Michael Britten is the fictional main character featured in the American police procedural drama television series Awake. He is portrayed by Jason Isaacs and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in "Pilot", and last appeared in "Turtles All the Way Down". Michael was created and designed by series creator Kyle Killen after he created and developed the series Lone Star for the Fox network. Killen had been called in to pitch a new drama for NBC after the cancellation of Lone Star. Michael and his wife Hannah have one child: Rex. After a car crash, Michael begins to live in "two realities", one in which his son Rex survived the crash, when he wears a green wrist band, and another in which his wife Hannah survived the crash, where he wears a red wrist band. He works at the Los Angeles Police Department, alongside Efrem Vega in his "red reality" and Isaiah Freeman in his "green reality". Michael is disorganized and often confused. Despite this, he is adept at solving crimes, as he uses clues from one reality to help him in the other. Isaacs' portrayal of Michael has been praised by television commentators, who felt that he effectively embodied the characteristics of the lead role. Critics believed that Isaacs' performance deserved an Emmy Award. Role in Awake Michael Britten is the husband of Hannah Britten and the father of Rex Britten. After a car crash, he has "two realities", one in which his son Rex survived the crash, where he wears a green wrist band ("green reality"), and another in which his wife Hannah survived the crash, where he wears a red wrist band ("red reality"). He works as a police detective at the fictional version of the Los Angeles Police Department, alongside Efrem Vega in his "red reality" and Isaiah Freeman in his "green reality". He also goes to two separate therapists: Dr. John Lee in the "red reality", and Dr. Judith Evans in the "green reality". Character Creation Kyle Killen conceived of Michael and the rest of the family and series in 2011 after a report that NBC had purchased the series from the creator Killen, under the original name REM. Killen had been called in to pitch a new drama for NBC, after Jennifer Salke, the president of the entertainment division of NBC, encouraged Killen to conceive a concept for a new drama