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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 14 May 2019
Gabrielle Union, Jessica Alba in charge of 'L.A.'s Finest'

By LYNN ELBER path as a Los Angeles po-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ex- lice detective, with Jes-
panding a comic book's sica Alba joining her as de-
mythology can bring slight- tective Nancy McKenna.
ed characters to the fore- They're also in charge be-
front. That's also the case hind the camera, as execu-
with "L.A.'s Finest," a TV series tive producers on the series
riff on the 2003 "Bad Boys II" debuting Monday on the
movie in which women, no- new Spectrum on-demand
tably women of color, are platform.
driving the action. It's a measure, they say,
Gabrielle Union pursued of hard-won confidence
the idea of reprising Syd in what they can do and
Burnett, her character from in their value, despite en-
the film who's on a new trenched resistance from

This image released by Spectrum Originals dhows Gabrielle Union, left, and Jessica Alba in a
scene from "L.A.'s Finest."
Associated Press

the entertainment industry. stakes. I'm breastfeeding in the last few years have
Both are entrepreneurs out- my newborn son, I have a talked a big game about
side of Hollywood — Alba 7- and 10-year-old, and I wanting diversity and in-
with her baby and home never want to feel weird clusion — "We want shows
products company, and or awkward about them headed by women, we
Union with a fashion line. being part of my life. They want strong female leads."
When the two joined to will come to set, and that And the proof is in the pud-
talk about the series, they needs to be cool with ev- ding, and that that pud-
expanded the discussion eryone. And if it's not, then ding is a little thin. But what
to how newcomers such this isn't the show that I you see on cable and
as Spectrum have created should be part of." We al- streaming is people who
opportunities that were be- ways tried to be as effec- actually walk the walk and
ing dribbled out by broad- tive and efficient as pos- talk the talk, and they put
cast networks. Here's a sible, but then also have a the money and resources
sampling of what they had really supportive commu- behind developing, creat-
to say, edited for brevity. nity where people's families ing and actually putting
WHO'S THE BOSS? can come to set. on air shows with not one
Union: There's a pleasure RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME but two women, and two
in Jessica and I both being Alba: When the story origi- women of color who are
executive producers and nally was being devel- allowed to be full-bodied,
creating a show where it's oped for a network, they multi-dimensional charac-
not one bad-ass woman very much wanted to fit ters. That's really never hap-
but two bad-ass women, us inside of these buckets pened in any sort of mean-
and two bad-ass women or stereotypes, while we ingful way on network tele-
of color who are not only wanted to break out of vision.
bosses in real life but bosses those boundaries. At Spec- LET US ENTERTAIN YOU
in front of and behind the trum, the women running Alba: If we grandstand and
camera. And for us to both the network really wanted say, "Hey, we're in this show
be executive producers us just to create the best and because we're women
and to have a major say-so show, and in that we got of color, you should tune in,
of what goes into the show to create cool characters that's (bull). We don't care
and the experience in mak- that have rich lives. They're about that. You're tuning
ing the show, is by far one flawed. They're compli- in because it's cool and it
of the most rewarding and cated. They don't always works. The story lines work.
fulfilling things of my career. agree. They're not com- They're rich. They're inter-
Alba: We got to create petitive. They complement esting, they're mysterious.
an environment that we each other. But they also The jokes are funny. They're
hadn't ever been part of, have fun and they're fun- not corny or cheesy. And
or we haven't seen our- ny and they're witty and we're not relying on any
selves in Hollywood over they're girls that you want sort of stereotypical thing
our 20 years-plus experi- to like grab a beer with or out there to get by. If it's
ence in the business. When a shot of tequila with or cry successful or not, we all
Gab (Gabrielle) asked me with. And you just don't get can look around and I think
to be part of the show, I to see women in this way. we can be really proud of
said, "Here's some table Union: A lot of networks what we've produced.q