Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

What does a professional spy do when their employers turn on him? That's the question being asked by new USA Networks TV show, Burn Notice...

In the new action/spy series (premiering June 28th in the US - commercial free), CIA Operative Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) receives a "Burn Notice" while on assignment... basically a job termination notice, which is copied to all international intelligence agencies.

That leaves Westen alone in a strange city, without his normal contacts or spy connections. He starts by travelling back to his hometown of Miami to try and find out why he's been "burned". Putting his Special Ops training to good use, he works to stay under the radar in trying to uncover the truth, while helping out others to help fund his investigation.

While spies are often the fantasy of tv and movies, there are a lot of "private investigators" working every day in most cities (although their missions are probably a whole lot less interesting than those we see on the tv and big screen ;-)

I don't know that I'd make a very good top-secret spy... I'd enjoy using all the high-tech gadgets like you see in the Bond films and other spy stories (I even checked out a "spy store" in London last year, and was surprised by the range of products on sale in the "real world"!)

I think to be a good spy you'd have to be comfortable with always being on the move, and not want to settle down in one place for too long. Spies and superheroes seem to have to be guarded about their true identity, which must mark it hard to develop relationships (just look at the trouble Clark Ken has on Smallville ;-)

I think USA Network's Burn Notice should prove a successful new tv show, given the similar style to the popular Bourne film and book series, which follows former CIA assassin Jason Bourne as he tries to evade his former employers.

The intriguing new action series also stars Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless. Check out the official Burn Notice website for more information, including 'behind the scenes' video clips, interviews and previews...