Page 29 - Aruba Today
P. 29
PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Wednesday 13 January 2016
What’s on TV:
John Ridley’s splendid ‘American Crime’: no easy answers
FRAZIER MOORE messy, pressing issues at a adds, “There was a free- ing a pilot for a new series, Crime” (it would have to!),
AP Television Writer painfully personal level. dom of doing what we “Presence.” says Ridley, perhaps befit-
NEW YORK (AP) — No one “The point is not solving wanted to do in the pilot, “The last couple of years ting his origin as a comedy
should come to “American them but watching people because we thought no I’ve been really, really writer and, as his show-biz
Crime” expecting easy an- endure them,” he says. one was ever going to see blessed,” he says over tea entry point, a stand-up
swers to the tough ques- “There are resolutions, but it.” while in New York for a comic whose peak 20 years
tions it poses. in terms of solving anything, But then, in a sense, ABC “Presence” casting session. ago was appearing on the
Viewers learned that dur- like many times in life, we’re called his bluff, not only or- This prospective new dra- “Late Show with David Let-
ing season one of the cel- never gonna know exactly dering the series, but also ma — about a female Army terman.”
ebrated ABC drama, when what took place. The ac- bringing it back for a sec- veteran who becomes an One joke he planned to
murder and drugs in a tors would ask me, ‘Will I ond year. unlicensed private eye in deliver that night targeted
California town sparked a find out at the end if I did It’s just the latest milestone Los Angeles — has a light- the U.S. war policy with a
troubling look at race, class this?’ or ‘Did a certain thing for Ridley, an African-Amer- er tone than “American certain bite.
and a broken legal system. happen or not?’ I would tell ican born in Milwaukee 50
Viewers will learn it anew each of them, ‘Your truth is years ago who describes
as “American Crime” airs your truth.’” his distinguished and di-
the second hour of this sea- It’s not the typical drama verse career as a “journey
son’s saga Wednesday at series, certainly not on a of opportunities.”
10 p.m. EST. Lurid photos broadcast network where A quarter-century ago he
In this image released by ABC, Regina King, left, and Andre Benjamin appear in a scene from
“American Crime,” airing Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
(Ryan Green/ABC via AP)
of an Indianapolis teen- right-and-wrong is usually landed a writing job on co-
ager have gone viral after spelled out for the audi- median Martin Lawrence’s
a school party where he ence and ethical debates sitcom, “Martin,” then
claims to have been sexu- are usually clear-cut. moved to “The Fresh Prince
ally assaulted. But he will “American Crime” calls of Bel-Air,” which starred
not be the only victim in a for viewers to unlearn well- a TV newcomer named
clash between students, entrenched expectations Will Smith. From there he
parents and educators bred by decades of TV cus- went to the ambitiously bit-
at two very different high tom. It’s challenging and tersweet “The John Larro-
schools. rewarding. And unlikely. quette Show,” then to the
Returning from last season So how did this show ever mainstream cop drama
are Felicity Huffman, Timo- get on the air? “Third Watch.”
thy Hutton, Lily Taylor and Sure, ABC had invited Rid- He published a half-doz-
Regina King (who won an ley to cook up a new dra- en novels and wrote and
Emmy the first go-around), ma. But despite what he directed “Jimi: All is by
although in brand-new says was continuing en- My Side,” a 2014 feature
roles. couragement, the network about Jimi Hendrix. Before
Also back onboard: creator simply had to be surprised “12 Years a Slave” was re-
and executive producer at the result. leased to critical and audi-
John Ridley, the Oscar- “I don’t think any of us, in- ence acclaim, ABC signed
winning writer of “12 Years cluding the cast, thought him to develop “American
a Slave” whose focus for the series would get picked Crime.”
“American Crime” remains up (for series),” Ridley ad- ABC has now extended
that of examining broad, mits with a laugh, then its deal with Ridley, includ-
