International Spy Museum and FX Extend Mini-Exhibit 'The Americans: Fact and Fantasy'

ANNOUNCEMENT MADE DURING VIP SCREENING OF THE AMERICANS WITH SHOW CREATOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 1, 2014 – The International Spy Museum announced yesterday evening the extension of their limited engagement mini-exhibit “The Americans: Fact and Fantasy,” during an exclusive screening of the critically-acclaimed FX drama The Americans.

Museum leadership was joined by two of the show’s executive producers, Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, along with network executives and invited guests, to review the latest episode and recognize the partnership that led to the mini-exhibit, housed in the lobby of the Museum.

The mini-exhibit, highlighting the intelligence services of the USSR during the Cold War, went on public display on April 2, initially slated for a two-month commitment. Due to the thriving popularity of The Americans, now in its second season, combined with the resurgent cultural interest in Cold War-era intelligence history as seen daily in news headlines, the Museum and FX extended the display through July 15.

“We are excited to continue this partnership with FX, allowing our collective visitors and viewers to keep the conversation surrounding this intriguing era in our nation’s history going,” said Peter Earnest, Executive Director of the International Spy Museum, and a former CIA covert operations officer.

“The Americans: Fact and Fantasy” takes visitors inside the lives of the period drama’s lead characters Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, two KGB spies posing as a normal American family in suburban Washington, D.C. in the early 1980s. The mini-exhibit consists of artifacts representative of the spy tradecraft utilized by these Soviet spies – otherwise known as “illegals” – to execute operations and fulfill missions. From call girl disguises, to cached radios and crossword puzzle ciphers, guests are immersed in Cold War paranoia. 

The extension comes on the heels of FX’s mid-April announcement that The Americans has been picked up for a 13-episode third season.

In its first season, The Americans was one of the most critically-acclaimed new programs of 2013, an honor that has only continued through its second season. Three new episodes remain this season, following last night’s episode “Yousaf,” with the Season Two finale scheduled for May 21. The Americans airs Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.

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 ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM

The International Spy Museum is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage and intelligence. Open since July 2002, the Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. The mission of the International Spy Museum is to educate the public about espionage and intelligence in an engaging way and to provide a context that fosters understanding of their important role in and impact on current and historic events. The Museum's permanent collection chronicles the history of espionage, from its inception, to the modern day challenges facing intelligence professionals worldwide in the 21st Century and the looming threat of Cyber War in Weapons of Mass Disruption. For more information, please visit www.spymuseum.org.

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ABOUT THE AMERICANS

Set in the early 1980s just after Ronald Reagan is elected president, The Americans is a drama series about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. The series stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich. The show was created by and is executive produced by Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies), a former CIA agent who went on to become an accomplished author, Joel Fields and Graham Yost, along with Daniel Sackheim and Amblin Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.  The Americans is produced by Fox Television Studios and FX Productions.

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ABOUT FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of FX Networks, a business unit of Fox Networks Group. FX Networks is comprised of FX, FXM and FXX, its newest channel, which debuted on September 2, 2013. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 97 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series, including Sons of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans and The Bridge; the upcoming dramas Tyrant (June '14) and The Strain (July '14); the miniseries American Horror Story and Fargo (4/15/14); the acclaimed hit comedy series Louie and Archer; the new animated comedy Chozen; and scripted comedies Married and You're The Worst both launching in summer of '14. The network's library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX's roster of acquired hit series includes Two and a Half Men, Anger Management and, coming in 2014, Mike & Molly.