Michael Crichton’s “Andromeda Strain” Comes to A&E

The A&E Cable Network is set to team up with Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator) and Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Top Gun) to recreate the Michael Crichton medical thriller “The Andromeda Strain.” The news came from Bob DeBitetto, Executive Vice President and General Manager, A&E. Production on the four-hour miniseries has begun in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“’The Andromeda Strain’ is the perfect fit for A&E’s unique brand of dramatic entertainment, featuring evocative stories, powerful characters and A-list auspices,” said DeBitetto. “Ridley Scott and Tony Scott are two of the true visionaries of our time whose bodies of work have molded our perception of progressive storytelling, on film and television. We’re thrilled to be working with them and their team on this iconic material.”

Based on the debut novel by Michael Crichton, A&E’s recreation of “The Andromeda Strain” will be directed by two-time Academy award nominee Mikael Salomon (Backdraft, The Abyss) with a script written by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan (The Quiet American). Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, and David W. Zucker are Executive Producers for Scott Free Productions and Tom Thayer is Executive Producer for Traveler’s Rest Films.

A deadly bacteria – code named The Andromeda Strain - is let loose after a U.S. government satellite crash-lands in Arizona. The bacteria unleashes a lethal plague that wipes out an entire town leaving only two survivors - an old man and an infant – to provide clues to immunizing the population. As the military tries to contain the spreading disaster, only a hastily assembled team of scientists can hope to find a cure and stop the Andromeda Strain from spreading.

“The Andromeda Strain” miniseries will star Benjamin Bratt, Christa Miller, Eric McCormick, Rick Schroeder and Emmy winning actor Andre Braugher.

About A&E Network
Now reaching more than 92 million homes, A&E Network offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment; ranging from the network’s signature Real-Life Series franchise, including the hit series “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” “Intervention,” “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” “Flip This House” and “Criss Angel Mindfreak,” to critically acclaimed original movies, dramatic series and the most successful justice shows on cable. A&E is the official basic cable home to the high-profile series “The Sopranos,” “CSI: Miami” and “24.” The A&E Network website is located at www.aetv.com. The A&E Insider is located at www.aetv.com/insider.