The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, February 27, 2015 18 By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media T here's no shortage of grip- ping crime dramas on tele- vision right now. If the long- running "Law & Order" and "CSI" franchises are anything to go by, it's a genre that au- diences love. Most of these series tend to present the heinous deed at the beginning of the episode, and after a few dubious inter- views and a wild goose chase or two, the culprit is nabbed by the good guys before the end credits start rolling. ABC's new series, "American Crime," is shaking up the for- mat a bit. Someone has perpe- trated a brutal attack in a young couple's home, leaving a war vet murdered and his wife in a coma. Instead of hav- ing things wrapped up in a neat little package within the hour-long time-slot, however, audiences will follow the ra- cially charged investigation that follows and, more impor- tantly, the impact the murder has on a wide range of individ- uals over the course of the sea- son's 11-episode run. Created by Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley ("12 Years a Slave," 2013), the anthology crime drama premieres Thurs- day, March 5, on ABC. The concept of following the aftermath of a murder throughout an entire series is uncommon, but not unprece- dented. In the first season of the British hit "Broadchurch," a small English town is rocked by the vicious murder of an 11-year-old boy. The eight-ep- isode arc focuses on the hunt for the boy's killer, but also on how the horror, grief and sus- picion that follow impact the residents of the close-knit community. The show became a "national obsession" in the U.K., according to "Entertain- ment Weekly," averaging more than nine million view- ers per episode. It's raked in heaps of awards and nomina- tions, including three BAFTA wins and a Peabody for its "pitch-perfect take on the classic crime drama." All that considered, you might think "American Crime" has the makings of an instant success, but "Broadchurch's" American remake, "Grace- point," proved that the con- cept alone is not what made its British forerunner such a mas- sive success. Critics and audi- ences alike were disappointed with the version, which simply didn't have the magic of "Broadchurch," despite the compelling material. "While it's hard to pinpoint, 'Gracepoint' can't help but feel as if something significant has been lost in translation," wrote Brian Lowry for "Variety." Fortunately, "American Crime" has its own ingredi- ents for success, including a fantastic ensemble cast to deliver the still-compelling concept. Emmy-winning ac- tress Felicity Huffman, who's best known for her role as Lynette Scavo in "Desperate Housewives," plays grieving mother Barb Hanlon, who has been reunited with her estranged ex-husband, Russ (Timothy Hutton, "Lever- age"), over the murder of their son, Matt (Grant Mer- ritt, "Bullets for My Baby," 2013). Barb, who is deter- mined to pin Matt's murder on somebody, has convinced herself that her son was murdered by a racial minori- ty. Russ, who spoke to his son on the phone every week, comes to learn that he didn't know him as well as he thought he did. While the show does fo- cus heavily on the investiga- tion and the hunt for the killer, one element that sets it apart from other crime dramas is that the angle is less on the police and detec- tives and more on the peo- ple close to the victims, as well as the suspects and their families. "It's not about the police. It's not about the prosecu- tors. It's really about the family, what they have to deal with. These events usu- ally take months, if not years, to deal with and sometimes even then there's not much resolution," Ridley said at the Television Critics Associ- ation winter press tour. What the authorities come to learn early on is that what was believed to be a random home invasion may have been far more deliber- ate, and that Matt may not have been an innocent by- stander after all. It will always be solid enter- tainment to see inside the po- lice stations and forensic labs as cops take down evildoers, but it's also refreshing to get a new take on the crime dramas that have become so popular. With its spotlight on the many people dealing with the after- math of the murder, and the season-long storyline, John Ridley's new series promises to deliver something that stands apart from the ordinary prime-time fare. Don't miss the series premiere of "Ameri- can Crime" when it airs Thurs- day, March 5, on ABC. Felicity Huffman stars in "American Crime" The hunt for a killer '12 Years a Slave' writer John Ridley puts a fresh twist on crime drama Featurestory