Unforgettable (American TV series)

Last updated
Unforgettable
Unforgettable promo logo.jpg
Genre
Based on"The Rememberer"
by J. Robert Lennon
Developed by
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes61 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Niels Arden Oplev
  • Alicia Kirk
  • Quinton Peeples
  • Poppy Montgomery
  • Emmy Grinwis
  • Karen Campbell
  • Jill Footlick
Running time41–43 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseSeptember 20, 2011 (2011-09-20) 
September 14, 2014 (2014-09-14)
Network A&E
ReleaseNovember 27, 2015 (2015-11-27) 
January 22, 2016 (2016-01-22)

Unforgettable is an American police procedural crime drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 20, 2011. [1] Unforgettable was developed by Ed Redlich and John Bellucci, and stars Poppy Montgomery as Detective Carrie Wells, a police detective with an unusually detailed and photographic memory.

Contents

After being canceled twice by CBS, Unforgettable was picked up by A&E for a fourth season. [2] The season premiered on November 27, 2015, with two back-to-back episodes. [3] In February 2016, A&E cancelled the show. [4]

Premise

Former Syracuse, New York, police detective Carrie Wells has hyperthymesia, a rare medical condition that gives her the ability to visually remember everything. [5] She reluctantly joins the New York City Police Department's Queens homicide unit after her former boyfriend and partner, Lieutenant Al Burns, asks for help with solving a case. The move allows her to try to find out the one thing she has been unable to remember, which is what happened the day her sister was murdered.

For a time, the series had an opening monologue narrated by lead actress Poppy Montgomery. The narration was as follows:

"I'm Carrie Wells. Only a few people in the world have the ability to remember everything—I'm one of them. Pick any day of my life, and I can tell you what I saw or heard: faces, conversations, clues; which comes in handy when you're a cop. If I miss something the first time, it's okay. I can go back and look again. My life ... is unforgettable."

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedRankViewers
(in millions)
First airedLast airedNetwork
1 22September 20, 2011 (2011-09-20)May 8, 2012 (2012-05-08) CBS 2412.10 [6]
2 13July 28, 2013 (2013-07-28)May 9, 2014 (2014-05-09)369.05 [7]
3 13June 29, 2014 (2014-06-29)September 14, 2014 (2014-09-14)
4 13November 27, 2015 (2015-11-27)January 22, 2016 (2016-01-22) A&E

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Production

Development

The hour-long program is based on J. Robert Lennon's 2008 short story "The Rememberer". [13] The series was created by Ed Redlich and John Bellucci, [14] and co-produced with Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman for CBS, where it made its debut on September 20, 2011. [1] The series was also produced by CBS Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television. On October 25, 2011, CBS picked up the series for a full season of 22 episodes. [15]

Serving as a consultant on the series is actress Marilu Henner who, like the series' lead character Carrie Wells, possesses hyperthymesia in real life. She had a guest spot in the episode "Golden Bird", as Wells' aunt, who is suffering from symptoms similar to that of Wells' mother's early-onset Alzheimer's disease. [16] [17]

Cancellation and revival

On May 13, 2012, CBS canceled Unforgettable. [18] TNT and Lifetime soon expressed interest in picking up the show, but ultimately passed on the series. [19] On June 29, 2012, CBS reversed course, and confirmed that Unforgettable would return for a second season in summer 2013 with an order for 13 episodes, [20] of which seven were broadcast in 2013. Season two premiered on Sunday, July 28 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern / 8:00 p.m. Central. [21] On September 27, 2013, CBS renewed Unforgettable for a third season of 13 episodes to premiere summer 2014. [22] Broadcast of the second season was resumed on Friday April 4, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. [23]

Second cancellation and revival

CBS canceled the series after the third season in October 2014. [24] However, in February 2015, A&E picked up Unforgettable for a fourth season consisting of 13 episodes. [2]

Third cancellation

In February 2016, A&E opted not to order a fifth season. [4] The final episode of season four left an unresolved cliffhanger.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes season 1 has a score of 40% based on 20 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "More tedious than compelling, Unforgettable is yet another lukewarm procedural." [25] On Metacritic season 1 has a score of 59/100 based on 23 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [26]

Accolades

Unforgettable was nominated for a People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama in 2011. [27]

Syndication

Start TV currently airs reruns of Unforgettable every day at 4 P.M.

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