Six-Part 'Strike Back' Prequel to Premiere on Cinemax

Credit: Sky 1

Strike Back has been a dependable drama for Cinemax on Friday nights, and now the network is giving the series a vote of confidence by giving the go-ahead on a prequel.

Strike Back: Origins will premiere with a six-episode run on Friday, October 25 at 10:00 PM ET, taking over the Friday night time slot of Strike Back once it completes its third season on Oct. 18. The prequel stars Richard Armitage of The Hobbit film series, as well as The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln.

Strike Back: Origins was originally presented on Sky in the UK in 2010, before being acquired by HBO/CINEMAX. This will mark the first time the prequel will be seen in the United States.

The prequel tells the story of John Porter (Armitage), an SAS (UK Special Forces) soldier who discovers a connection between a current hostage situation and a mission he ran in Iraq in 2003. He appeals to Hugh Collinson (Lincoln), a fellow team member from that mission who now runs the stealth counterterrorism unit Section 20 for the UK government, to allow him to join the rescue. Porter and Collinson have gone in sharply different directions in the years since their original mission went awry, with one enjoying a successful military career and the other’s life falling apart.

Strike Back: Origins will conclude on Dec. 6.