NBC Chairman Addresses ‘Taken’ Season 2 Cast Shake-Up

‘Taken’ Season 1 cast — Why six “Taken” original series regulars were booted before Season 2. Jeff Riedel/NBC

NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt has revealed the reason behind the dramatic “Taken” cast overhaul in the wake of the show’s Season 2 renewal.

In a recent interview with TVLine, Greenblatt said that the decision to pink-slip six of the show’s original series regulars was rooted from a belief that the series “needed” a creative reboot. “There’s a better show in there,” the network boss told the news outlet before noting that the “essence” of the series — lead stars Clive Standen (Bryan Mills) and Jennifer Beals (Christina Hart) — will remain in the show’s sophomore run.

“We love Clive and Jennifer, but I think we got a little disparate with [the supporting characters] and couldn’t really define them enough,” Greenblatt said. “So we just took a look at what the essence of the show was and tried to focus in on that. I think it’s going to be a really strong second season.”

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Gaius Charles (John), Brooklyn Sudano (Asha), Monique Gabriela Curnen (Vlasik), Michael Irby (Scott), Jose Pablo Cantillo (Dave) and James Landry Hébert (Rem) were the six series regulars who departed the series.

The “Taken” cast shake-up came two weeks after “Person of Interest” executive producer Greg Plageman was named as the new showrunner. Insiders told TVLine in June that Plageman has a new vision in mind for the series.

“We’re thrilled to bring Greg on to run the show,” said Matthew Gross, president of EuropaCorp TV USA, in a statement. “His enormous talent and vast experience with bold broadcast television is a perfect fit. We look forward to seeing what his vision and direction brings to ‘Taken’ and the Bryan Mills character as we move into the show’s second season.”

Plageman took over the showrunner role from Alexander Cary, who vacated the position at the end of the show’s Season 1. According to Deadline, Cary’s exit from the show was amicable. The website also reported that the series will likely adopt more procedural elements in the vein of NBC’s “The Blacklist” and “Blindspot” for its sophomore run.

In recent casting news, “The Flash” star Jessica Camacho was tapped to play the series regular role of Santana in Season 2 of the action thriller.

“Taken” Season 2 will premiere midseason on NBC.