Lea Thompson on producing the USA Network drama Anna Pigeon at 65
Lea Thompson, now 65, serves as an executive producer on USA Network's Anna Pigeon, which has been renewed for a second season. The show is based on Nevada Barr's book series and stars Tracy Spiridakos as a park ranger. Filming's first day was disrupted by a grizzly bear and lightning.
Lea Thompson spent a dozen years working to bring Anna Pigeon to television before it reached USA Network, where it has earned a second-season renewal. The drama draws on Nevada Barr’s novels, launched in 1993, and places its park-ranger mysteries in Montana’s Glacier National Park, a region Thompson knows through family ties and a longtime home.
Production used Alberta, Canada, as its backdrop. On the first shooting day, a grizzly with cubs and lightning halted work for roughly two and a half hours, a major loss within an 11-hour schedule. Tracy Spiridakos plays Anna, a former New York stage manager turned ranger whose husband was killed during a home invasion.
The story may encourage older entertainment professionals, especially women, by showing a 65-year-old actor-producer shaping a cable drama. It could also draw more viewer attention to national parks and ranger work, while giving mystery fans a female-led procedural. For crews and local production regions, renewed seasons may mean steadier work, though outcomes remain uncertain.