Jennifer Lopez has signed on to star in a new NBC cop drama which will be produced by her American Idol colleague Ryan Seacrest. The network put in a 13-episode order and Lopez will also executive produce.
The series is currently titled Shades of Blue. Lopez will play Harlee McCord, an undercover detective working in the FBI’s anti-corruption task force to look into her colleagues. But she’s friends with them and they help her take care of her daughter, who she is raising alone. That puts her in an uncomfortable position.
Variety reports that NBC hopes to get the cameras rolling in 2015 and aims to get premiere the show during the 2015-2016 TV season.
Shades is being written by Adi Hasak, whose 3 Days To Kill just opened in theaters. Seacrest is producing under his Ryan Seacrest Productions banner with Nina Wass, notes The Hollywood Reporter. Lopez is executive producing with Elaine Goldsmith Thomas and her manager, Benny Medina.
The production companies putting the series together are Universal TV, Seacrest Productions, Lopez’s Nuyorican, EGTV and H’s Films. This will be SEacrest’s first scripted TV project.
“Whether it’s producing, acting, singing or any of her other many entrepreneurial activities, Jennifer is an extraordinary talent and life force, and we’re delighted to be in business with her and Adi Hasak on this sophisticated show,” NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke said in a statement.
While straight-to-series orders for a project so far in the future may sound like a gamble, this is becoming more common for the networks. THis is NBC’s fifth straight-to-series commitment, joining Emerald City, Mr. Robinson, Working the Engels and Tia Fey’s Ellie Kemper series.
image courtesy of ABC/Stewart Cook/STARTRAKS PHOTO via ABC