Transporter: The Series

Transporter: The Series

English logo of the show

English logo
Genre Action/Adventure
Thriller
Based on Transporter
by Luc Besson
Robert Mark Kamen
Developed by Alexander Ruemelin
Directed by
Starring
Theme music composer Geddy Lee
Alex Lifeson
Opening theme "Working Man"
by Rush (cover)
Composer(s) Nathaniel Méchaly
Country of origin France
Canada
Germany
United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 24 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Brad Turner
Fred Fuchs
Timothy J. Lea
Producer(s) Susan Murdoch
Klaus Zimmermann
Editor(s) Roslyn Kalloo
Stephen Lawrence
Eric Goddard
David B. Thompson
Don Cassidy
Location(s) France, Canada, Germany
Cinematography David Herrington
Stephen Reizes
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 44-45 minutes
Production company(s) Atlantique Productions
QVF Inc.
Broadcast
Original channel RTL (Germany)
M6 (France)
HBO Canada (Canada)
Super Écran 1 (Canada)
TNT (USA)
Picture format HDTV
Audio format Surround
First shown in Germany
Original run 11 October 2012 – present
External links
Official Website (French)
Production website

Transporter: The Series is an English-language French-Canadian action-adventure television series, spun off from the Transporter film series created by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It is co-produced by the French Atlantique Productions and the Canadian boutique entertainment company QVF, Inc., in association with broadcast partners M6, RTL Television, The Movie Network, and Movie Central. Originally, HBO/Cinemax was involved,[1] but they dropped out in 2013.[2]

The series follows the events and concept of the film trilogy, continuing adventures of Frank Martin, a professional freelance courier driver for hire who will deliver anything, anywhere for the right price, and lives by three "unbreakable" rules, which he constantly breaks. Chris Vance takes over the role of Frank from Jason Statham and was joined in Season 1 by Andrea Osvárt as his office manager Carla Valeri, Charly Hübner as mechanic Dieter Hausmann and François Berléand, the only returning actor from the film series, reprising his role as Inspector Tarconi.[3] The second season added Violante Placido as Caterina "Cat" Boldieu, his new booking agent. Unlike Carla, who did not make it to the second season, Cat usually joins Frank on his adventures.[4]

Twelve episodes were ordered in 2012 for season 1 with an overall budget of $40,000,000, or €30.000.000.[1] The show premiered that year on 11 October in Germany on RTL, and on 6 December in France on M6. The Canadian premiere was on 4 January 2013 on HBO Canada and Super Écran 1 (with the first episode available online from 18 December 2012).[5] The broadcast of season started in India on 25 January 2013 on Sony PIX, and premiered in the United States on TNT on 18 October 2014. Twelve more episodes were ordered for season 2, which began production in Morocco in February 2014.[6] Season 2 premiered in Canada on 5 October 2014 on The Movie Network and Movie Central,[7] and in the United States on TNT on 29 November 2014.[8]

Cast

Production

The pilot was directed by long-time Lost director Stephen Williams.[3] Other directors working on the show include Bruce McDonald (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Queer as Folk) and Andy Mikita, known for working on several shows including Stargate Universe and SyFy's Sanctuary. The only writer who has been confirmed so far is Carl Binder, also a Stargate Universe alumnus.

Originally Canadian TV veterans Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie known for their work on Stargate Universe served as show runners, and co-wrote the pilot. According to The Hollywood Reporter they were replaced after two episodes by British director Steve Shill (Dexter, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Tudors) and Canadian veteran supervising producer Karen Wookey (Andromeda, Mutant X).[10] However, Shill left the project in January 2012 without an immediate successor in place.[11]

Shooting locations included Paris, Berlin, and Nice, however the majority of the filming was done in Toronto.[12] In October 2011, filming on the series was halted after Chris Vance was injured in an on-set accident. The remaining scenes were supposed to be shot in Toronto during the spring of 2012.[11] The show was shot with Arri Alexa, Canon C300 and GoPro cameras.[13]

Broadcast

The series started airing out-of-order on RTL in Germany on 11 October 2012 at a pace of one weekly episode in prime time on Thursdays with a TV-12 rating.[14] The show's run in the country concluded on December 20, leaving two episodes unaired.

In France the show started on 6 December 2012 on M6, also in prime time on Thursdays, but with a TV-10 rating and at an initial pace of three episodes per night for two weeks, followed by a "two new episodes plus one rerun" per night pace after a week-long hiatus, and concluded on 10 January 2013. Viewers were given the choice between watching the show in dubbed French or in its original English with optional subtitles, thanks to M6's dual audio streams. Season #2 began airing in France on 1 January 2015.

The show started airing in Norway, 1 January 2013 on TV 2 Zebra.

Transporter: The Series started airing on HBO Canada and Super Écran 1 (in dubbed French) on 4 January 2013 with a special two hour premiere comprising the episodes Trojan Horsepower and Payback, after which one episode was broadcast weekly, Fridays at 9 PM. Prior to that, the episode Trojan Horsepower was available to watch for free on HBO Canada's website and various Canadians streaming services starting 18 December 2012.[5] Season #1 concluded in Canada on 15 March 2013. Season #2 began airing in Canada on The Movie Network and Movie Central, with back-to-back episodes, on 5 October 2014.

In the Middle East the show started on 13 March 2013 on FX.

In Australia, it premiered on 20 March 2013 on FX.[15]

In Turkey the show started on 14 June 2013 on Atv

In Portugal, the show started on 11 September 2013 on MOV, broadcasting Trojan Horsepower (thus, using the Canadian order for the episodes).

In the Netherlands, RTL 5 started broadcasting the series on 2 January 2014.

In New Zealand, the show started on 13 June 2014 on The Box on SKY TV (New Zealand).

In Spain, the show started on 7 July 2014 on Antena 3.

In the United States, TNT announced in January 2014 that it had picked up Transporter: The Series,[6] and began airing the show with back-to-back episodes on Saturday, 18 October 2014. TNT's sister network through Time Warner, Cinemax was previously due to air the series, but at the Television Critics Association 2013 Summer Press Tour confirmed that they would end their involvement with the series without showing it after all.[2] The premiere of season #2 aired on 29 November 2014 on TNT, which immediately followed the completion of the airing of season #1 the week before.

In 2015 it was announced Spike will air the series in the united kingdom.

Episode order and alternative versions

Confusingly, RTL in Germany, M6 in France, HBO Canada/Super Écran 1 in Canada, and TNT in the U.S. have all aired the series' season 1 in different episode airing orders, reflected in the following chart:

Season 1
episode title		 Canadian
/ Dutch order		 French order German order U.S. order
Trojan Horsepower 1 2 7 1
Payback 2 12 5 6
The General's Daughter 3 1 1 9
Harvest 4 3 2 7
Dead Drop 5 4 4 2
Hot Ice 6 9 8 3
Give the Guy a Hand 7 10 11 11
Sharks 8 5 6 4
City of Love 9 7 9 10
The Switch 10 8 3 8
12 Hours 11 6 12 5
Cherchez La Femme 12 11 10 12

It is unclear at this point what the "proper", intended order for the episodes is. Based on the chronology of events, the Canadian release most likely carries the correct order of episodes. This is further supported by the fact that Flemish channel 2BE and Dutch channel RTL 5 also air the episodes according to the Canadian order.[16] The German home video release presents the episodes as they were broadcast on RTL, adding the two unaired episodes (Give the Guy a Hand and 12 Hours) as episodes 11 and 12 respectively. It is unknown what order the forthcoming French and potential North American home video releases will reflect. It is however certain that unlike other shows, production order should not be followed, as Trojan Horsepower was the last episode to be shot yet features the first meeting between Frank and Juliette, two characters who interact in other episodes, and is also the episode where Frank first sees the red Audi R8 which appears in most later episodes. Trojan Horsepower served as the pilot episode in Canada and the United States, the second episode in France and the seventh in Germany; the latter two countries both aired The General's Daughter as the pilot episode, which had in fact been announced in the media as the pilot when production started.

In addition, at least some episodes reportedly have three different edits depending on the country of broadcast.[17]

Series overview

Season Episodes Originally aired DVD & Blu-ray release date
Region 2
Season premiere Season finale Germany France
1 12 11 October 2012 3 January 2013 21 December 2012 23 January 2013
2 12 5 October 2014 14 December 2014

Episodes

Season 1

The series as so far been presented in a different episode order on every channel it has aired (see above). It first aired in Germany, however channel RTL left two episodes unaired. The episodes were next broadcast in France on M6. However, the episodes are presented here in the order they were broadcast in Canada on HBO Canada as this airing order is generally considered to be "the most correct" order of the episodes in terms of plotline chronology.

No. No. Title Directed by Written by German
air date		 French
air date		 Canadian
air date		 Prod. code Viewers/Share (France)
11"Trojan Horsepower"
"Tod dem Fortschritt!"
"Prototype"		Brad TurnerStory by: Mahin Choudhary & David Kashyap
Screenplay by: Steve Lightfoot		29 Nov 20126 Dec 20124 Jan 20131123,100,000 (13.3%)[18]
In Nice, after participating in a prison escape that unfolds in a similar way as the opening scene of the first film, Frank meets Juliette for the first time. Later, Dieter introduces him to his friend Trina, who hires him to deliver a new eco-friendly engine prototype invented by her father on time to the Paris Motor Show. With Trina as his passenger, Frank races towards Paris, but a dangerous hitman, nicknamed "The Wolf", has been hired by automotive and fuel lobbies to eliminate him before he can complete his mission and destroy this major breakthrough. Unfortunately, the prototype, which is installed in Frank's car, emits a GPS signal which does not turn off, enabling The Wolf to easily track Frank and cling to his heels...
22"Payback"
"Vergeltung!"
"Frères d'Armes"		Brad Turner & Bruce McDonaldStory by: Alexander Ruemelin, Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie
Screenplay by: Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie		8 Nov 201210 Jan 20134 Jan 2013—2,650,000 (11.3%)[19]
Frank's latest job goes completely wrong: he loses his package of drugs in a holdup and is accused by his Russian gangster employer of having embezzled the money. To prove his innocence, Frank embarks on a search for the real culprits and through fancy hotels and rundown buildings the trail leads him to old friends from his SAS unit. The soldiers were attempting to settle a score from the past, by using him as a scapegoat while enriching themselves in the process. But when both they and Frank find themselves in danger from the Russian mobster who's out for blood, they must reconcile and fight side by side - just like old times.
33"The General's Daughter"
"Eine Neue Mission!"
"Protection Rapprochée"		Stephen WilliamsAlexander Ruemelin, Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie11 Oct 20126 Dec 201211 Jan 2013—3,820,000 (14.1%)[18]
After completing an eventful drop in Marseille, Frank is sent to Berlin, where he is assigned to transport Delia Weigert (Rachel Skarsten), a rich young socialite, to a safe house. Her father, a former influential general in the army (Barry Flatman), has sold off some of his insider military knowledge and Delia is now in grave danger with a German crime lord (Uwe Ochsenknecht) threatening to kidnap her. With the enemy closing in, Frank must get Delia on a flight back to America, but a sudden betrayal places Delia in deadly jeopardy, and Frank must use all his skills to save her.
44"Harvest"
"Vaterliebe"
"À Cœur Ouvert"		Andy Mikita & Brad TurnerCarl Binder18 Oct 20126 Dec 201218 Jan 2013—2,200,000 (15.7%)[18]
While transporting a package, Frank notices the police are on his trail. Ignoring his rules, he opens the package and finds a stolen heart in a cooler, meant for transplantation in a hospital. Frank faces a dilemma when he figures out that his client, Sujic Drago (Mike Dopud), one of the most powerful crime lords in southern France, stole the heart to save his own son, who suffers from a congenital heart defect, and when Inspector Tarconi informs him that another dying boy is waiting at the hospital for the heart. Should he honor his commitment and deliver the package or return it to its initial beneficiary?
55"Dead Drop"
"Plan B"
"À L'Aveugle"		T.J. ScottStory by: Benjamin Sokolowski
Screenplay by: Carl Binder & Steve Bailie		1 Nov 201213 Dec 201225 Jan 2013—3,440,000 (12.9%)[20]
On a mission in Philadelphia, Frank finds out his package is Jack Perkins, his old C.I.A. instructor. The blind man is trying to prove his innocence, while an agency mole is attempting to frame him for leaking confidential information and getting fellow agents unmasked. To save his and his client's lives, Frank has only one solution: find a USB key containing evidence that can clear Jack's name and reveal the real mole's identity...
66"Hot Ice"
"Blutdiamanten"
"Diamants de Sang"		Brad TurnerSteve Bailie6 Dec 20123 Jan 20131 Feb 2013—3,209,000 (11.8%)[21]
In Toronto, Frank is asked to pick up a package containing a data stick holding sensitive content implicating a senior industrialist in the African blood diamond trade from a high-security bank vault and bring it to a specific address. Immediately upon leaving the hall he is attacked by a hit squad posing as security guards and finds himself locked inside the building. To make matters worse, an attractive woman security officer (Katheryn Winnick) falsely accuses him of being responsible for the death of her colleague, who was caught in the firefight and in order to prevent Frank's escape, she handcuffs him to herself - difficult conditions when you have a hit squad on your tail...
77"Give the Guy a Hand"
"Im Namen der Ehre"
"La Main Invisible"		George MihalkaKatie FordN/A3 Jan 20138 Feb 2013—3,200,000 (12.8%)[21]
As he's waiting for his package to be delivered in a Toronto parking lot, Frank finds himself faced with a series of strange coincidences. He understands he fell into a trap when the police throw him in jail, accusing him of a crime he didn't commit. His imprisonment is supposed to allow to get a very protected package out of the prison walls: the hand of a mob boss who's just been murdered...
88"Sharks"
"Große Haie und Kleine Fische"
"Requins"		Bruce McDonaldJoseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie15 Nov 201213 Dec 201215 Feb 2013—2,830,000 (12.6%)[20]
Frank must transport a million euros from Paris to Marseille while racing against two other elite runners each with the same package and destination. The client whose transporter wins will gain an important missile contract. Word of the race has reached two gangs that decide to try and rob the money but Frank, who needs to prove he's the one and only worthwhile transporter on the market, doesn't intend to let himself be swindled... The task is further complicated by a mysterious hitchhiker, who can not be shaken off and wants to know everything about Frank. Frank manages to end up as the lone transporter to finish the race, but victory is bittersweet, due to the loss of an old friend, who was one of the other two transporters in contention.
99"City of Love"
"Die Letzten Stunden von Paris"
"Une Bombe dans Paris"		Brad Turner & Andy MikitaAlexander Ruemelin13 Dec 201227 Dec 201222 Feb 2013—3,091,000 (12.2%)[22]
Frank is hired to bring a package from the south of France to Paris, which alerts the dogs at a vehicle checkpoint. After being chased by the police and reaching the agreed transfer point, he realizes the package he's delivered is a bomb meant for a planned terrorist attack on the French capital. Frank must rush to find and stop Gassam (RJ Parrish), the gang leader who'll stop at nothing to avenge his brother, accidentally killed during an identity check. After an electric first encounter, Frank can count on Mauga (Athena Karkanis), Gassam's sister, who wants to stop her brother from committing the irreparable while Carla uses her old connections with the French secret service to protect him. The hunt for the bomb begins.
1010"Switch"
"Echt Falsch"
"Contrefaçon"		Andy MikitaJoseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie25 Oct 201227 Dec 20121 Mar 2013—3,000,000 (12.9%)[22]
Frank is to pick up a valuable painting from a gallery and bring it to a rich psychopath art collector. There is a wild chase during the transfer and a young woman threatens him with a gun and claims that the painting is hers. Fortunately, at this moment the police appears and Frank seizes the opportunity to wriggle out of the situation. But when he delivers the painting to art collector Max Khyber (Hannes Jaenicke), it turns out that it is a fake. Khyber feels betrayed and suspects Frank of stealing the original. He holds Frank prisoner on his property and sends in a dominatrix, Lara, to get him to talk, but Frank manages to free himself and goes in search of the original with the young woman who claims ownership.
1111"12 Hours"
"Wettlauf Gegen die Zeit"
"12 Heures Pour Survivre"		Bruce McDonald & Brad TurnerCarl BinderN/A13 Dec 20128 Mar 2013—2,060,000 (16.1%)[20]
Frank has twelve hours to transport a stolen microchip, meant for the development of advanced weaponry, before the rigged package kills him. In a race against time, Frank must find a way to force the client to neutralize the deadly device.
1212"Cherchez La Femme"
"Double Jeu"		Brad TurnerSteve Lightfoot20 Dec 201210 Jan 201315 Mar 20131112,885,000 (10.9%)[19]
Jet (Chelsea Hobbs), rebellious, young, internationally known and antisocial hacker is Frank's latest package. He delivers her to a trader who speculated with Mafia money and needs her help to reacquire it in the quickest way possible and get his accounts back in order. However the Mafia isn't the only party interested in the young lady, as Frank finds out once his mission his accomplished and he's faced with a very difficult decision: find the hacker again or Carla, who's just been kidnapped, will be killed. Frank discovers that the hacker, who's being accused of spying, actually found evidence of corruption in the DCRI with her best friend, who is now dead in their apartment. Frank enlists Tarconi and Juliette to help him save Carla and the young hacker. But the DCRI proves itself to be a tough adversary...

Season 2

Season 2 premiered in Canada on The Movie Network and Movie Central on 5 October 2014.[7] Season 2 premiered in the United States on TNT on 29 November 2014.[8][23]

No. No. Title Directed by Written by Canadian
air date		 U.S.
air date		 French
air date		 Prod. code Viewers/Share
131"2B Or Not 2B"
"Le Témoin"		Eric ValetteFrank Spotnitz5 Oct 201429 Nov 2014[8]1 Jan 2015—
142"We Go Back"
"Retour vers l'Enfer"		Erik CanuelBen Harris5 Oct 201413 Dec 2014[23]1 Jan 2015—
153"Sex, Lies and Video Tapes"
"Sexe, Mensonge et Vidéo"		Stefan PleszczynskiFrancesca Gardiner12 Oct 20146 Dec 2014[8]15 Jan 2015—
164"Boom"
"La Mine"		Eric ValetteFrank Spotnitz19 Oct 2014[24]17 Jan 2015[23]22 Jan 2015—
175"Beacon of Hope"
"L'Ange de Zouerat"		Eric CanuelJeffrey Allan Schechter26 Oct 2014[24]7 Feb 2015[23]5 Feb 2015—
186"Diva"
"Diva"		Stefan PleszczynskiSmita Bhide2 Nov 2014[24]20 Dec 2014[23]8 Jan 2015—
197"T2"
"Duel"		Stefan PleszczynskiFrank Spotnitz9 Nov 2014[24]27 Dec 2014[23]8 Jan 2015—
208"Chimera"
"Chinatown"		P. J. PesceAmira El Nemr & Francesca Gardiner16 Nov 2014[24]3 Jan 2015[23]15 Jan 2015—
219"Euphro"
"Euphro"		Eric ValetteBen Harris23 Nov 2014[24]10 Jan 2015[23]22 Jan 2015—
2210"Trust"
"Le Piège"		P.J. PesceJeffrey Allan Schechter30 Nov 2014[24]24 Jan 2015[23]29 Jan 2015—
2311"Sixteen Hands"
"Triple Galop"		Gregory LemaireSmita Bhide7 Dec 2014[24]31 Jan 2015[23]29 Jan 2015—
2412"Endgame"
"Fin de Partie"		Eric ValetteFrank Spotnitz & Ben Harris14 Dec 2014[24]7 Feb 2015[23]5 Feb 2015—

DVD releases

On March 3, 2015, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the complete first season on DVD in Region 1.[25] The complete second season will be released on June 9, 2015.[26]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Roxborough, Scott (20 May 2011). "RTL Joins HBO's 'Transporter' Series as Co-Producer". The Hollywood Reporter (Los Angeles, California). Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "HBO at TCA: "Treme" to Return December 1; Cinemax Exits "Transporter"". The Futon Critic. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 2014-10-19.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Goldberg, Lesley (23 June 2011). "'Transporter': 'Lost's' Stephen Williams to Helm Pilot (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter (Los Angeles, California).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tartaglione, Nancy (7 April 2014). "MIPTV: Italian Actress Violante Placido Joins 'Transporter – The Series'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Balen, Nicolle; McCorquodale, Owen (12 December 2012). "Transporter: The Series Revs Up on HBO Canada" (PDF). HBO Canada (Canada).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Andreeva, Nellie (23 January 2014). "TNT Acquires 'Transporter' Series For Fall". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Adrenaline-Fueled Original Drama TRANSPORTER – THE SERIES Returns on The Movie Network and Movie Central, October 5" (Press release). Corus Entertainment. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Transporter: The Series (TNT) - Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  9. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (28 July 2011). "'Transporter' TV series casts three more". Digital Spy (United Kingdom).
  10. ↑ Leffler, Rebecca; Vlessing, Etan (27 September 2011). "Will 'Transporter' Deliver?". The Hollywood Reporter (Los Angeles, California).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Jeffery, Morgan (20 January 2012). "'Transporter' TV series loses second showrunner in five months". Digital Spy (United Kingdom).
  12. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (31 March 2012). "MIPTV: 5 Lessons Learned From 'Transporter' Flameout". The Hollywood Reporter (Los Angeles, California). Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  13. ↑ "Transporteur – la série bientôt sur M6, Episode 4 : Une histoire de caméras" (in French).
  14. ↑ Transporter on fernsehserien.de
  15. ↑ Knox, David (8 March 2013). "Airdate: Transporter: The Series". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  16. ↑ http://iwatch.be/tv/series/transporter
  17. ↑ Attard, Thierry (5 January 2013). "TRANSPORTER: THE SERIES (M6)". Thierry Attard's Double Feature.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Girard-Kromas, Robin (7 December 2012). "Le transporteur : les premières livraisons de Chris Vance déçoivent" [The transporter : Chris Vance's first deliveries disappoint]. Toute La Télé (in French).
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Raveleau, Alexandre (11 January 2013). "Fin de partie sans surprise pour Le Transporteur" [Unsurprising end game for The Transporter]. Toute La Télé (in French).
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Raveleau, Alexandre (14 December 2012). "Le Transporteur ralentit encore un peu sur M6" [The Transporter slows down a bit more on M6]. Toute La Télé (in French).
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Girard-Kromas, Robin (4 January 2013). "Le transporteur conserve ses fidèles sur M6" [The Transporter keeps it faithful on M6]. Toute La Télé (in French).
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Cotte, Tony (28 December 2012). "3 millions de fidèles pour la série Le Transporteur" [3 million faithful for The Transporter series]. Toute La Télé (in French).
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 23.9 23.10 "Transporter The Series". TNT. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 24.8 "The Movie Network - Transporter - Episodes". Bell Media. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
  25. ↑ 'The Complete 1st Season' of the Series Spun-Off From the Film
  26. ↑ 'The Complete 2nd Season' DVDs: Street Date, Price and Packaging!

External links