{
  "id": 16625116,
  "title": "The Action Thriller Series Based On A Hit Liam Neeson Movie Franchise Is Streaming For Free",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/the-action-thriller-series-based-on-a-hit-liam-neeson-movie-franchise",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-26T16:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2295796/taken-action-thriller-series-liam-neeson-movie-franchise-streaming-free/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2008, Liam Neeson, then 55 years old, became an action hero with the release of Taken, an action thriller that grossed $226.8 million on a $25 million budget. This success led to sequels and a television adaptation, which is now streaming for free on The Roku Channel and The CW. NBC's Taken, a modern-day prequel to the movie franchise, debuted in 2017 and followed a younger version of Bryan Mills, a CIA operative played by Clive Standen. Standen, initially hesitant about the role, later appreciated how the series grounded the character in reality, avoiding invincible superhero tropes. Bryan Mills was depicted as a bit of a nerd, a stark contrast to James Bond's suave persona. The series, however, failed to impress critics and audiences, leading to NBC canceling it after two seasons due to poor ratings. Fans can now binge-watch both seasons of Taken on The Roku Channel and The CW TV.",
  "summary": "Liam Neeson's very particular set of skills were enough to inspire a prequel based on his hit movie series, and both seasons are now free to stream.",
  "key_points": [
    "Liam Neeson's 2008 film Taken launched action hero career.",
    "Television adaptation of Taken debuted in 2017.",
    "NBC canceled Taken series after two seasons."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}