USA Creates a New Multiplatform 'Social' Storytelling Initiative for Smash Hit Series "COVERT AFFAIRS"

NEW YORK, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Network today announced the launch of the COVERT AFFAIRS Tweetcast: Mission Budapest, an interactive, multiplatform digital narrative designed to enrich the Covert Affairs audience experience and offer fans an exclusive, expanded look into the inner workings of the CIA. Developed by the creators and writers behind the series, the Tweetcast will star COVERT AFFAIRS' Christopher Gorham as Auggie Anderson, and will unfold over six weeks in real-time on TWEETCAST.USANETWORK.COM and via the COVERT AFFAIRS series Facebook page. By harnessing the power of social media, the episodic adventure will create a unique ongoing storytelling experience through daily tweets, original videos, photos, audio streams, and classified documents. In addition to an engaging storyline, the new media platform will provide unprecedented interactivity opportunities, offering fans the unique ability to influence the mission and weigh in on the final resolution of the story, which will be unveiled during the third all-new episode of COVERT AFFAIRS on Tuesday, July 12.

"At USA, we are always looking for innovative ways to engage audiences and expand the series' narrative beyond the weekly telecast," said Alexandra Shapiro, senior vice president brand marketing and digital for USA. "We believe the social landscape is the new frontier in storytelling and offers unlimited possibilities for creating organic and complimentary extensions to our hit franchises."

The Tweetcast will immerse fans in the world of COVERT AFFAIRS by centering on CIA Tech Operative-In-Charge Auggie (Christopher Gorham), offering a glimpse into what he does when he's not "running" Annie Walker. The story will center on Auggie's management of CIA operatives on a top-secret mission in Budapest, Hungary. When a simple intelligence-gathering exercise hits a dangerous snag, the assignment becomes a complex, high-stakes mission. As the story proceeds, audiences will get a taste of spycraft and will be given the opportunity to participate in the action by retweeting and responding to specific story points.

"This project was a perfect opportunity to dive even deeper into the world of COVERT AFFAIRS and provide fans with an experience that puts them right in the center of the action," said executive producer Doug Liman.  "I always strive to create immersive stories, and with this Tweetcast we were able to push that concept in a new direction by creating an experience that allows the player to not just watch the story unfold, but actually shape it."

The mission begins on Saturday, June 4, two days prior to the second season premiere, during the COVERT AFFAIRS season one series marathon on USA. Over the course of the six-week campaign twitter conventions including hash tags, @'s and retweets will be used to establish a fictitious secure communication system, allowing characters to speak to one another and Auggie as they navigate the overseas operation. The audience will be able to access in real-time, or at their leisure, links to CIA documents, surveillance videos, classified dossiers, audio files and photographs captured in the field as well as operative feeds, mission recaps and a fan feed via the dedicated hub or Facebook fan page. On-air snipes and promo spots on USA will drive viewers to the Tweetcast.

The sophomore season of COVERT AFFAIRS premieres Tuesday, June 7 at 10/9c on USA.  Golden Globe®-nominated Piper Perabo stars as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative whose exceptional linguistic skills make her invaluable to the Agency in missions that span the globe.  Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham), a CIA military intelligence agent blinded while on assignment, is Annie's guide in this world of bureaucracy, excitement and intrigue.  The series also stars Peter Gallagher, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Kari Matchett and Anne Dudek. From Universal Cable Productions, COVERT AFFAIRS is executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis through Hypnotic and written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord. 

COVERT AFFAIRS was the #1 new series on cable last summer among P18-49 (2.97 million) and the year's top scripted fare Tuesday nights on cable among P25-54 (3.22 million), P18-49 (2.97 million), total viewers (7.05 million) and households (5.07 million).  No other scripted series on cable delivered over 3 million P25-54, 6 million total viewers, or 4 million households this year on Tuesday nights.  Head to head, COVERT AFFAIRS was second only to NBC in delivering P18-49, P25-54, total viewers and households when it aired Tuesdays at 10pm over the summer, while delivering more P18-34 than either ABC or CBS.

The COVERT AFFAIRS Tweetcast: Mission Budapest was conceived by 30ninjas.com, a creator of cutting-edge transmedia entertainment founded by Julina Tatlock.  Tatlock wrote the script with Max Tedaldi. The project was overseen by series executive producers Doug Liman, David Bartis, Matt Corman and Chris Ord. Original photo, video and audio, documents and other original elements were produced by Universal Cable Productions.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes.  A division of NBCUniversal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

SOURCE USA Network