‘Person Of Interest’ EP Named New ‘Taken’ Season 2 Showrunner

Clive Standen as Bryan Mills — Greg Plageman, former executive producer and writer on CBS’ “Person of Interest,” has been tapped as the new showrunner for Season 2 of “Taken,” starring Clive Standen in the lead role. NBC

The showrunner for “Taken” Season 2 has been revealed.

According to Variety, Greg Plageman has been tapped as the new showrunner of the NBC series. Plageman recently worked as executive producer and writer on CBS’ “Person of Interest.” He also served as writer and producer on ABC’s “NYPD Blue,” CBS’ “Cold Case” and NBC’s “Law & Order.”

“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 (Clive Standen) character as we move into the show’s second season.”

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Plageman takes over the 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 is 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.

NBC renewed “Taken” for a 16-episode Season 2 last month. Although the series has not been a ratings standout, the show’s viewership has been consistent. According to Variety, the show’s 10-episode Season 1 averaged a 1.0 rating and 5.1 million viewers on its Monday, 10 p.m. EST timeslot. But despite its modest ratings, the show — which is a co-production between EuropaCorp TV USA and Universal Television — has done great internationally, making money for NBCUniversal, thanks to its association with the blockbuster global movie franchise of the same name, starring Liam Neeson. The TV series is also relatively inexpensive to produce, making the Season 2 renewal unsurprising.

Besides Standen, “Taken” also stars Jennifer Beals (Christina Hart), Gaius Charles (John), Brooklyn Sudano (Asha), Monique Gabriela Curnen (Vlasik), Michael Irby (Scott), James Landry Hébert (Rem) and Jose Pablo Cantillo (Dave). Luc Besson, who produced the film trilogy, serves as executive producer on the TV adaptation, along with Matthew Gross, Alex Graves, Edouard de Vesinne and Thomas Anargyros.

The premiere date for the second season of “Taken” has yet to be announced.