The intriguing new Fox anthology series “Accused” debuts Sunday night, developed for American television by Howard Gordon of the landmark Showtime television series “Homeland.”
In its 15-episode run the cast, which varies with each episode, features Oscar, Tony, and Emmy-winning talent.
Each show is an individual courtroom drama, akin to a short movie. Episodes feature such luminaries as Keith Carradine ("The Power of the Dog"), Michael Chiklis ("Fantastic Four"), Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"), Margo Martindale ("The Americans"), Malcolm-Jamal Warner ("The Resident"), Rhea Perlman ("Poker Face"), Rachel Bilson ("Hart of Dixie"), and New Orleans’ own award-winning actor, Wendell Pierce, just for starters.
Pierce, who just this past week finished his run as the lead on Broadway in “Death of a Salesman” after completing a two-year globe-trotting shoot for Seasons 3 and 4 of “Jack Ryan,” agreed to go to Toronto to shoot his “Accused” mini-movie in between these two projects.
“The director of this episode, Clark Johnson, called me and said he was doing this series, and that Malcolm-Jamal Warner was playing one of the leads,” Pierce said.
An actors' reunion?
“I really liked the story, loved the writing, and I wanted to work with Malcolm again. We had performed together in Shakespeare’s 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' at the La Jolla Playhouse, a major regional theater outside of San Diego where many plays test the waters and iron out the kinks before going to Broadway.
"Additionally, I already knew the director of this 'Accused' episode, because he’s also an actor, famous for 'Homicide: Life on the Streets,' 'The Shield' and 'The Wire,' which we were both a part of.”
A co-production of Sony Pictures and FOX Entertainment, the show was created originally by Jimmy McGovern for the BBC, in 2010.
Its premise revolved around a collection of intense and topical human stories of crime and punishment, which the current American incarnation has captured perfectly in fast-paced provocative thrillers.
Marlee Matlin directs an episode of the new Fox series, 'Accused.'
A mystery in court
Every individual story opens with the defendant in a courtroom, although the audience has no idea what crime was committed or how this person ended up on trial.
The story is told through an intricate series of flashbacks, slowly unraveling plot threads that reveal how an ordinary person can get caught up in extraordinary circumstances.
Episode 1 involves a neurosurgeon (Michael Chiklis) and his wife (Jill Hennessy) who find themselves raising a teenager they barely recognize, with stranger and stranger revelations rolling out as the story’s minutes tick by.
Without any spoilers, it’s fair to say that this particular story will hit home with many Americans and reflect societal concerns we all have.
Just how a diary and a planned trip to Iceland play into the plotline requires a full viewing, but by the end of the hour-long installment, all will be revealed.
'A real whodunit'
“One of the reasons I was interested in this project was because in a very short span of time, you’ve got a real whodunit,” Pierce said. “The whole concept of a thriller is intriguing, and with the caliber of the writers involved, it’s particularly entertaining.”
Pierce’s episode, which airs Feb. 14, delves into an attack on the child of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s character.
But who attacked the child, and why, become the sticking points for Warner, as the defendant, and the police detective, portrayed by Wendell Pierce.
The psychological debates involved in decision-making and the results that one impulsive decision can have on the course of our lives and others makes for compelling television, with plenty of twists and turns.
Marlee Matlin directs an episode of the new Fox series, 'Accused.'
In the capable hands of directors like Academy Award-winner Marlee Matlin and Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award-winner Billy Porter, the anthology series explores everything from violent random attacks and bullying to mass shootings.
“Accused” debuts Sunday (Jan. 22) at 9 p.m. CST on Fox, then begins its regular time-period on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. when Episode 2 airs Jan. 24.
Email Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com.
