | 2 August 2004 (2004-08-02) |
| As the terrorists prepare to strike in the American heartland, Muhammad, the leader of the terrorist cell, convinces some young boys in Jordan to join his cause. |||||
| 5, 6 | "Hour Five/Hour Six" | Tracey Alexander and Ken Friedman | Mikael Salomon | 9 August 2004 (2004-08-09) |
| A CIA team lands in Syria and storms a house where they believe Muhammad is staying. Later, agents in the United States and Jordan attempt to stop two separate terrorist attacks - unaware that the final stage of a second Sarin gas attack in London is already in motion. |||||

## Home media

DVD release :
| Set details | Set details | Set details | Set details | Special features |
| | | | | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| | Canada (North America) | United Kingdom | Australia | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Episodes | 6 | 6 | 6 | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Aspect ratio | 1.78:1 | 1.78:1 | 1.78:1 | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Running time | 265 mins | 270 mins | 266 mins | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Audio | Dolby Digital 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1 | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Subtitles | English, Spanish, French | English | English | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| No. of discs | 2 | 2 | 2 | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Region(s) | 1 (NTSC) | 2 (PAL) | 4 (PAL) | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Rating | Not rated | 15 | M | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |
| Release dates | 8 February 2005 | 14 March 2005 | 6 August 2006 | Bonus featurettes: Decoding the Grid VFX: Secrets of the Grid Racing Against Time Scene-specific commentaries by Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies 13 deleted scenes Commentary Hours 3 & 4 by Mikael Salomon and Tracey Alexander |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2005 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for (one Hour) for the episode "Part IV" | Mark Friedgen Devon Heffley Curry Bob Costanza Mike Dickeson Gary Macheel Tom Trafalski Mark Steele | Nominated |