Showtime Orders Mark Boal Series ‘Intelligence’

Showtime has given a series commitment to the spy thriller Intelligence, from Mark Boal. Boal, whose films include The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, will write, direct and executive produce. Intelligence represents his first television project.

“The series, based on real stories from around the world, will explore the secret inner workings of power – how espionage intersects with politics, finance, media and Silicon Valley,” said Showtime. “The first season will dramatize the behind-the-scenes history leading up to the 2016 U.S. election, with each subsequent season looking at a major world event through the lens of covert operations.”

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Showtime and Media Res are producing, with Michael Ellenberg exec producing for Media Res. Hugo Lindgren will executive produce for Page 1. Alan Poul, Jason Horwitch and Megan Ellison are also in the E.P. ranks.

“As he showed with both The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Mark truly excels at transforming current events into gripping, scripted drama,” said Gary Levine, president of entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. “When he told us he wanted to use those same, extraordinary abilities to create his first television series, we leapt at it.”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.