Jun 8 2012 02:23 PM ET
'Strike Back' sets season 2 premiere date; new promo to air before 'True Blood' -- EXCLUSIVE
by Jeff Labrecque
Image Credit: David Bloomer/Cinemax
Strike Back, Cinemax’s action series about a covert British military unit hunting for terrorists, will return for its second season with two back-to-back episodes on Aug. 17. The show, which stars Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom) and Philip Winchester (Camelot) as elite special-op soldiers who begrudgingly come to respect each other, fought for attention last year as Cinemax’s first-ever primetime series. But the program is about to get a big push. On Sunday night, right before the hyped season premiere of True Blood, HBO will showcase a promo for its sister network’s show. Watch it here first:
The series could also get a boost from Stapleton's growing profile: the Australian actor will appear in this fall's Gangster Squad, opposite Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Gosling, and he was recently cast as the lead in the prequel to 300.
True Blood: Get the latest news, photos, and more
Strike Back begins airing re-runs from season 1 tonight at 10 p.m., but for those who want to catch up immediately -- or haven't yet seen the show and don't mind spoilers -- here's an exclusive recap video that will bring you up to date for season 2.