Season Two of Granite Flats -- BYUtv's First Original Scripted Dramatic Series -- Premieres on April 6

Award-winning actors Cary Elwes, Christopher Lloyd, Ivan Sergei and Finola Hughes join second season

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Apr 03, 2014, 03:48 ET

PROVO, Utah, April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a highly successful premiere in April 2013, Granite Flats, BYUtv's first original scripted series, will return to the airwaves on Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 9pm ET/7pm MT (special early broadcast at 6pmET/4pmMT). Created to fill the decade-long family-friendly primetime television void, Granite Flats is an ensemble series inspired by real-life Cold War events and filmed entirely in Utah on a variety of authentic 1960s-era locations. The suspense drama debuted to positive national reviews and became the most watched show in BYUtv's history.

The second season will consist of eight new one-hour episodes. The entire cast will return, along with the original creative team that features top Hollywood and New York actors and creative talent who have made some of television and film's most successful productions. The new episodes deliver suspense, nostalgia, drama and romance, echoing the era's tensions and suspicions, uncovering events surrounding actual little-known covert U.S. military operations and the realities of growing up during that unique moment in history.

Joining the cast regulars for season two is a steady flow of iconic actors and directors, including three-time Emmy® Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future trilogy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Taxi); Cary Elwes (Psych, The Princess Bride); Ivan Sergei (The Break Up, Jack & Jill); and Daytime Emmy®-winner and General Hospital principal Finola Hughes.

Three guest directors will also participate in season two: Sterling Van Wagenen, co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival and founding executive director of the Sundance Institute, known for his work Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven, co-produced with Robert Redford, and Secrets of the Pharaohs: A Quest for Ancient DNA; John Kretchmer, a 36-year industry veteran who has directed a variety of television series, including White Collar, Army Wives, Necessary Roughness, Criminal Minds, Covert Affairs, Burn Notice, Veronica Mars, Psych, Charmed and One Tree Hill; and Brian McNamara, the character actor, director and producer who has made over 100 TV and film appearances in The Flamingo Kid, Short Circuit, the Billionaire Boys Club, Monk, The Ghost Whisperer and most recently Army Wives.

"Granite Flats presents historic issues that are reflective of the challenges we continue to face today in the fight for democracy and freedom, in a way that is appealing to all ages," said Derek Marquis, executive producer of Granite Flats and Managing Director of BYUtv. "We are delighted to have found that there is a growing and diverse national audience looking for primetime programming that the entire family can watch together and we look forward to continuing the Granite Flats adventure with audiences."

Season one introduced viewers to the seemingly idyllic fictional town of Granite Flats in Colorado (circa 1962) and uncovered unforeseen mysterious events that challenged the faith and humanity of the characters. The second season progresses the story into the volatile year of 1963 and takes viewers deeper into the evocative portrayal of the intrigue, fear and small town innocence that characterized Mountain West America at the height of the Cold War and affects the lives of a group of school children, the Chief of Police, and the staff at the local Army base and VA hospital. Three unlikely young heroes, the school science geeks, have banded together to form their own private detective agency, but the implications of what they're investigating are actually bigger than anyone realizes. The Chief of Police has been approached by the FBI to help ferret out a KGB spy hiding somewhere in their midst. A nurse at the VA Hospital has learned that her boss is running some mysterious tests on soldiers, part of the CIA's top secret MKULTRA program to develop mind-control as a weapon against the Soviets.

"Granite Flats continues to balance common issues such as adolescent trials and tribulations and parenting challenges with worldly subjects like Russian spies, double-agents and espionage," said Scott Swofford, executive producer and director of Granite Flats. "The second season is even more intense, yet remains family appropriate and continues to appeal to a diverse age group."

Since 2011, BYUtv has created a breadth of original "see the good in the world" programming that fills a void in entertainment the entire family can enjoy together, including sketch comedy, history, music and documentary offerings. The High Definition network continues to build steady momentum, drawing new viewers from around the country via cable, satellite and multiple digital media platforms including byutv.org, iOS apps for iPhone and iPad, the BYUtv Roku channel and new apps for Android and Microsoft Xbox (coming soon). As with all of BYUtv's programming, Granite Flats is available to more than 53 million households in every state of the country. To watch Season One of Granite Flats and learn about the cast and creative team, go to graniteflats.com.

About BYUtv
Owned by Brigham Young University and based in Provo, Utah, BYUtv is a groundbreaking High Definition television network which has built its roster of original "see the good in the world" programming to fill a void in the primetime market. Amidst the proliferation of TV content, the network's offerings stand out for their thoughtful examination of redeeming elements in our fast-paced, multifaceted world. The topics are varied, hard-hitting and nuanced. Whether through unrivaled live college sports coverage, documentary and feature films, scripted and improvisational comedy, scripted dramas or unscripted reality programs, BYUtv is a vital presence in the contemporary television landscape. The non-commercial station's reach is unprecedented at any university in the world, and offers approximately 1,000 hours of original programming annually, including 500 hours of live HD collegiate sports.