A period drama that focuses on sex, drugs, politics, and pop culture, the show sounds a bit like a cross between Mad Men and NYPD Blue. The plot is centered around a pair of cops who seek out a dangerous duo of female serial killers on the loose on L.A.’s Sunset Strip in the ’80s.
However, rather than stick to one period in time, L.A. Crime will presumably explore new story lines across different decades, similar to the format of True Detective, with the possibility of a different cast of actors for each season. Christensen has reportedly signed a single-year deal, making separate casting for each season all the more likely.
The first season will bask in the ‘80s hey-days — a time when Flock of Seagull hair, Bowie duckface, and cocaine galore ruled the roost. Christensen will play a nurse named Betty (could they create a more stereotypical name/occupation tie-in?) who’s also a single mother. She falls for a man and, in a clear stroke of bad luck, it appears she was actually meant to be his latest murder victim, not love interest. Given her single-season status, there’s always the potential her would-be killer/lover could possibly follow through with his original intention.
Aside from her long-running role on Parenthood, Christensen is probably best known for her standout role as a drug addict in Traffic back in 2000, holding her own alongside Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, and a host of other big names.
L.A. Crime is written by Steven Baigelman (Get On Up) and directed by Tom Shankland (The Children.)
