Anna Pigeon is a fantastic addition to the USA lineup and one of the most fun crime shows in years. But how did the series land on Tracy Spiridakos as the perfect Anna Pigeon? What separates Anna from other heroes? And what can viewers expect from the TV show that isn’t in the books?

TVBrittanyF.com spoke to Anna Pigeon executive producer Morwyn Brebner about what makes the series stand out from other book-to-TV adaptations. She also discussed how Anna is redefining what the strong female character is, and how Lea Thompson helped shape the show’s visual storytelling. Read our review and then learn more about this can’t miss summer series.

Brittany Frederick: What was it about the character of Anna Pigeon that made you want to live in her world for hopefully several seasons?

Morwyn Brebner: The books by Nevada Barr—there’s 16 books—they’re incredible books, and the character of Anna Pigeon is just such an unpredictable, strong, kick-ass, vulnerable, humorful character that I just immediately loved.

Our show is set in Glacier National Park. The books are set all across the national parks in the U.S., and it’s an incredible setting. Parks are the most beautiful places in the world. All people from all walks of life, all worlds, come to them. I felt like between Anna and the place and the uniqueness and the verve of the books, I very just immediately fell for them.

You’ve led a number of shows led by similarly strong female characters, whether it’s another book adaptation in Coroner, or co-creating Saving Hope and Rookie Blue. How do you think the female lead has evolved to what we see in Anna Pigeon?

It’s really interesting. I think what has changed is that a strong female lead doesn’t just have to be strong. I feel like one of the things I love about Anna is that there are strong female characters who are strong, and then there can be just a collection of quirks. Anna’s a really full person and is very vulnerable and is allowed to have other emotions around her badassery.

I hope that the idea of a strong female character isn’t just a character who puts up a front that you can’t get behind, but a character that is allowed to have some [feelings]. Anna has a fullness about her where she can be funny, she can be sad. She’s not always living her trauma; she’s moving toward a light that she sees. I hope that we’re redefining the strong female character as a character that can contain more multitudes than it used to.

When your character’s name is the title, that makes casting even more important. What did you see in Tracy Spiridakos that made her Anna Pigeon?

Tracy was our only choice. I don’t know what we would have done [without her]. Tracy’s amazing. She’s an incredible actor. She’s so unique. I feel like Tracy. Anna is all these things, like I was saying, and I think Tracy brings all the qualities.You can see her strengths, her longings, her wry take on things.

Anna’s also incredibly physical. In Episode 2, there’s a moment where Anna climbs a tree. I remember Lea Thompson—who’s the producing director on the show—and I got the stunt rehearsal of Tracy climbing the tree. I remember watching it and just thinking oh my goodness, it’s Anna Pigeon! Tracy just brought this incredible strength and humor and joy and physicality, and I just think she’s incredible. She’s a leader on set. I feel so fortunate to to work with her.

But the show isn’t just about Anna. What do you think stands out about some of the other characters in Anna Pigeon?

Tricia Helfer, you should always look out for because she’s brilliant, and her relationship as Anna’s sister Molly is so seminal. Paulina Alexis as Zoey—there’s not a lot in the pilot, but her relationship with Anna grows and Paulina is such a unique, wonderful, incredible presence. She’s marvelous.

Everyone in the cast; we were lucky. We had a really strong, beautiful cast. Anna’s relationship with Frederick, who’s played by Ronnie Rowe Jr,. grows over the season. And Kim Coates, you always have to watch out for.

As you’re going through the process of shooting the first season, what did you get most excited about from a production standpoint? What should viewers be looking out for across Season 1?

This is a stealthy thing—as part of trying to really represent Anna’s connection with nature, we put in little survival tips, little nature tips, a little nature news you can use sprinkled throughout in a non-didactic way, and it’s just something that gives us a little bit of joy.

And we try in every episode to have a sort of poetic moment with nature… I think it’s such a fundamental thing that we, as people, have a relationship with nature. Even if we live in a city, we have a relationship with some kind of nature. We really wanted to highlight that, and it’s something that we really tried to embed in the show. I love that aspect of the show.

That goes back to something you said earlier about the potential of the setting. How did you craft the visual component, which is obviously unique to the TV series?

Lea directed the first two [episodes] and the last two… She had these books for a long time, and she has a house in Montana near Glacier. I went to Glacier right before we started shooting, and we talked a lot about the epicness of it, the Western aspect of it. Lea really brought a desire to have those vistas. When we location scouted, it was crazy. We would just be hiking in the woods, looking for somewhere incredible to look at. Lea was very focused on that vision, and it really, really pays off in the show.

How much did it add to Anna Pigeon to have a supervising director who’s also an accomplished actor?

It adds immeasurably. Because Lea knows that from the outside in, and really is able to speak as an actor to actors. And acting is such a beautiful, mysterious art… To be able to communicate in a language that is fluid and allows everyone to really bring out everything that they have is something really special. I felt really lucky. Lea is such an incredible actor herself that it was really fun to watch her work and really wonderful to work with her. She’s a wonderful collaborator.

What would you say that viewers need to know before watching the series? Do they have to be at all familiar with the books, or is there any part of the show or the production you’d want them to know?

There’s no barrier to entry with this show. You don’t need to know any backstory. You just come in and you can meet Anna, and that’s all you need to know. You don’t need to read the books to love the show. There’s no arcane lore. If you are a fan of the books, I think that we really worked hard to give the show that Nevada Barr spirit, and that includes taking you places you want to go and places you never expect to go. We really try to keep that alive.

Her books always are surprising. The characters always are surprising, and she has a toughness, but also a love for the underdog that’s very universal. And the place is really beautiful, and there’s a joy in just being there. You don’t need a Ph.D. in Anna Pigeon to watch the show, and if you have a Ph.D. in Anna Pigeon, it might reintroduce you to the world and remind you of everything that you know. I hope it will introduce people and satisfy people.

Anna Pigeon premieres Aug. 7, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on USA. Photo Credit: Michelle Faye/Courtesy of Versant Media.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.