AMC’s Thriller ’61st Street’ Starring Emmy-Winner Courtney B. Vance, Preview
The tough streets of Chicago are the focus of a new thriller, 61st Street, from AMC, starring Courtney B. Vance.
The series is a heart-stopping account of law, lawlessness, and order in Chicago, a large city plagued with crime, lack of opportunity and education for many, and a police force stretched too thin. 61st Street weaves the flawed and infamous Chicago criminal justice system while police and prosecutors sort a lethal drug bust that might dismantle the police department’s code of silence.
Showrunner J. David Shanks talked to the Television Critics Association last summer about this series that sees Vance cast as Franklin Roberts, a Chicago public defender soon to retire when news breaks about an arrest warrant for Moses Johnson (Tosin Cole).
Johnson is a college-bound high school athlete with a clean record in the neighborhood and is considered “untouchable” by the gangs. Franklin signs on to defend Moses.
Shanks drew upon his career to inform Vance’s character and the series’s premise. He said: “At one point when I was a member of the Chicago Police Department, Chicago had perhaps the strictest gun laws in the nation, or at least we were among cities with the strictest, toughest gun laws. But unfortunately, Chicago is a position next to states and places where gun sales are lax. And you couple that with such a huge gap between the haves and the have-nots, and people at the end of the day are surviving or trying to survive by the means they have and the means they know. Not much job training. Sixty schools on the south and west sides of the city were closed down. These are all issues that contribute directly to the uptick in violence, the demolition of public housing, and the displacement of hundreds of families with no plan.”
61st Street focuses on the marginalization of a segment of Chicago that has an uptick in gun violence. Shanks added: “What we want to do at the end of the day is shine a light on not just on social injustice and police abuse and misconduct, but we want to shine a light on some of the systemic issues at play that sort of fuel all of those things.”
About 61st Street and the episode descriptions
61st Street will debut Sunday, April 10 at 10 pm ET/PT on AMC, with the first two episodes streaming on AMC+ and ALLBLK.
The two-season event from Peter Moffat is a thriller about an achieving high school athlete swept up into the criminal justice system.
Emmy-winner Courtney B. Vance leads an ensemble cast including Aunjanue Ellis, Mark O’Brien, Holt McCallany, Tosin Cole, Andrene Ward-Hammond, and Bentley Green.
AMC Studios produced the series, and it is executive produced by Moffat, J. David Shanks, Outlier Society’s Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Alana Mayo, Jeff Freilich, and Hilary Salmon.
The premiere sees track tar Moses Johnson caught up in a world of chaos, violence, and corrupt policing during a presumed drug sting that went south. Public defender Franklin Roberts considers retirement until this event occurs.
Episode 2 “THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED”
Now on a crash course with the Chicago Police Department, Moses contacts the one person who could save him. Martha is keen on a political move.
EPISODE 103 – “BAREFOOT AND DANGEROUS”
Officer Logan has questions while Lieutenant Brannigan presses Moses to confess, and Franklin does some legwork and has a new POV for the defense.
EPISODE 104 – “CHESS MOVES AND POKER CHIPS”
Moses is now in jail. Brannigan has a breakthrough with Logan. After finding evidence of police misconduct, Franklin constructs Moses’ defense.
EPISODE 105 – “OVER THE WALL”
Franklin gets some news while Moses connects with an old acquaintance. Officer Logan has a career move while Norma raises money for Moses.
EPISODE 106 – “SINS OF FATHERS”
Moses starts to doubt Franklin’s game plan while Joshua faces personal setbacks, and the community leans on Martha. Franklin has a breakthrough.
EPISODE 107 – “THE TWO TRAILS”
A trial begins, and repercussions ensue.
Finale
All the culmination of Franklin’s case supporting Moses’ release is heard in court.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM3pqx-Naj8&feature=youtu.be
61st Street premieres Sunday, April 10, on AMC.
New episodes of the eight-episode first season will roll out weekly, on Sundays, and be available one week early on AMC+ and ALLBLK.
