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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 22 March 2017
Drama ‘Shots Fired’ takes layered look at police shootings

LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The
title of “Shots Fired” makes
it clear the new drama se-
ries is treading on conten-
tious turf.
Yes, a police shooting of
an unarmed youth is at the
center of the story, paired
with a previous death by
gunfire. But it’s an African-
American sheriff’s deputy
who has killed a white col-
lege student and roiled the
North Carolina town where
the story is set.
Series creator and execu-
tive producers Gina Prince-
Bythewood (“Beyond the
Lights,” ‘’The Secret Life of
Bees”) and her husband,
Reggie Rock Bythewood
(“Notorious,” ‘’New York
Undercover”), are flipping
the expected narrative —
that the victim is black, the
deputy white — as part of In this image released by Fox, Sanaa Lathan appears in a scene from “Shots Fired,” a drama that debuts Wednesday at 8 p.m.
their effort to shift attitudes. Eastern on Fox.
“Just that alone, to be Associated Press
able to challenge peo- tized and say, ‘I already relationship evolves and “They came together be- are asking of viewers is no
ple’s points of view just in know what the story is, I al- the optics of that are pretty cause they believed in the small thing: step into anoth-
the way you would look at ready know what the case striking,” Prince-Bythewood vision,” Prince-Bythewood er person’s shoes at a time
the story, that was com- is,’” and ignore the series, said. said of the cast. Hunt and of American political and
pelling,” Bythewood said Bythewood said. The chance for long-form Moyer agreed. social acrimony. Are they
of the drama that debuts A crucial goal, the pair storytelling made the pair “I want to work on things optimistic their show can
Wednesday at 8 p.m. East- said, is to get viewers to reconsider their original that are alive in me, and make even a dent?
ern on Fox. consider the sheer tragedy desire to pursue the topic the country was on fire and “We certainly have no op-
The other murder, the of a child’s loss for a parent. as a big-screen film. But is on fire and two people timism with the results that
mostly ignored shooting of “Forget race for a second, they were able to entice were writing about that come from people staying
a black teenager, adds just connect with her as a movie actors, including and that was exciting to in their corners and yelling
more layers to a mystery mother,” Bythewood said. Helen Hunt, who plays the me,” the actress told a TV at people across the room,
that’s intended to en- Or rather two moms, De- state’s governor, and Rich- critics’ meeting. and talking at each other
tertain as well as illumi- Wanda Wise’s Shameeka ard Dreyfuss, who portrays Said Moyer: “It’s worth say- as opposed to talking to
nate. Bythewood said he Campbell and Jill Hen- a real estate mogul. ing that one of the things each other,” Bythewood
learned early that “you nessy’s Alicia Carr. Sanaa Lathan and Stephan that attracted us all to it, said. “There’s nothing good
get audiences at the edge “Mothers from very differ- James star, respectively, as with regard to especially, that comes from that. We
of their seats, and while ent walks of life are sud- an investigator and a spe- specifically, playing police hope (the drama) gives
they’re learning forward, denly members of a club cial prosecutor, with Ste- officers, is that all of these you a view from every seat
hit them with the truth.” nobody wants to be a phen Moyer, Will Patton, characters, every single in the house and gives you
In an interview, the couple member of, and in the Mack Wilds and Aisha Hinds one of them is gray.” empathy and insight to-
cited the 2012 killing of course of the 10 hours their as part of the ensemble. But what the series creators ward other people.”q
teenager Trayvon Martin
in Florida by George Zim- Schwarzenegger on Donald Trump
merman as an impetus for approval ratings: ‘You got swamped’
their approach. Although
many people sympathized
with Martin’s family and LOS ANGELES (AP) — Arnold The action star and for-
their loss, others “had no Schwarzenegger is turning mer California governor
regard for Trayvon as a hu- the table on Donald Trump replaced Trump as the
man being, a child who by taking to social media host of “Celebrity Appren-
was shot by a grown man,” to criticize the president’s tice,” and Trump repeat-
Bythewood said. own approval ratings. edly mocked him for poor
Zimmerman, who argued Schwarzenegger posted television ratings. Schwar-
the shooting was in self- a video on Twitter refer- zenegger recently said
defense, was acquitted by encing a new Gallup poll he wouldn’t return to the
a jury. that showed Trump’s ap- show.
“What we thought is the proval rating at 39 percent, Schwarzenegger also criti- In this Nov. 12, 2016, file photo, Arnold Schwarzenegger arrives
people that did not identify down 6 points from a week cized Trump’s proposed at the 2016 Governors Awards in Los Angeles.
with people like Trayvon or earlier. Schwarzenegger budget cuts, including to Associated Press
other kids who were killed tells Trump, “The ratings are after-school programs. Washington, D.C., middle tastic work” being done for
could easily be desensi- in and you got swamped.” He invited Trump to visit a school with him to see “fan- children. q