The Americans

This article is about the 2013 TV series. For other uses, see The Americans (disambiguation).

The Americans
Genre
Created byJoe Weisberg
Showrunners
  • Joe Weisberg
  • Joel Fields
Starring
Opening theme"The Americans Theme" by Nathan Barr
ComposerNathan Barr
Country of originUnited States
Original languages
  • English
  • Russian
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes75 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationNew York City
Running time
  • 39–59 minutes
  • 68 minutes (pilot and series finale)
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFX
ReleaseJanuary 30, 2013 (2013-01-30) –
May 30, 2018 (2018-05-30)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Americans is an American period spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg for FX. It aired for six seasons from 2013 to 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also served as showrunners and executive producers. Set during the Cold War, the show follows Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), two Soviet KGB intelligence officers posing as an American married couple living in Falls Church, a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C.. The couple combine their spying duties with raising their American-born children Paige (Holly Taylor) and Henry (Keidrich Sellati).

The Americans also explores the conflict between Washington's FBI office and the KGB Rezidentura there, from the perspectives of agents on both sides, including the Jennings' neighbor Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), an FBI agent working in counterintelligence.[1][2] The series begins in the aftermath of the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan in January 1981 and concludes in December 1987, shortly before the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The show's themes of marriage, identity, and parenthood were structured around the metaphorical connection between the Cold War and the Jennings' marriage. The Americans was acclaimed by critics, many of whom considered it among the best television shows of its era; its writing, characters, and acting were often singled out. The series's final season earned Rhys the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, while Weisberg and Fields won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series;[3] it also received the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama.[4][5][6] Margo Martindale twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performances in the third and fourth seasons. It was one of the rare drama shows to receive two Peabody Awards during its run.[7]

  1. ^ Harnick, Chris (August 9, 2012). "'The Americans': FX Orders Cold War Spy Series Starring Keri Russell". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  2. ^ Holson, Laura M. (March 29, 2013). "The Dark Stuff, Distilled". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Koblin, John (September 17, 2018). "2018 Emmys: 'Game of Thrones' and 'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Win Top Awards". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  4. ^ Hibberd, James (January 6, 2019). "The Americans wins Best Drama at Golden Globes for its final season". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  5. ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (January 6, 2019). "The Americans finally wins a Golden Globe for best drama". Vox. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  6. ^ "'The Americans' Wins Best Drama Series at the Golden Globes". The Hollywood Reporter. January 6, 2019. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  7. ^ Hill, Libby (April 18, 2019). "'Barry,' 'The Americans,' and 'The Good Place' Among 78th Peabody Winners". IndieWire. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.