February 18, 2015 (2015-02-18) – March 15, 2017 (2017-03-15)
X Company is a Canadian/Hungarian spythriller television series created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, the creators of the CTV series Flashpoint, which ran from 2008 to 2012. The series premiered on February 18, 2015, on CBC Television. The series takes place during World War II, and follows five recruits as they are trained as agents at a secret Canadian training facility, Camp X near Lake Ontario east of Toronto and then sent out into the field in Europe.[1][2] The final episode of the series aired on CBC on March 15, 2017.
A view of part of the site of Camp X looking toward Lake Ontario.
X Company was produced by Temple Street and Pioneer Stillking Kft. Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern wrote some episodes and were also executive producers with Ivan Schneeberg, David Fortier, Kerry Appleyard (Temple Street) and Bill Haber (Ostar Productions).[3] Directors included Grant Harvey, Amanda Tapping, Paolo Barzman, Julian Gilbey and Stephanie Morgenstern.[4]
On March 4, 2015, CBC renewed the series for a second season with ten episodes, two more than the first season of eight.[5][6] On March 31, 2016, CBC announced that the series would be renewed for a ten-episode third season, to début in the winter of 2017. On September 1, 2016, it was announced that this would be the final season for the show.[4][7]
International distribution
The series was shown in several countries, via distribution by Sony Pictures Television. Broadcasters that aired the series included TF1 in France, History in Latin America, History in the UK, Mystery in Japan, D-Smart in Turkey, 365 Media in Iceland, MBC in the Middle East, Mega in Greece and by Pickbox in Slovenia and Bosnia/Herzegovina.[4] On April 2, 2017, the series was picked up by Ovation in the United States.[8]
X Company had been an idea being considered for over a dozen years by creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern. They made a short film entitled Remembrance which did well enough on the festival circuit to encourage them to develop a feature script which eventually became X Company.[9] Originally titled Camp X, the series was filmed in Budapest, Hungary, from August to October 2014, and in Orlovat, Serbia[10] and is a Canadian-Hungarian co-production. X Company is inspired by the real spy training facility, Camp X, which was located between Whitby and Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.[11][12]
Season 2 filmed for four months in Budapest, and Esztergom,[13] Hungary beginning in July 2015.[14] Season 2 aired on January 27 on CBC.[15]
Season 3, the final of the series, was also filmed in and around Budapest, Hungary; location work was completed in November 2016 and the premiere was on January 11, 2017.[3]
Critical reception
Writing in the Huffington Post, Denette Wilford said: "X Company is another history lesson CBC is offering audiences, and it nails it once again".[9] The Globe and Mail's TV critic John Doyle called it "vastly entertaining" and "a good solid thriller".[16]
The team must protect Alfred as they parachute into France to steal codes that could save thousands of British lives, an unexpected obstacle forces Tom to stay behind and perform the hard part of the job.
The team infiltrates a brothel and a Nazi headquarters in an attempt to keep atomic research from falling into the wrong hands, Aurora gets ambitious but finds herself in a dangerous situation.
The team is sent to smuggle a British airman out of France with the help of a jazz band, but things get complicated when the Germans capture one of the musicians.
Aurora and the team wrestle with whether to trust a Vichy Mayor, who offers rich intelligence in exchange for their help in discovering what has become of the town's young women.
A sabotage mission leaves Harry critically injured and the team trapped in a safe house, desperate to escape a town swarming with Nazis.
7
7
"Quislings"
Craig Viveiros
Denis McGrath
April 1, 2015 (2015-04-01)
N/A
The team reaches Paris, tasked with assassinating French civilians who collaborate with the Nazis.
8
8
"Into the Fire"
Craig Viveiros
Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern
April 8, 2015 (2015-04-08)
N/A
As Paris is torn by a massive roundup of Jews, the team must help an early Holocaust witness bring his story to Allied leaders. Meanwhile, German agents close in on Aurora and Alfred.
The team is reeling as Alfred is taken by the Gestapo and Tom is shot. With communication cut off, all of the Camp X program may be compromised by Alfred's capture.
Franz Faber uses increasingly inhuman techniques to get Alfred to break, while Sinclair, now on the ground in France, leads the team on a daring rescue attempt.
The Gestapo plan to wipe out Camp X is underway, and while the rest of the team heads to Dieppe, Aurora gets caught in a showdown.
17
9
"Butcher and Bolt"
Jamie Stone
Denis McGrath
March 23, 2016 (2016-03-23)
N/A
Aurora fights to regain her team's faith as Alfred finally reveals their Dieppe objectives: a raid on a German radar station in the midst of the Allied attack, and a daring attempt to steal the secrets of the Enigma machine.
Spymasters Sinclair and Faber face off: two world-class poker players gambling with human lives. Neil and Harry face a harrowing road trip to find Miri.
20
2
"Masquerade"
Grant Harvey
Sandra Chwialkowska
January 18, 2017 (2017-01-18)
The team uncovers "Operation Marigold," a top-secret Nazi operation that could propel the Germans to victory.
With all of France about to be occupied by the Nazis, the team tries to rally a nation. Meanwhile, Faber's transfer to Poland could cost them their most prized asset.
The team must free Faber from the Polish resistance as Aurora goes undercover to take on a new and disturbing job.
24
6
"Supply and Demand"
Julian Gilbey
Julie Puckrin
February 15, 2017 (2017-02-15)
Aurora struggles to keep her cover as Helene Bauer as the Nazis hunt for spies among the Polish resistance.
25
7
"The Hunt"
Amanda Tapping
Sandra Chwialkowska
February 22, 2017 (2017-02-22)
Aurora learns of an imminent attack on the village of Nadzieja, Poland. Meanwhile Neil, Alfred and the Resistance fighters launch into a fierce battle.
