Whiskey Cavalier is an American actioncomedy-drama television series, created by David Hemingson, that premiered on February 27, 2019. A short preview of the first episode aired on February 24, 2019, on ABC. On May 12, 2019, ABC cancelled the series after one season, and the series finale aired on May 22, 2019.
Premise
Whiskey Cavalier follows the "adventures of FBI agent Will Chase who, following an emotional break-up, is assigned to work with CIA operative Francesca 'Frankie' Trowbridge. Together, they lead an inter-agency team of spies who periodically save the world while navigating the rocky roads of friendship, romance and office politics".
On October 24, 2017, it was announced that ABC had given the production a put pilot commitment after multiple networks had shown interest. The pilot was written by David Hemingson who was expected to executive produce alongside Bill Lawrence and Jeff Ingold. Scott Foley was set to serve as a producer. Production companies involved with the pilot were slated to consist of Doozer and Warner Bros. Television. On February 16, 2018, it was announced that Peter Atencio would direct the pilot and become an executive producer. On May 11, 2018, it was announced that ABC had given the production a series order. A few days later, it was announced that the series would premiere in the spring of 2019 as a mid-season replacement.
Casting
Alongside the put pilot announcement, it was confirmed that Scott Foley would star in the series in addition to producing. In February 2018, it was announced that Lauren Cohan, Ana Ortiz, Vir Das and Tyler James Williams had joined the pilot's main cast. On August 23, 2018, it was reported that Josh Hopkins had joined the cast as a series regular after making a guest appearance in the pilot episode. On September 20, 2018, it was announced that Bellamy Young had been cast in a guest role. On December 18, 2018, it was reported that Dylan Walsh would appear in a recurring capacity. On January 25, 2019, it was announced that Foley's wife, Marika Domińczyk, and Christa Miller had joined the cast in recurring roles.
Release
On May 15, 2018, ABC released the first official trailer for the series. On December 12, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 27, 2019 and air weekly on Wednesdays during the 10 PM time slot. On January 10, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere as a special "preview" on February 24, 2019, following the 91st Academy Awards and late local newscasts before premiering in its regular timeslot three days later. ABC did not renew Whiskey Cavalier for a second season, with the network citing declining ratings as a factor. Its distributor, Warner Bros. Television, stated that it planned to shop the series to other networks. After the announcement, a campaign to save the series emerged on social media, which Deadline Hollywood compared to a similar campaign surrounding NBC's Timeless. However, delayed viewership of the final two episodes saw noticeable increases, while live viewership of the season finale was boosted by a lead-in from the ABC special Live in Front of a Studio Audience. On May 23, 2019, it was reported that ABC was "re-evaluating" a possible renewal based on these developments. However, showrunner David Hemingson stated on Twitter the next day that ABC would not reverse its decision.
Reception
Ratings
Critical response
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 85% based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 6.09/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Fun, feisty, and fueled by the chemistry between its charismatic leads, Whiskey Cavalier overcomes its familiar structure to deliver an attractive take on a well-worn formula." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
