Strike Back: Project Dawn

Strike Back: Project Dawn
Blu-ray cover for the series.
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	Sky1 Cinemax
Original release	12 August (2011-08-12) – 21 October 2011 (2011-10-21)
Season chronology
← Previous Strike Back Next → Vengeance
List of episodes

Strike Back: Project Dawn, as it is known in the United Kingdom, is a ten-part British-American action television serial and is the second series of Strike Back. However, the only cast member to return from the first series was Richard Armitage in the first episode. The main cast for the series includes Philip Winchester, Sullivan Stapleton, Amanda Mealing, Eva Birthistle, Michelle Lukes and Rhashan Stone. The series follows the actions of Section 20, a secret branch of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), particularly two of its officers, Michael Stonebridge (Winchester) and former American Delta Force operative Damian Scott (Stapleton). Section 20 leads a worldwide manhunt to find and capture Pakistani terrorist Latif, who is plotting an operation of his known as "Project Dawn".

Sky announced Strike Back would be returning for a third series after the first aired. They entered a co-production deal with the American premium cable network Cinemax, who wanted to introduce new original drama series to the network. In order to prepare for their roles several main cast members spent a month training with former officers of the Special Air Service and Special Boat Service. Filming began in February 2011 and took place across South Africa and Hungary.

The series began broadcasting on Cinemax in the United States on 12 August 2011, with the premiere being seen by nearly 1.1 million viewers, the highest ratings achieved by the network since 2005. It later began broadcasting on Sky1 in the United Kingdom on 21 August with higher ratings than that of the first series. Critical reaction of the series was generally favourable in the United States, however British reviewers were more mixed. Reviewers made comparisons to various other television dramas including 24, Sleeper Cell, Spooks and The Unit. Project Dawn was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 2 on 14 November 2011. In October 2011, Cinemax announced it has renewed Strike Back for another 10-part series,^[1] to be titled Strike Back: Vengeance.^[2]