Nearly two years after handing out a series commitment, NBC has finally scheduled Jennifer Lopez’s long-gestating drama.
Shades of Blue, a production partnership between the multihyphenate and her American Idol pal Ryan Seacrest, will bow Thursday, Jan. 14, with a two-hour premiere episode at 9 p.m. The following week, it will shift to its regular 10 p.m. hour with a lead-in from The Blacklist. (That lead-in, however helpful, has not been doing much for freshman The Player; its order was just trimmed to nine episodes.)
Lopez’s first regular scripted TV gig since long before she became a household name, Shades of Blue also stars Ray Liotta and Drea de Matteo.
“We’re so excited to have locked in a premiere date and can’t wait to show audiences what Jennifer and the rest of this incredible cast delivers in this compelling new drama series,” said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke. “Jennifer’s role as Det. Santos is a tour de force. She carries herself with incredible grit and toughness, yet at the same time heartbreaking vulnerability. We are thrilled that NBC is the network to bring this iconic actress and star to series television.”
Shades of Blue centers on Harlee Santos (Lopez), a single mom and detective working in Brooklyn, who’s suddenly pitted against her own precinct when the FBI catches her doing something illegal. The network is playing up this conflict in a slightly ‘80s-looking poster and the tagline: “Between good cop and bad cop, there are … Shades of Blue.”
“From a marketing perspective, the Jan. 14 date takes advantage of both solid Sunday Night Football games and strong holiday programming through the first week of January,” said Jeff Bader, network president of program planning, strategy and research. “Also, in one of the most-watched weekends of the year (Jan. 9-10), we have the NFL Wild Card game and Golden Globes, both of which make for great promotional opportunities.”
