Looking at what the key talent involved went on to accomplish, Alias wound up having a major impact on the industry in the two decades since it first premiered. The espionage thriller was just J.J. Abrams’ second small screen project, and began airing while his cult classic Felicity was still around, but it soon outstripped the college drama in terms of profile, ratings, awards recognition and impact.
The premise centered on Jennifer Garner’s Sidney Bristow, an all-American student leading a triple life as standout academic, CIA operative and double agent tasked by the SD-6 organization to infiltrate the government, although later seasons introduced some elements that brought it closer to the realms of science fiction.
Garner won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for the first season, and was nominated for the next three, while the show itself picked up a nod for Best Television Series – Drama after the first run of episodes. As well as Abrams’ and Garner’s involvement, though, Alias also marked the first major role of Bradley Cooper’s career, with the actor starring in 46 episodes as Will Tippin.
These days, Abrams is one of the most recognizable creative talents in the business, Cooper is an A-list megastar and eight-time Academy Award nominee, and Garner has carved out a hugely successful career in her own right. Of course, in the world of television, everything that’s old is eventually new again, and in a recent interview, the leading lady admitted that she’d be down for an Alias reboot as long as her esteemed co-star was involved.
“Sign me up. I’ll grab Bradley by the scruff of his neck.”
Abrams’ regular editor Maryann Brandon revealed a couple of years back that the two had talked about a potential Alias revival, but if it were to happen, it would cost a pretty penny given the asking price of the Bad Robot head honcho, Garner and Cooper these days.