When the setting accused For an American audience, showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon saw an opportunity to explore the gray areas of the legal system.
“The world has become so polarized and weaponized, and the show is really set to explore that chaotic middle ground where we’re all struggling to find the nuances that nobody seems to care about anymore,” he said. Sunday during Deadline’s Contenders TV panel.
accused adapted from a British television series of the same name, is a crime anthology that follows a new suspect in each episode. The episode opens with a character being framed for a crime before viewers are drawn into the action and ask the tough questions of whether the circumstances justify the consequences they face.
Gordon was joined on stage by Michael Chiklis, who stars in one episode and directs another, as well as director Marlee Matlin and actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner. They all talked about their decision to take part in the show and they agreed it was easy.
“As [Howard] came to me with the thesis, the script just blew me away. Not only was I amazed by the subject matter, but also by the nuance in the script. It was just very, very complicated,” Chiklas said of the premiere episode, in which Chiklis stands trial as a father after his son plots a school shooting. “I was attracted to it because it’s not the kind of role I get every day.”
While the topic was certainly difficult, Chiklis said it was “so relevant to what’s happening in our world right now.”
“I like shades of gray. I like to deal with an incident of unity and human nature,” he continued.
Warner added that as an actor he was drawn to the script for his episode – in which he plays a father who takes matters into his own hands after his daughter is assaulted – something he would like to see as a viewer. .
“As a viewer, I’m just a fan of the show because it touches me on so many different levels. And when I first read the script for my episode, it was a no-brainer… I have a five-year-old daughter. So when I read the script, it really struck me on several levels,” he said.
Matlin directs an episode about a deaf surrogate who becomes concerned when the baby’s parents learn that their daughter is hard of hearing. She takes matters into her own hands when it becomes clear that the family may not be ready to embrace their child’s differences.
“I think for both deaf and hearing parents, it’s a concern that’s out there and it’s very controversial in the deaf world, in the deaf community, to the point where we’re looking into whether or not we have to make a decision. favor of this child, because it affects their whole life,” she said. “But specifically in the script, it was a very, very difficult subject. And we wanted to tell it as authentically as possible.”
Check back Tuesday for the panel video.
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Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
