Interview: Creators/Executive producers Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster chat about American Odyssey

American Odyssey Adam Armus Kay Foster 5-13-15

A team of American soldiers battles jihadists in North Africa and kills Al Qaeda’s top commander.  However, celebration is short lived when the entire team is terminated soon after, except for one–soldier, mother, and wife Sergeant Odelle Ballard (Anna Friel).   Unbeknownst to her family, Ballard survives the attack and is the only witness to the unit’s actual assassin: private military contractors Osela. As she struggles to find her way back to New York, former U.S. attorney turned corporate litigator Peter Decker (Peter Facinelli) is entangled with the same company that employed the jihadists and political activist Harrison Walters (Jake Robinson) befriends hacker Bob Offer (Nate Mooney) who claims to have discovered a massive industrial-corporate coverup that could threaten the entire country.  Creators Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster gave the scoop to reporters about “American Odyssey”.

American Odyssey poster

Adam Armus headshot 5-13-15

Adam Armus was always a huge TV fan and always wrote, but didn’t start off in the entertainment field–he went to UCLA law school and started off as  a lawyer.   However, his heart was in writing, so he took TV sitcom writing classes.  There, he met his writing partner Kay Foster.  They both started writing for “Xena:  Warrior Princess” and “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”.  Soon after, his writing career soared.  Other tv writing/producing credits include: “The Practice”, “Birds Of Prey”, “Kevin Hill”, “Nightstalker”,  “The Following”, and the Emmy nominated “Heroes” to name a few.  He, along with Nora Kay Foster and Peter Horton, is the creator/executive producer for “American Odyssey”.

Kay Foster headshot 5-13-15

Nora Kay Foster is a tv writer and producer.  She grew up in a military family.  She would later tune into her love of writing.  She first met her writing partner Adam Armus in a writing class at UCLA in the early 1990’s, and they have been writing & producing partners ever since!  She made her breakthrough in tv through “Xena:  Warrior Princess” and “Hercules:  The Legendary Journeys”.  More tv writing/producing credits soon followed, such as “Birds Of Prey”, “Kevin Hill”, “Heroes”, “Nightstalker”,  “Following” and Emmy nominee “Heroes”.   She is currently creator/executive producer of “American Odyssey”.

American Odyssey Odell Ballard 5-13-15

Armus talks about casting Anna Friel and the real life influence of corporations. Foster talks about how the title of the show was created and her awe of women in the military.  Armus and Foster talk about how Sgt. Ballard and Aslam relationship is an important part  of the show, how Eliott Spitzer influenced the creation of Peter Decker’s character, and how women soldiers need recognition for their service. Get a behind the scenes look of “American Odyssey” with these amazing producers below!

“American Odyssey” is not just another military action movie about a corporate coverup. It is about family and what a person will risk to be reunited with their loved ones. It is about what a person gives up within one’s family when trying to do “the right thing”. And it is about finding out that the truth was never the truth at all.

Will Harrison meet the same grim fate as his father during his search for answers to the coverup?  Will Peter Decker lose his family and his integrity as he tries to pin down the corporate bad guys? Will Sergeant Ballard ever see her daughter again?  Stay tuned every Sunday night at 10/9c on NBC.  I know I will!

https://youtu.be/Z1xF1vr7iFM

Official web site: www.nbc.com/american-odyssey

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/NBCAmericanOdyssey

Twitter:  @NBCOdyssey  / #American Odyssey

 

Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster are on social media!

Twitter:

@AdamArmus

@norakay

 

Courtesy of NBC