Valor is an American military drama television series created by Kyle Jarrow. The show was produced by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television, with Anna Fricke and Kyle Jarrow serving as showrunners. The series premiered on The CW on October 9, 2017, as part of the 2017–18 U.S. television season.[1] In November 2017, The CW announced that it would not be ordering any additional episodes of the show beyond the 13 episodes already produced. On May 8, 2018, The CW cancelled Valor after one season.[2]

Valor
GenreMilitary drama
Created byKyle Jarrow
Starring
ComposerThe Album Leaf
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJames Spies
Production locationsAtlanta, Georgia
CinematographyDavid Harp
EditorCraig Bench
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkThe CW
ReleaseOctober 9, 2017 (2017-10-09) –
January 29, 2018 (2018-01-29)

Cast and characters

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Main

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  • Christina Ochoa as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nora Madani,[3] CPT Leland Gallo's co-pilot and one of the first females to ever serve in the Special Operations community. Before joining the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, CWO3 Madani served with the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan. In the pilot, she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" device for valor. Subsequent to her injuries suffered in a helicopter crash, she has become addicted to prescription painkillers. CWO3 Madani enlisted in the Army 10 years ago at the age of 18; three years prior to the series, she was a Chief Warrant Officer 2 in training at the United States Army Air Assault School. In "Costs of War" both Madani and Gallo are discharged from the Army after coming clean about the cover-up they participated in for the events in the pilot and are almost immediately hired by Thea to fly for the CIA.
  • Matt Barr as Captain Leland Gallo,[4] Pilot-in-Command with the fictional 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment "Shadow Raiders" (based on the real life 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)). In the pilot, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" device for valor. In "Costs of War" both Gallo and Madani are discharged from the Army after coming clean about the cover-up they participated in for the events in the pilot and are almost immediately hired by Thea to fly for the CIA.
  • Charlie Barnett as First Lieutenant Ian Porter,[5] an intelligence officer with the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the boyfriend of CWO3 Nora Madani. The two of them transferred from the 101st Airborne Division together. Three years prior to the series, he was a second lieutenant assigned to the Air Assault School. 1LT Porter is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
  • W. Trè Davis as Staff Sergeant Jimmy Kam,[6] CPT Gallo's and CWO3 Madani's crew chief who was taken as a prisoner of war in the pilot. He is rescued in "Oscar Mike" by the Shadow Raiders and returns home in "Costs of War" with posttraumatic stress disorder.
  • Corbin Reid as Jess Kam,[7] the wife of SSG Jimmy Kam and close friend of CWO3 Nora Madani.
  • Nigel Thatch as Colonel Robert Haskins,[7] a 23-year veteran of the United States Army who is serving as the Commanding Officer of the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. In the pilot, it is mentioned that he earned the Silver Star in Fallujah.
  • Melissa Roxburgh as Thea,[8] a member of the Central Intelligence Agency. In her personal life, Thea has had short-term relationships with both SSG Zoe Cho and CPT Leland Gallo. After she and the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment discover and expose her boss, Director Tucker Magnus, as a rogue agent in "Costs of War", she is given his post as Director of the CIA Special Activities Division.

Recurring and guest

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  • Zeeko Zaki as Staff Sergeant Matt Darzi
  • Valarie Pettiford as Congresswoman Simone Porter, the Chairwoman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and widowed mother of 1LT Ian Porter. She is the point person for Washington in the Shadow Raiders' search for prisoners of war Sergeants Kam and Hendrix. She is later revealed as "Snake Eyes", the leader of the plot to sell uranium to Ukrainian terrorists.
  • Bryan Craig as Staff Sergeant Adam Coogan, a Delta Force operator and longtime rival of CPT Gallo; the two of them started their careers together before going their separate ways (Gallo became an officer and helicopter pilot, Coogan joined Delta Force). It was later revealed the two feuded over a woman which created animosity between the two.
  • Mac Brandt as Sergeant Shane Dylan Hendrix, a member of Delta Force and fellow prisoner of war alongside Staff Sergeant Jimmy Kam. Sergeant Hendrix is killed trying to escape imprisonment.
  • Chelle Ramos as Staff Sergeant Zoe Cho, one of the first females to ever serve in the Special Operations community. After SSG Kam is taken as a prisoner of war, SSG Cho becomes CPT Gallo's and CWO3 Madani's crew chief. In "About-Face", SSG Cho is sexually assaulted by a Delta Force operator, but manages to fight him off; the operator was immediately transferred off the base and Cho opted to file charges against him.

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Michael M. RobinKyle JarrowOctober 9, 2017 (2017-10-09)1011.20[9]
2"Esprit de Corps"Randy ZiskKyle JarrowOctober 16, 2017 (2017-10-16)1020.99[10]
3"Soldier Ready"Mikael SalomonAnna FrickeOctober 23, 2017 (2017-10-23)1030.88[11]
4"Zero Visibility"Steve RobinJosh ReimsOctober 30, 2017 (2017-10-30)1040.95[12]
5"Full Battle Rattle"Alex PillaiBret VandenBos & Brandon WillerNovember 6, 2017 (2017-11-06)1051.12[13]
6"I Got Your Six"Ruba NaddaCeline GeigerNovember 13, 2017 (2017-11-13)1060.94[14]
7"Blurred Lines"Mark HaberApril FitzsimmonsNovember 20, 2017 (2017-11-20)1071.00[15]
8"About-Face"Gregory PrangeCasey FisherDecember 4, 2017 (2017-12-04)1080.93[16]
9"Stay Frosty"Geary McLeodKyle JarrowDecember 11, 2017 (2017-12-11)1090.76[17]
10"Ciphers"David McWhirterAnna FrickeJanuary 1, 2018 (2018-01-01)1100.67[18]
11"Command & Control"Lee RoseShamar S. WhiteJanuary 15, 2018 (2018-01-15)1110.98[19]
12"Oscar Mike"Tara WeyrCaitlin SaundersJanuary 22, 2018 (2018-01-22)1120.97[20]
13"Costs of War"Gregory PrangeJosh ReimsJanuary 29, 2018 (2018-01-29)1131.07[21]

Production

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Development

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The CW officially ordered Valor to series on May 10, 2017.[22] The series was planned to air weekly on Netflix in the UK and Ireland beginning November 1, however it never arrived.[23]

Casting

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On February 17, 2017, Matt Barr was cast in the lead role as Captain Leland Gallo, a commanding officer and described as "an aging hipster meets flyboy",[4] followed a month later by the casting of Christina Ochoa as his co-pilot Officer Nora Madani, "an intense and driven junior Army pilot who is a member of the Shadow Raiders special ops unit".[3]

Filming

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Filming for the series took place in Atlanta.[24]

Reception

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Ratings

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Viewership and ratings per episode of Valor
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
1 "Pilot" October 9, 2017 0.3/1 1.20[9]
2 "Espirit de Corps" October 16, 2017 0.2/1 0.99[10]
3 "Soldier Ready" October 23, 2017 0.2/1 0.88[11]
4 "Zero Visibility" October 30, 2017 0.2/1 0.95[12]
5 "Full Battle Rattle" November 6, 2017 0.3/1 1.12[13]
6 "I Got Your Six" November 13, 2017 0.2/1 0.94[14]
7 "Blurred Lines" November 20, 2017 0.2/1 1.00[15]
8 "About-Face" December 4, 2017 0.2/1 0.93[16]
9 "Stay Frosty" December 11, 2017 0.2/1 0.76[17]
10 "Ciphers" January 1, 2018 0.2/1 0.67[18]
11 "Command & Control" January 15, 2018 0.2/1 0.98[19]
12 "Oscar Mike" January 22, 2018 0.2/1 0.97[20]
13 "Costs of War" January 29, 2018 0.2/1 1.07[21]

Critical response

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 24% approval rating with an average rating of 4.69/10 based on 17 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Valor's attempt to highlight an often overlooked segment of the armed services is undercut by a badly judged blend of military action and melodrama."[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 39 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[26]

References

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  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 8, 2017). "The CW Sets Fall 2017 Premiere Dates For 'Dynasty' & 'Valor' And Returning Series Returning Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  2. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (May 8, 2018). "'Valor' Officially Canceled By the CW After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Petski, Denise (March 14, 2017). "Christina Ochoa To Star In The CW Drama Pilot 'Valor'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 24, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (February 17, 2017). "Matt Barr To Star In the CW Pilot 'Valor'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  5. ^ Petski, Denise (February 24, 2017). "'Dynasty': CW Reboot Casts Robert Christopher Riley; 'Valor' Adds Charlie Barnett". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  6. ^ Petski, Denise (March 8, 2017). "'Dynasty': Rafael de la Fuente Joins The CW Pilot; W. Tré Davis in 'Valor'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Petski, Denise (March 14, 2017). "'Valor': Nigel Thatch & Corbin Reid Cast In the CW Drama Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (March 17, 2017). "Alex Russell Joins 'S.W.A.T.' Pilot; Melissa Roxburgh in 'Valor'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Porter, Rick (October 10, 2017). "'Big Bang Theory' and 'Good Doctor' adjust up, other CBS shows and 'The Brave' down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Porter, Rick (October 17, 2017). "'Big Bang', 'Voice', 'Lucifer', 'Me, Myself & I' adjust up, ABC and '9JKL' down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Porter, Rick (October 24, 2017). "'The Good Doctor' adjusts down, 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Voice' adjust up: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Porter, Rick (October 31, 2017). "'Lucifer' adjusts up, 'Good Doctor' and 'Dancing With the Stars' adjust down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Porter, Rick (November 7, 2017). "'Dancing With the Stars', 'The Gifted', Luke Bryan special adjust down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Porter, Rick (November 14, 2017). "'The Voice', 'Kevin Can Wait', 'The Gifted' adjust up, 'DWTS' down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  15. ^ a b Porter, Rick (November 21, 2017). "'Good Doctor', 'Dancing with the Stars', 'Kevin Can Wait', 'Man with a Plan' adjust down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Porter, Rick (December 4, 2017). "ABC, NBC adjust down with football pre-emptions: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  17. ^ a b Porter, Rick (December 12, 2017). "'Christmas Light Fight', 'Bachelor' special and 'Better Late than Never' adjust down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  18. ^ a b Porter, Rick (January 3, 2017). "'Lucifer', 'The Bachelor', everything else unchanged: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Porter, Rick (January 17, 2017). "'The Gifted' finale, 'The Good Doctor' and all others hold: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  20. ^ a b Porter, Rick (January 23, 2018). "'The Brave' adjusts up: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Porter, Rick (January 30, 2018). "'9JKL' adjusts up: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  22. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 10, 2017). "'Valor' Military Drama Pilot Picked Up to Series by The CW". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  23. ^ Elliott, Dave (October 24, 2017). "Netflix UK Picks Up CW's 'Valor'. Sets November UK Premiere Date". Geektown. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  24. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 7, 2017). "Pilot Locations 2017: NY, Vancouver & Atlanta Tick Up; LA, Toronto, Chicago Slip". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  25. ^ "Valor: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 27, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  26. ^ "Valor - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
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