Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Dana Simpson TV Media A s many TV viewers, movie- goers, podcast listeners and avid readers will already know, crime sells. Whether it is pre- sented as true and detailed coverage of real-life cases or as wild and imaginative fiction thought up by a creative author, human beings have always been known to show a morbid interest in criminal activity and what could drive one of their own to commit cruel and potentially deadly acts. On Sunday, Jan. 22, Fox premieres "Accused," a new anthological drama series exploring the decisions that lead ordinary people to commit terrifying atrocities when they feel they have no other choice. According to Fox, each new episode of the series is said to be a "fast-paced provocative thriller, exploring a different crime in a different city with an entirely original cast." One part procedural and two parts crime thriller, Fox's "Accused" is based on the BBC One series of the same name, which first pre- miered in the U.K. in 2010 and ran for two seasons. Interestingly, as British series tend to have shorter (often six- episode) seasons, Fox's adapta- tion of the BAFTA-winning show created by Jimmy McGovern ("Moving On") will eclipse the original in length by the end of its freshman run, coming in at 15 episodes ver- sus the U.K.'s total of 10. Similar to its across-the-pond counterpart, however, this new iteration of "Accused" begins each new episode in the court- room, introducing the titular accused party before explaining their crimes, their motives or who their victims are. Another aspect that makes this series unique is the point of view from which the stories are told. While most procedurals and crime dramas adopt the per- spective of either the victim or the law enforcement officials assigned to the case, "Accused" puts viewers in the hottest seat by presenting them with the supposed criminal's outlook — regardless of how accurate or unreliable it may prove to be in the end. It makes sense that such an interesting execution of the plot should attract a few big names, and "Accused" has quite a few in its cast list — a fact that is also heavily evi- denced by the network's official teaser trailer for the show. Featuring Shawn Doyle ("Don't Say a Word," 2001), Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine," 2006), Rachel Bilson ("The O.C."), Rhea Perlman ("Cheers"), Neil Whitely ("RED," 2010), Jill Hennessy ("Crossing Jordan"), Molly Parker ("Deadwood"), Margo Martindale ("The Watcher"), Wendell Pierce ("The Wire"), Whitney Cummings ("Whitney"), Michael Chiklis ("The Shield"), Malcolm-Jamal Warner ("The Resident") and Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," 2003), among others, the star power behind this series is immense and will no doubt lend a new flavor to each fresh episode. Additionally, Chiklis, Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin ("CODA," 2021), Emmy- winning quadruple threat Billy Porter ("Pose"), award-winning Palestinian filmmaker Sameh Zoabi ("Tel Aviv on Fire," 2018) and celebrated Indigenous film- maker Tazbah Chavez ("Your Name Isn't English," 2018) are among those who each take their place behind the camera to direct an episode. "Accused" creators include "24" and "Homeland" producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa as well as "House's" David Shore. Further direction is also provid- ed by Michael Cuesta ("Homeland"), Milan Cheylov ("24"), Brad Turner (both "24" and "Homeland") and writer Keith Josef Adkins ("For the People"). Adamant that "Accused" is much more "about crime and punishment" than it is a proce- dural in the traditional sense, Gordon and Gansa released a joint statement that was later shared by the entertainment news site Deadline. "For years we've been living on the seismically active fault lines of race, gender, income inequality, social media FOMO and fake news," the creators' statement said. "'Accused' is our chance to work through and hold up a mirror to the interesting times we're living in right now, with characters that break your heart. There's noth- ing more pressure-filled and character defining than some- one who commits a crime." Fox, meanwhile, is delighted to add another series to its winter 2023 lineup, thus con- tinuing the network's "legacy of bold risk taking and inven- tive storytelling," per Charlie Collier, Fox Entertainment CEO. Schwering Realty 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Jill Hennessy and Michael Chiklis in "Accused" Fox premieres drama anthology 'Accused' Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"

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