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Home / Entertainment

TV pick: American Crime

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5 Mar, 2015 05:00 PM2 mins to read

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Actress Felicity Huffman stars in the TV show American Crime.

Actress Felicity Huffman stars in the TV show American Crime.

American Crime might be Felicity Huffman's return to a television series playing another mother after her years on Desperate Housewives. But it is a different kind of programme to the one which had her playing Lynette Scavo for eight seasons.

It's created by John Ridley, who won an Oscar as the writer of 12 Years a Slave.

The 11-episode series, stars Huffman and Timothy Hutton as the parents of a murder victim. Their son was an army veteran killed during an apparent home invasion in his Californian home which also left his wife in a coma. But the show isn't much a whodunnit but a study on in how those around the deceased - and those suspected of murdering him - are affected by the event.

"Crime is in the title, but it is not about investigation of a crime," says Ridley says.

"It is about the families dealing with probably one of the most difficult phone calls you could ever get. It's about the family members of a loved one who is accused of a crime or the victim of a crime.

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Interestingly, American Crime was made for ABC, one of the big American television networks whose formulaic prime time shows are facing increased competition from the edgy drama offerings of the likes of cable channels like HBO and online platforms such as Netflix.

It's being shown here on TVNZ Ondemand on the same day it premieres in the United States.

Huffman's character, Barb Hanlon, is no Lynette. Long split from her husband, she's an unapologetic racist whose bigotry is confirmed by the black and Latino suspects in the case. Early reviews suggest the show will give its pay-TV rivals a run for their money with Huffman getting much praise for her portrayal of the bitter, grieving mother.

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Where: TVNZ Ondemand
When: From today
What: A story of race, class, sexuality and murder

- TimeOut

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