Counterstrike (1990 TV series)

Counterstrike is a Canadian/French crime-fighting/espionage television series. The series premiered on American cable channel USA Network on July 1, 1990. It ran for three seasons, airing 66 hour-long episodes in total.

Counterstrike
Counterstrike title screen
Also known asForce de frappe
GenreAction / Adventure
StarringSimon MacCorkindale
Christopher Plummer
Tom Kneebone
Country of originCanada
France
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes66
Production
Executive producersDenis Heroux
Robert Lantos
Larry Jacobson
Sonny Grosso
Steven DeNure
ProducerJulian Marks
Production locationsToronto, Ontario
Paris, France
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesAlliance Communications Corporation
Grosso-Jacobson Productions
Release
Original networkUSA Network
Original releaseJuly 1, 1990 (1990-07-01) 
May 9, 1993 (1993-05-09)

Plot

After his wife is kidnapped by terrorists, international industrialist Alexander Addington assembles a clandestine team of troubleshooters to help combat terrorism around the world. He recruits Peter Sinclair from Scotland Yard to lead the team. They set up a French con artist and art/jewelry thief named Nicole Beaumont and blackmail her into joining because of her valuable criminal connections. The third teammember is Luke Brenner, an American mercenary whom they rescue from a Mexican jail. The series' other recurring characters are Bennett and J.J., Alexander's valet and pilot, respectively.

In the second season's second episode Peter and Alexander encounter a French reporter named Gabrielle Germont whom they recruit into the team to prevent her from publishing a story about them. In the season's third episode Peter and Gabrielle rescue Hector Stone, an American CIA-operative and former Navy SEAL whose cover has been blown, and invite him to join the team.

The character of Alexander's daughter Suzanne Addington, who designed the team's computer systems, was also written out of the series at the beginning of the second season. Suzanne appears in one third season episode, although played by a different actress. In her stead Alexander gets a secretary/confidante named Hélène Previn.

Cast

  • Christopher Plummer as Alexander Addington (1990–1993)
  • Simon MacCorkindale as Peter Sinclair (1990–1993)
  • Cyrielle Clair as Nicole Beaumont (1990–1991)
  • Stephen Shellen as Luke Brenner (1990–1991)
  • Laurence Ashley-Taboulet as Suzanne Addington (1990–1991)
  • Sophie Michaud as Gabrielle Germont (1991–1993)
  • James Purcell as Hector Stone (1991–1993)
  • Patricia Cartier as Hélène Previn (1991–1993)
  • Andre Mayers as J.J. (1990–1993)
  • Tom Kneebone as Bennett (1990–1993)

Episodes

Season 1 (1990–91)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"Dealbreaker"Mario AzzopardiRichard OleksiakJuly 1, 1990 (1990-07-01)
22"Dead in the Air"Jorge MontesiTim DunphyJuly 8, 1990 (1990-07-08)
33"Now and at the Hour of Our Death"Mario AzzopardiTony DiFrancoJuly 15, 1990 (1990-07-15)
44"Art for Art's Sake"Jorge MontesiJim HenshawJuly 22, 1990 (1990-07-22)
55"Power Play"Mario AzzopardiAngelo Stea & Peter LautermanJuly 29, 1990 (1990-07-29)
66"A Little Purity"TBATBAAugust 5, 1990 (1990-08-05)
77"Son with a Gun"Paolo BarzmanChristian WattonAugust 19, 1990 (1990-08-19)
88"The Lady of the Rhine"Paolo BarzmanEric WattonAugust 26, 1990 (1990-08-26)
99"Knights of Aram"Jean-Pierre PrévostRichard OleksiakSeptember 9, 1990 (1990-09-09)
1010"Extreme Measures"Michael ShockMichael Zettler & Shelly AltmanSeptember 16, 1990 (1990-09-16)
1111"Thanos"Doug JacksonChristian WattonOctober 7, 1990 (1990-10-07)
1212"Siege"TBATBAOctober 14, 1990 (1990-10-14)
1313"Escape Route"Paolo BarzmanChantal RenaudOctober 28, 1990 (1990-10-28)
1414"The Beginning"Allan EastmanLanden ParkerNovember 10, 1990 (1990-11-10)
1515"Cry of the Children"Mario AzzopardiTony DiFrancoNovember 17, 1990 (1990-11-17)
1616"Masks"TBATBANovember 24, 1990 (1990-11-24)
1717"Mindbender"TBATBADecember 1, 1990 (1990-12-01)
1818"Regal Connection"William FruetTony DiFrancoDecember 15, 1990 (1990-12-15)
1919"Cinema Verité"René BonnièreEric WattonDecember 22, 1990 (1990-12-22)
2020"Verathion"Don ShebibChantal RenaudJanuary 12, 1991 (1991-01-12)
2121"The Millerton Papers"George MendelukEric WattonJanuary 19, 1991 (1991-01-19)
2222"The Dilemma"TBATBAFebruary 2, 1991 (1991-02-02)

Season 2 (1991–92)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
231"Tie a Yellow Ribbon"Allan EastmanRichard OleksiakSeptember 21, 1991 (1991-09-21)
242"Hidden Assets"René BonnièreTony DiFrancoSeptember 28, 1991 (1991-09-28)
253"Fall From Grace"Allan EastmanRichard OleksiakOctober 5, 1991 (1991-10-05)
264"It's All in the Game"Gilbert ShiltonMichael DonovanOctober 12, 1991 (1991-10-12)
275"Hide and Seek"TBATBAOctober 19, 1991 (1991-10-19)
286"Native Warriors"TBATBAOctober 26, 1991 (1991-10-26)
297"Breaking Point"TBATBANovember 2, 1991 (1991-11-02)
308"Going Home"TBATBANovember 9, 1991 (1991-11-09)
319"Survival Instinct"TBATBANovember 16, 1991 (1991-11-16)
3210"Night of the Black Moon"Miklos LenteTony DiFrancoNovember 23, 1991 (1991-11-23)
3311"Fire in the Streets"TBATBANovember 30, 1991 (1991-11-30)
3412"In the Blood"René BonnièreMichael DonovanDecember 7, 1991 (1991-12-07)
3513"Village of the Damned"TBATBADecember 14, 1991 (1991-12-14)
3614"Prize Package"Jorge MontesiRichard Oleksiak & Tony DiFrancoJanuary 4, 1992 (1992-01-04)
3715"The Three Tramps"William FruetRichard Oleksiak & Tony DiFrancoJanuary 11, 1992 (1992-01-11)
3816"Behind Bars"TBATBAMarch 14, 1992 (1992-03-14)
3917"Cherchez la Femme"TBATBAMarch 21, 1992 (1992-03-21)
4018"Dead Heat"TBATBAApril 4, 1992 (1992-04-04)
4119"La Belle Dame Monique"Dennis BerryMartin BrossolletApril 11, 1992 (1992-04-11)
4220"Ripped from the Grave"Bruno GantillonElizabeth BaxterApril 18, 1992 (1992-04-18)
4321"Trigger Finger"TBATBAMay 2, 1992 (1992-05-02)
4422"The Circus Ring"TBATBAMay 9, 1992 (1992-05-09)

Season 3 (1992–93)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
451"I Remember It Well"Robin DavisJean-Vincent FournierSeptember 26, 1992 (1992-09-26)
462"The Sting"TBATBAOctober 3, 1992 (1992-10-03)
473"Til Death Do Us Part"TBATBAOctober 10, 1992 (1992-10-10)
484"Bastille Day Terror"Bruno GantillonTony DiFrancoOctober 17, 1992 (1992-10-17)
495"No Honour Among Thieves"Jean-Pierre PrévostMartin LagerOctober 24, 1992 (1992-10-24)
506"Skin Deep"TBATBAOctober 31, 1992 (1992-10-31)
517"The Curse of the Amber Chamber"Jorge MontesiJean-Vincent FournierNovember 7, 1992 (1992-11-07)
528"Death S.E.A.L."TBATBANovember 14, 1992 (1992-11-14)
539"Cyborg"William FruetRichard OleksiakNovember 21, 1992 (1992-11-21)
5410"D.O.A."TBATBADecember 5, 1992 (1992-12-05)
5511"Cat in the Cradle"TBATBADecember 11, 1992 (1992-12-11)
5612"Bosnian Connection"TBATBADecember 20, 1992 (1992-12-20)
5713"Betrayed"TBATBAJanuary 9, 1993 (1993-01-09)
5814"Clear Cut"TBATBAFebruary 7, 1993 (1993-02-07)
5915"Free to Kill"Jean-Pierre PrévostTony DiFrancoFebruary 14, 1993 (1993-02-14)
6016"The Hit"William FruetJean-Vincent FournierFebruary 28, 1993 (1993-02-28)
6117"French Twist"TBATBAMarch 21, 1993 (1993-03-21)
6218"The Contender"Allan EastmanJean-Vincent FournierMarch 28, 1993 (1993-03-28)
6319"The Raw Truth"William FruetRichard Oleksiak & Tony DiFrancoApril 11, 1993 (1993-04-11)
6420"Peacemaker"TBATBAApril 18, 1993 (1993-04-18)
6521"Muerta"TBATBAMay 2, 1993 (1993-05-02)
6622"Bad Guys"TBATBAMay 9, 1993 (1993-05-09)

Awards and nominations

  • 1992 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Simon MacCorkindale) – Nominated
  • 1992 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Christopher Plummer) – Nominated
  • 1994 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Sophie Michaud) – Nominated
  • 1994 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (James Purcell) – WON

Broadcast

Counterstrike aired in the United States on cable channel USA Network, premiering on July 1, 1990. It premiered on November 2, 1991 on CTV in Canada, and on TF1 in France on November 20, 1991. Counterstrike has since aired in reruns in Canada on Showcase and TVtropolis.

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