| DEA | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Richard Di Lello |
| Written by | Michael Ahnemann Richard Di Lello |
| Directed by | Rob Bowman Colin Bucksey |
| Starring | Christopher Stanley |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Richard Di Lello |
| Producers | Michael Ahnemann Gordon Freeman Cyrus Nowrasteh Peter McCabe |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Lorimar Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox |
| Release | September 7, 1990 – May 24, 1991 |
D.E.A. is an American drama series which was aired on Fox as part of its 1990–91 lineup.
D.E.A. was based on true stories of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Shot in cinéma vérité style, the program combined recreated scenes using actors with actual surveillance footage and film of actual newscasts covering the stories depicted.
Fox apparently had considerable confidence in this concept. When the initial version garnered low ratings and was put on hiatus, before its return the program was retooled into DEA—Special Task Force, which placed more emphasis on the agents' personal lives and showed less graphic violence. The revamped show premiered in April 1991, but also failed to achieve significant ratings and the program was canceled for good in June 1991.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "DEA (Pilot)" | Peter Werner | Richard Di Lello | September 7, 1990 |
| 2 | "Aftermath" | Colin Bucksey | Richard Di Lello | September 14, 1990 |
| 3 | "Under Presidential Seal" | David Jackson | Michael Ahnemann | September 21, 1990 |
| 4 | "Jumping the Trampoline" | Colin Bucksey | Ann Powell & Rose Schacht | September 28, 1990 |
| 5 | "Prime Mover" | Mark Sobel | David Peckinpah | October 5, 1990 |
| 6 | "Bloodsport" | Unknown | Unknown | October 12, 1990 |
| 7 | "MethLab" | Peter Ellis | Unknown | October 26, 1990 |
| 8 | "Moving Mary Jane" | David Jackson | Unknown | November 2, 1990 |
| 9 | "The Fat Lady Sings Alone" | Unknown | Unknown | April 19, 1991 |
| 10 | "Dance with the Devil" | Peter Ellis | Unknown | April 26, 1991 |
| 11 | "The Connection" | Unknown | Unknown | May 3, 1991 |
| 12 | "White Lies" | Rob Bowman | Unknown | May 10, 1991 |
| 13 | "Zero Sum Game" | Unknown | Garner Simmons | May 24, 1991 |
The original concept of the show came from showrunner/creator Richard DiLello, who claimed that he'll create a hybrid format for the show that will combine elements of documentary (including newsreel footage and interviews) with drama.[1]
The project was soon pitched to Lorimar Television, which was in turn pitched to the fast-growing Fox Broadcasting Company.[2]
On May 14, 1990, the Fox Broadcasting Company announced that they would pick up the series for the new Friday night schedule, alongside reality program America's Most Wanted, which was shown at 8:00-9:00pm.[3]
The show received mostly positive reviews by critics. The San Francisco Examiner called the show "the biggest breakthrough of the new season."[4]
