"The 4400" shattered the record for basic cable's
most-watched series premiere. A staggering 7.4 million total viewers tuned in to the
two-hour show easily outdistancing previous record holder "The Dead Zone" by 1
million.
In casting Coyote as the Homeland Security chief, producer Suro says, "We wanted
someone who has the strength and the credibility. Coyote offers the compassion he showed
as a NASA official in 'E.T.' and the authority he has while narrating documentaries."
Eclipse Magazine: "Peter Coyote lends weight to 'The 4400'. He has a
presence that can be as gentle as a fawn, or as menacing as a tiger but here he has
a role that allows him to be both tough and gentle in the same moments and he carries it
off well. Ryland is the kind of boss we would all like to work for: if someone goofs, they
get chewed out but then its over; if someone does something noteworthy, its
noted and then they move on. Coyote can convey that kind of personality with a minimum of
fuss and make it stick. 'The 4400' works because of its excellent scripting and direction,
but Coyote's thoughtful performance nails it down."
NY Times: Scott Peters, creator and co-executive producer reveals that
"the heart of the piece is loosely inspired by events from 9/11. How do you deal with
something like that? The scope is enormous. It touches everyone. Something that has such a
large global impact, it changes us, challenges us and, like 9/11, it ultimately defines
who we are by how we react to it." Coyote, who calls science fiction "the
morality of the play", says the story of the interracial relationship was something
that interested him. He further comments "What Peters said is really good. You're
taking a slice of what happens to a nation when it's impacted by a huge event and you see
every scope of reaction - everything from heroism to government oppression and
paranoia.... I represent the element of the bureaucracy and all the forces positive and
negative that attend to it and deal with it and stress it."
DVD of complete first season available on December 21, 2004.
A second season of 13 episodes
aired from Sunday, June 5 - August 28, 2005. Coyote appeared in the last
two episodes - "The Fifth Page" and "Mommy's Bosses".
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