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Travel Back To 1990s South Central In New A&E Drama
Watts in 1991 (Photo by James W. Jeffrey via the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)
A&E announced today that it has ordered a pilot for The Infamous, a crime drama that will take place in Los Angeles prior to the 1992 L.A. Riots.
The show will be written by Joshua Zetumer (Gambit, 2014's RoboCop) and will revolve on a reformed gang member trying to get out of South Central, Variety reports. He'll have to face off against an LAPD detective who wants nothing more than to take him down. Real events from that era will be featured in the show, and there may also be some music, as the gang member in question is an aspiring hip-hop producer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A&E Executive Vice President and Head of Programming Elaine Frontain Bryant said that, "By looking a few decades back in time, The Infamous urgently explores the issues of racial tension and injustice that remain relevant today."
A+E Studios, Zetumer and Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson's Color Force will act as executive producers. Color Force is also working on American Crime Story, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck's series about the O.J. Simpson trial.
A&E's other scripted show, Psycho-prequel Bates Motel has just been picked up for seasons 4 and 5, according to Deadline.
Other recent and upcoming shows set in L.A. include this season of HBO's True Detective, which takes place in Vernon, and the spin-off to AMC's The Walking Dead. That show, titled Fear The Walking Dead premieres next month. The next season of American Horror Story is also set in Los Angeles, this time in a creepy hotel which fans have speculated may be inspired by L.A.'s real-life scary hotel, The Cecil Hotel.
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