White Collar (TV series)
Encyclopedia
White Collar is a USA Network
television series created by Jeff Eastin
, starring Matt Bomer as con-man Neal Caffrey
and Tim DeKay
as Special Agent Peter Burke. It premiered on October 23, 2009. In December 2009, White Collar was renewed for a second season that began on July 13, 2010. On September 27, 2010, the USA Network renewed White Collar for a third season with 16 new episodes, which premiered on June 7, 2011. The series was renewed for a fourth season on August 25, 2011.
in the "Favorite TV Obsession" category for 2010 and the "Favorite Cable TV Drama" category for 2011
The season two four-disc Region 1 DVD box set was released on June 7, 2011. DVD extras consist of Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Episode Commentaries (for episodes 2x09 "Point Blank", 2x12 "Forging Bonds" and 2x16 "Under The Radar") and Exclusive Featurettes: "White Collar Roasts Burn Notice: Rivalry in the Writers' Rooms", "Burn Notice Roasts White Collar: Rivalry in the Writers' Rooms", "Slick Willie", and "So Here's The Deal: Anatomy of an Episode".
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
television series created by Jeff Eastin
Jeff Eastin
Jeff Eastin is the creator of the USA Network original comedy-drama series, White Collar. Eastin also serves as the Executive Producer and show runner for White Collar....
, starring Matt Bomer as con-man Neal Caffrey
Neal Caffrey
Neal Caffrey is the main character of the USA Network original series White Collar. He is first introduced as a con artist serving out a four year prison sentence for bond forgery, but after escaping from prison with three months left on his sentence and being recaptured by the FBI, he agrees to...
and Tim DeKay
Tim DeKay
Timothy Robert DeKay is an American character actor. His first on screen acting job was as corporate giant Larry Deon on seaQuest 2032. He was a cast member of the series Party of Five from 1997–1999, Carnivàle from 2003–2005 and Tell Me You Love Me in 2007...
as Special Agent Peter Burke. It premiered on October 23, 2009. In December 2009, White Collar was renewed for a second season that began on July 13, 2010. On September 27, 2010, the USA Network renewed White Collar for a third season with 16 new episodes, which premiered on June 7, 2011. The series was renewed for a fourth season on August 25, 2011.
Overview
Neal Caffrey, a con man, forger and thief, is captured after a three-year game of cat and mouse with the FBI. With only months left while serving a four-year sentence, he escapes from a maximum-security federal prison to find Kate, his ex-girlfriend. Peter Burke, the FBI agent who initially captured Caffrey, finds him and returns Caffrey to prison. This time, Caffrey gives Burke information about evidence in another case; however, this information comes with a price: Burke must have a meeting with Caffrey. At this meeting, Caffrey proposes a deal: he will help Burke catch other criminals as part of a work-release program. Burke agrees, after some hesitation. Through the successful apprehending of several white collar criminals, Caffrey has proven to Burke that he will help him, and that he will not try to escape again. This begins an unconventional but successful partnership.Characters
Main characters
- Matt Bomer as Neal CaffreyNeal CaffreyNeal Caffrey is the main character of the USA Network original series White Collar. He is first introduced as a con artist serving out a four year prison sentence for bond forgery, but after escaping from prison with three months left on his sentence and being recaptured by the FBI, he agrees to...
– a skilled forger and thief who was imprisoned after being captured by FBI Special Agent Peter Burke. After his girlfriend, Kate, visits him in prison to end their relationship, Neal escapes from prison in order to find her, but Peter quickly recaptures him. Neal proposes he become an FBI consultant, leading to Neal's release on the condition he wears an ankle monitorAnkle monitorAn ankle monitor is a device that individuals under house arrest are often required to wear. At timed intervals, the ankle monitor sends a radio frequency signal containing location and other information to a receiver. If an offender moves outside of an allowed range, the police will be notified...
monitoring his movements. Neal uses his new position with the FBI to search for Kate, whom he believed to be in trouble. Following her death, Neal uses the FBI's resources to search for her killer and unravel the mystery surrounding the music box. Neal also appears to have considerable knowledge of history, jewelry and the arts, such as literature, Western paintings and opera, even though it is revealed early in season two that he never graduated from high school. Despite being given the opportunity to build a new, honest life for himself, Neal often craves his old life, forcing him to make a choice between the two. Neal's father was a corrupt police officer; Neal was raised by his mother. - Tim DeKayTim DeKayTimothy Robert DeKay is an American character actor. His first on screen acting job was as corporate giant Larry Deon on seaQuest 2032. He was a cast member of the series Party of Five from 1997–1999, Carnivàle from 2003–2005 and Tell Me You Love Me in 2007...
as Special Agent Peter Burke – a hard-working, honest FBI agent, and the head of the investigative team on which Neal serves. His ability to predict Neal's actions leads to Neal's capture, a skill he uses with other criminals as well. He is very committed to his marriage and loves his home life. Peter is the person Neal trusts the most, and Peter is determined to convince Neal that an honest life is possible. Following Kate's death, Peter aids in the search for the truth about the music box. Through working with Neal, he has also developed a guarded working relationship with Mozzie. Peter earned a degree in accounting, but was recruited out of college by the FBI, passing over the opportunity to work for a Fortune 500Fortune 500The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
company. - Tiffani ThiessenTiffani ThiessenTiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers...
as Elizabeth Burke – an event planner and Peter's wife. She is supportive and understanding of his work and long hours away. An intelligent woman herself, Elizabeth is able to discuss Peter's cases with him and at times makes a meaningful contribution to them. She also admires Neal's refinement and tends to see the good in him when Peter does not. - Willie GarsonWillie GarsonWillie Garson is an American character actor. He has appeared in over 50 movies, usually playing minor roles...
as Mozzie – another con-man and close friend of Neal. Mozzie, often called Moz, is Neal's most trusted confidante. Abandoned as a baby, he grew up in an orphanage in Detroit where he learned to be a con-man early. Though lacking Neal's people skills, he appears to be a jack of all trades and has an eidetic memory. Mozzie grew up in foster homes. He is the only other person who knew the whole story of Kate's disappearance and the clues that lead to her. He has a difficult time trusting Peter, referring to him as "The Suit", but occasionally contributes to his investigations. He is also a conspiracy theorist, to the point of being terrified to step into the FBI offices. - Hilarie BurtonHilarie BurtonHilarie Ross Burton is an American actress. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The CW drama One Tree Hill for six seasons...
as Sara Ellis – an insurance company investigator who testified against Neal when he was on trial for stealing a Raphael painting. Originally determined to catch Neal and see him returned to prison, she later enjoys working with him. She aided in the investigation of the music box. During the investigation, she and Neal embarked on a romantic relationship, complicated by the reappearance of Alex. - Marsha ThomasonMarsha ThomasonMarsha Lisa Thomason is an English actress, who is known in the United States for playing Nessa Holt in the first two seasons of the NBC series Las Vegas, for her recurring role on ABC's Lost as Naomi Dorrit, and for playing FBI agent Diana Berrigan on USA Network's White Collar.-Early...
as Special Agent Diana Berrigan – previously Peter's probationary agent, Diana assists on Peter and Neal's first case together. Transferred to D.C. after her probation ends, Peter calls on her to covertly help him unravel "Operation Mentor" and determine Fowler's role in Kate's activities. She later returns to the investigative team in New York, where she serves, along with Agent Jones, as Peter's right-hand man. - Sharif AtkinsSharif AtkinsSharif Atkins is an American television actor. He's best known for his role as Dr. Michael Gallant on ER.- Career :He gained fame for his role as Dr. Michael Gallant, a character that debuted in the eighth season of the NBC Universal Television medical drama ER. He left ER after the 2003-2004...
as Special Agent Clinton Jones – Peter's point man who is responsible for carrying out a variety of tasks during the team's investigations, including surveillance. Peter usually gets him to watch over Neal, which annoys him, but he appreciates Neal's unorthodox contributions to the team.
Supporting characters
- Diahann Carroll as June – an elderly widow who meets Neal at a thrift store. A quick judge of character, she soon offers Neal her guest room. June's husband owned a wardrobe of designer clothing that she gives to Neal. She is protective of Neal and does not care that he is a convicted felon. June also has a close friendship with Mozzie and is often seen talking to him or playing board games.
- Alexandra DaddarioAlexandra DaddarioAlexandra Daddario is an American actress, known to film audiences as Annabeth Chase in the 2010 film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief...
as Kate Moreau – Neal's girlfriend, who appears to be acting under the direction of a mysterious man, identifiable only by his 10-year commemorative FBI ring. Kate broke up with Neal while he was still in prison, precipitating his escape. She provides Neal with cryptic clues when she wants to communicate with him, and eventually prepares to reunite with Neal, when the private jet she is aboard explodes. - Natalie MoralesNatalie Morales (actress)Natalie Morales is an American actress of Cuban descent.Growing up, she attended St. Agatha Catholic School before going to Southwest High School, and participated in the University of Miami Dow Jones Minority High School Journalism Workshop...
as Special Agent Lauren Cruz – a junior agent who requested a transfer to Peter's team and served on it briefly. - Gloria VotsisGloria VotsisGloria Votsis is an actress of Greek descent, best known for her role as Alexandra Hunter on the US TV series White Collar.Gloria Votsis was born and raised in a big fat Greek family in upstate New York. At the age of seventeen she went and studied abroad, spending her Senior year of High School in...
as Alexandra Hunter – a friend and past lover of Neal's who works as a black market fenceFence (criminal)A fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale, sometimes in a legitimate market. The fence thus acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may or may not be aware that the goods are stolen. As a verb, the word describes the...
and periodically assists on Peter and Neal's cases, including a previous attempt to steal the music box. - Ross McCallRoss McCallRoss McCall is a Scottish actor notable for his role as T-5. Joseph Liebgott in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.-Career:...
as Matthew Keller, a thief and archrival of Neal. Keller was arrested and jailed by Peter but later escaped and tried to steal the U-boat treasure that Neal and Mozzie have. - Noah EmmerichNoah EmmerichNoah Nicholas Emmerich is an American film actor who first broke out in the film Beautiful Girls. He was later seen in movies like The Truman Show, Cop Land, Frequency, Love & Sex, Windtalkers, Miracle, Super 8 and Little Children.-Early life:Emmerich was born in New York City to a Jewish family,...
as Special Agent Garrett Fowler – a discredited agent from the Office of Professional ResponsibilityOffice of Professional ResponsibilityThe Office of Professional Responsibility is part of the United States Department of Justice responsible for investigating attorneys employed by the DOJ who have been accused of misconduct or crimes in their professional functions...
. His abuse of authority in pursuit of Neal and Peter eventually leads to his being forced to resign. Neal believes he is responsible for Kate's death; Peter later learns he is not, and was being blackmailed by an unknown man. - James RebhornJames RebhornJames Robert Rebhorn is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 television shows, feature films and plays.-Personal life:...
as Special Agent Reese Hughes – the agent in charge of the FBI's Manhattan White Collar Crime Unit. Hughes is supportive of Peter's use of Neal as a confidential informant, but less trusting of Neal. Hughes risks his career in order to warn Peter of an OPR investigation of him. - Andrew McCarthyAndrew McCarthyAndrew Thomas McCarthy is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the 1980s films St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie's, Pretty in Pink, and Less Than Zero, and more recently for his role in the television shows Lipstick Jungle, White Collar and Royal Pains.-Career:McCarthy...
as Vincent Adler – a wealthy financier who is the subject of a long con soon after Neal and Mozzie get together. Kate was working as Adler's personal assistant when Neal took a job with Adler in order to gain his confidence and get the information needed for the con. Adler taught Neal about personal style and to enjoy an expensive lifestyle. Adler disappeared about two years before Neal first went to prison when it was discovered that he had been running a billion-dollar Ponzi schemePonzi schemeA Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
. He is shot by Peter after attempting to shoot Neal at the end of season 2.
Awards
White Collar was nominated for a People's Choice AwardPeople's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
in the "Favorite TV Obsession" category for 2010 and the "Favorite Cable TV Drama" category for 2011
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Original Airing | Viewers (in millions) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | |||
| 1 | 14 | October 23, 2009 | March 9, 2010 | 2009–2010 | 4.28 |
| 2 | 16 | July 13, 2010 | March 8, 2011 | 2010–2011 | TBA |
| 3 | 16 | June 7, 2011 | 2011–2012 | TBA | |
DVD releases
The first season of White Collar was released in the US under the title White Collar: The Complete First Season as a widescreen four-disc Region 1 DVD box set on July 13, 2010. In addition to all the episodes that had been aired, DVD extras included Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Commentary, Exclusive Featurettes: "Pro and Con", "A Cool Cat in the Hat", and "Nothing But the Truth". The same set was released on July 26, 2010 in Region 2, and on August 18, 2010 in Region 4.The season two four-disc Region 1 DVD box set was released on June 7, 2011. DVD extras consist of Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Episode Commentaries (for episodes 2x09 "Point Blank", 2x12 "Forging Bonds" and 2x16 "Under The Radar") and Exclusive Featurettes: "White Collar Roasts Burn Notice: Rivalry in the Writers' Rooms", "Burn Notice Roasts White Collar: Rivalry in the Writers' Rooms", "Slick Willie", and "So Here's The Deal: Anatomy of an Episode".