History Postpones Navy SEAL Drama Series SIX

SIX on History © 2016 History Credit: Michael Muller

In the TV business — as in warfare — things often don’t go as planned.

The new History action drama series SIX was originally scheduled to premiere on Monday, July 18. Channel Guide Magazine featured SIX prominently in our July 2016 print edition, and we talked with stars Barry Sloane and Walton Goggins about the show and their roles. History has postponed the series for an undetermined date later this year, though with good reason.

ALSO SEE: History Channel’s SIX Finally Ready to Deploy

SIX is inspired by real Navy SEAL missions from the past 15 years, and delves into the complex personal and professional lives of the soldiers faced with life-and-death decisions. Written by William Broyles Jr. (Cast Away, Jarhead) and David Broyles, the eight-episode first season follows a mission to rescue a SEAL operator captured by a terrorist group in West Africa.

Sloane (Saints & Strangers) stars as SEAL team leader Joe “Bear” Graves, and Goggins (Justified) plays SEAL Richard “RIP” Taggart. Goggins was a late replacement for Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Magic Mike), who had to withdraw from the project due to health concerns. This necessitated reshoots for all of Manganiello’s completed scenes. Rather than rushing SIX to the screen and risk jeopardizing its quality, it was decided to delay the premiere. Given the gravity of the show’s subject matter, that decision seems wise.

UPDATE: History announced that SIX will premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 10pm ET/PT.

“First and foremost, you would never want to wish anything but health and happiness for every single actor,” Goggins told Channel Guide Magazine‘s Kellie Freeze (Goggins also stars in HBO’s comedy Vice Principals, premiering July 17.) “I guess the most important thing out of all of this is that Joe is going to be OK. I don’t know Joe. I’ve never met Joe, but that’s scary. Your health comes first. I understand that he’s fine now. It was just something came up and that just happens, because actors are not impervious to pains in their body. That’s just the way things go. I hate it for him missing out on this, because I know how emotionally invested he was in it. I’ve thought about him daily and his struggle, just with that aspect of it, because all of us lose jobs or something comes up at one point in our career. That just happens. When it’s physical, the most important thing is that you’re OK. I’m happy that he’s OK.”

As for what it’s like stepping in as a pinch-hitter in the middle of a shoot, Goggins says, “It’s a lot. It’s a lot. There’s a relationship amongst the cast. You step into something that’s fully formed, and you want to respect that and the road that people have gone down. Then you also have to respect your own space and your own interpretation of it. These guys were just so open and receptive and welcoming that it really just wasn’t a problem.”

We’ll have more about SIX and more from our interviews with Sloane and Goggins on channelguidemag.com closer to the show’s premiere date.

9 Comments

  1. Thanks for the update. I was looking for a while to find some news on this show, because I have been anticipating the premiere. Looking forward to this show God Bless the military.

  2. Not much into conspiracy stories but this could come close to one with the elections going on and the Benghazi incident. Coincidence?

    • Original star Joe Manganiello had to drop out after some health problems. All of Manganiello’s scenes had to be reshot with new actor Walton Goggins. They just couldn’t get it all done in time for a July premiere.

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About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.