X Company

X Company is a Canadian/Hungarian spy thriller television series created by Flashpoint's Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern which premiered on February 18, 2015, on CBC Television. The series takes place during World War II, and follows five recruits as they are trained as agents at a secret Canadian training facility, Camp X near Lake Ontario east of Toronto and then sent out into the field in Europe.[1][2] The final episode of the series aired on CBC on March 15, 2017.

A view of part of the site of Camp X looking toward Lake Ontario.
This article is about the Canadian television series. For the research subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., see X Development.
X Company
Created by
Starring
Country of originCanada
Original languages
  • English
  • German
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes28
Production
Executive producers
  • Mark Ellis
  • Stephanie Morgenstern
  • David Fortier
  • Bill Haber
  • Ivan Schneeberg
Running time44 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkCBC Television
Original releaseFebruary 18, 2015 (2015-02-18) –
March 15, 2017 (2017-03-15)

X Company was produced by Temple Street and Pioneer Stillking Kft. Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern wrote some episodes and were also executive producers with Ivan Schneeberg, David Fortier, Kerry Appleyard (Temple Street) and Bill Haber (Ostar Productions).[3] Directors included Grant Harvey, Amanda Tapping, Paolo Barzman, Julian Gilbey and Stephanie Morgenstern.[4]

On March 4, 2015, CBC renewed the series for a second season with ten episodes, two more than the first season of eight.[5][6] On March 31, 2016, CBC announced that the series would be renewed for a ten-episode third season, to début in the winter of 2017. On September 1, 2016, it was announced that this would be the final season for the show.[4][7]

International distribution

The series was shown in several countries, via distribution by Sony Pictures Television. Broadcasters that aired the series included TF1 in France, History in Latin America, History in the UK, Mystery in Japan, D-Smart in Turkey, 365 Media in Iceland, MBC in the Middle East, Mega in Greece and by Pickbox in Slovenia and Bosnia/Herzegovina.[4] On April 2, 2017, the series was picked up by Ovation in the United States.[8]

Cast
Name Portrayed by Seasons
1 2 3
Aurora Luft Evelyne Brochu Main
Alfred Graves Jack Laskey Main
Neil Mackay Warren Brown Main
Harry James Connor Price Main
Tom Cummings Dustin Milligan Main
Duncan Sinclair Hugh Dillon Main
Krystina Breeland Lara Jean Chorostecki Main
Franz Faber Torben Liebrecht Main
Sabine Faber Livia Matthes Main
Rene Villiers François Arnaud Main
Notes

    Production

    X Company had been an idea being considered for over a dozen years by creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern. They made a short film entitled Remembrance which did well enough on the festival circuit to encourage them to develop a feature script which eventually became X Company.[9] Originally titled Camp X, the series was filmed in Budapest, Hungary, from August to October 2014, and in Orlovat, Serbia[10] and is a Canadian-Hungarian co-production. X Company is inspired by the real spy training facility, Camp X, which was located between Whitby and Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.[11][12]

    Season 2 filmed for four months in Budapest, and Esztergom,[13] Hungary beginning in July 2015.[14] Season 2 aired on January 27 on CBC.[15]

    Season 3, the final of the series, was also filmed in and around Budapest, Hungary; location work was completed in November 2016 and the premiere was on January 11, 2017.[3]

    Critical reception

    Writing in the Huffington Post, Denette Wilford said: "X Company is another history lesson CBC is offering audiences, and it nails it once again".[9] The Globe and Mail's TV critic John Doyle called it "vastly entertaining" and "a good solid thriller".[16]

    Episodes

    Season 1 (2015)
    No.
    overall    		 No. in
    season    		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date Can. viewers
    11"Pilot"David FrazeeMark Ellis & Stephanie MorgensternFebruary 18, 2015 (2015-02-18)813,000[17]
    The team faces a dangerous mission in France, back at the base Duncan must convince a fragile young man with a valuable skill set to join the fight.
    22"Trial by Fire"David FrazeeMark Ellis & Stephanie MorgensternFebruary 25, 2015 (2015-02-25)N/A
    The team must protect Alfred as they parachute into France to steal codes that could save thousands of British lives, an unexpected obstacle forces Tom to stay behind and perform the hard part of the job.
    33"Kiss of Death"John StricklandMark Ellis, Stephanie Morgenstern & Hannah MoscovitchMarch 4, 2015 (2015-03-04)N/A
    The team infiltrates a brothel and a Nazi headquarters in an attempt to keep atomic research from falling into the wrong hands, Aurora gets ambitious but finds herself in a dangerous situation.
    44"Sixes & Sevens"John StricklandDenis McGrathMarch 11, 2015 (2015-03-11)N/A
    The team is sent to smuggle a British airman out of France with the help of a jazz band, but things get complicated when the Germans capture one of the musicians.
    55"Walk with the Devil"Jamie StoneDerek SchreyerMarch 18, 2015 (2015-03-18)N/A
    Aurora and the team wrestle with whether to trust a Vichy Mayor, who offers rich intelligence in exchange for their help in discovering what has become of the town's young women.
    66"In Enemy Hands"Jamie StoneHannah MoscovitchMarch 25, 2015 (2015-03-25)N/A
    A sabotage mission leaves Harry critically injured and the team trapped in a safe house, desperate to escape a town swarming with Nazis.
    77"Quislings"Craig ViveirosDenis McGrathApril 1, 2015 (2015-04-01)N/A
    The team reaches Paris, tasked with assassinating French civilians who collaborate with the Nazis.
    88"Into the Fire"Craig ViveirosMark Ellis & Stephanie MorgensternApril 8, 2015 (2015-04-08)N/A
    As Paris is torn by a massive roundup of Jews, the team must help an early Holocaust witness bring his story to Allied leaders. Meanwhile, German agents close in on Aurora and Alfred.

    Season 2 (2016)
    No.
    overall    		 No. in
    season    		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date Can. viewers
    91"Creon Via London"Grant HarveyMark Ellis & Stephanie MorgensternJanuary 27, 2016 (2016-01-27)521,000[18]
    The team is reeling as Alfred is taken by the Gestapo and Tom is shot. With communication cut off, all of the Camp X program may be compromised by Alfred's capture.
    102"Night Will End"Grant HarveyHannah MoscovitchFebruary 3, 2016 (2016-02-03)N/A
    Franz Faber uses increasingly inhuman techniques to get Alfred to break, while Sinclair, now on the ground in France, leads the team on a daring rescue attempt.
    113"Schein Und Sein"Andy MikitaAdam BarkenFebruary 10, 2016 (2016-02-10)N/A
    The team must find a way to get Alfred and René back. Alfred struggles with what to tell Sinclair.
    124"Last Man, Last Round"Andy MikitaSandra ChwialkowskaFebruary 17, 2016 (2016-02-17)N/A
    Alfred risks his life to free British POWs in the hope they can rebuild their resistance networks.
    135"Nil Nocere"Kelly MakinDenis McGrathFebruary 24, 2016 (2016-02-24)N/A
    The team searches for a doctor who may be helping Jews escape France; Aurora and Franz's wife grow closer.
    146"Black Flag"Kelly MakinDaniel GodwinMarch 2, 2016 (2016-03-02)N/A
    Harry makes a plan to assassinate a German general, defying Aurora's orders. Guest star: Urs Rechn
    157"La Vérité Vous Rendra Libre"Amanda TappingAdam BarkenMarch 9, 2016 (2016-03-09)N/A
    Aurora tries to maintain her leadership; an attack by German commandos threatens the team.
    168"Fatherland"Amanda TappingMark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern & Sandra ChwialkowskaMarch 16, 2016 (2016-03-16)N/A
    The Gestapo plan to wipe out Camp X is underway, and while the rest of the team heads to Dieppe, Aurora gets caught in a showdown.
    179"Butcher and Bolt"Jamie StoneDenis McGrathMarch 23, 2016 (2016-03-23)N/A
    Aurora fights to regain her team's faith as Alfred finally reveals their Dieppe objectives: a raid on a German radar station in the midst of the Allied attack, and a daring attempt to steal the secrets of the Enigma machine.
    1810"August 19th"Jamie StoneMark Ellis & Stephanie MorgensternApril 6, 2016 (2016-04-06)N/A
    The team pays a devastating price at Dieppe as Alfred and Aurora put everything on the line to try to "turn" Franz Faber.

    Season 3 (2017)
    No.
    overall    		No. in
    season    		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
    191"Creon Vs. Ixion"Grant HarveyMark Ellis & Stephanie MorgensternJanuary 11, 2017 (2017-01-11)
    Spymasters Sinclair and Faber face off: two world-class poker players gambling with human lives. Neil and Harry face a harrowing road trip to find Miri.
    202"Masquerade"Grant HarveySandra ChwialkowskaJanuary 18, 2017 (2017-01-18)
    The team uncovers "Operation Marigold," a top-secret Nazi operation that could propel the Germans to victory.
    213"One for the Moon"Paolo BarzmanDaniel GodwinJanuary 25, 2017 (2017-01-25)
    With all of France about to be occupied by the Nazis, the team tries to rally a nation. Meanwhile, Faber's transfer to Poland could cost them their most prized asset.
    224"Promises"Paolo BarzmanNicolas BillonFebruary 1, 2017 (2017-02-01)
    Sinclair orders his team to follow Faber to Poland and zero in on Operation Marigold. But the road to get there proves to be deadly.
    235"Frontiers"Julian GilbeyJillian LockeFebruary 8, 2017 (2017-02-08)
    The team must free Faber from the Polish resistance as Aurora goes undercover to take on a new and disturbing job.
    246"Supply and Demand"Julian GilbeyJulie PuckrinFebruary 15, 2017 (2017-02-15)
    Aurora struggles to keep her cover as Helene Bauer as the Nazis hunt for spies among the Polish resistance.
    257"The Hunt"Amanda TappingSandra ChwialkowskaFebruary 22, 2017 (2017-02-22)
    Aurora learns of an imminent attack on the village of Nadzieja, Poland. Meanwhile Neil, Alfred and the Resistance fighters launch into a fierce battle.
    268"Naqam"Amanda TappingMark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern & Julie PuckrinMarch 1, 2017 (2017-03-01)
    The team's mission begins to unravel when Heidi discovers Aurora is a spy.
    279"Friendly Fire"Stephanie MorgensternDaniel GodwinMarch 8, 2017 (2017-03-08)
    Sinclair and Krystina join the team in Berlin as they plan to assassinate the man who could win the war for the Nazis.
    2810"Remembrance"Stephanie MorgensternMark Ellis & Stephanie MorgensternMarch 15, 2017 (2017-03-15)
    The team's final mission could change the course of the war. Aurora needs Faber's help to land the knockout blow…but can he be trusted?

    References
    1. Brioux, Bill (December 31, 2014). "Canadian TV to watch for in 2015". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
    2. Barr, Merrill (December 22, 2014). "50 Percent of You Will Not Survive The First Trailer For 'X Company'". Nerdist. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
    3. David, Greg (September 8, 2016). "Production Begins on Third — and Final — Season of CBC's X Company". TV, eh?. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
    4. "Production underway on the third and final season of CBC and Temple Street's acclaimed WWII drama 'X Company'". CBC Media Centre. September 8, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
    5. "CBC renews Schitt's Creek and Murdoch Mysteries, cancels Strange Empire". CBC News. March 4, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
    6. "CBC announces new drama, comedy, and factual line up, plus renewals for 2015–16" (Press release). CBC Media Centre. March 4, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
    7. "X Company Season 3: The Final Chapter". CBC. September 1, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
    8. Tartaglione, Nancy (April 2, 2017). "Ovation TV Acquires U.S. Rights To 'The Halcyon' & 'X Company' From Sony – MIPTV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
    9. Wilford, Denette (February 17, 2015). "'X Company' Review: CBC Delivers Another Much-Needed History Lesson To Canadians". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
    10. "Snimanje filma na železničkom mostu na Tamišu". ilovezrenjanin.com (in Serbian). August 27, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
    11. Vlessing, Etan (August 14, 2014). "Hugh Dillon, Evelyne Brochu join Camp X". Playback. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
    12. Yeo, Debra (August 15, 2014). "Hugh Dillon to star in spy school drama Camp X". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
    13. "Nácik masíroznak majd Esztergom utcáin: figyeljen a belvárosban!". Szeretgom.hu (in Hungarian). August 7, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
    14. Roy, Marie-Josée (March 15, 2015). "Gala des Jutra 2015 : les potins du tapis rouge". Le Huffington Post Québec (in French). Retrieved April 4, 2015.
    15. @XCompany (December 10, 2015). "Five Spies. One Mission. Season 2 of #XCompany kicks off January 27th at 9PM!" (Tweet). Retrieved November 7, 2018 – via Twitter.
    16. Doyle, John (February 17, 2015). "X Company is excellent, if conventional, entertainment". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
    17. Bailey, Katie (February 19, 2015). "X Company recruits 800K viewers on CBC". Playback. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
    18. Cummins, Julianna (January 29, 2016). "X Company's return brings in 521K viewers". Playback. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
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