February 14, 2016 by The Sumter Item

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Sunday, February 14 - 20, 2016

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Brooklyn police detective Patrick Tufo (Hampton Fluker) is trying to do what is right on “Shades of Blue,” airing Thursday at 10 p.m. on NBC.

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to be part of the solution and then fell it, and it has an arc about how this is By Candace Havens FYI Television into a terrible mistake. And then our going to play out, but it does have real morality play starts from there.toI think strongwork, characters. what always LopezHavens plays single mom ly want do character that’sThat’s not existing ByJennifer Candace theatrically So, me.” there is a lot of challenges FYI we do a pretty good job of telling allanymore. excites andTelevision Brooklyn police detective Harlee television, sides of that issue.” because the form has Forchanged. Lopez, whoInhas been busyyou with Santos on “Shades of Blue,” airing can told do 12 a particular mini-stoJennifer Lopez plays single mom and It’sBrooklyn a complicated story on episodesherofshow in Vegas story, and working on Thursday at 10 p.m. on NBC. It’s a ries, all of these variations. So, you’re seeing a burst police detective Harlee Santos on “Shades of Blue,” levels, and the series has a FOX’s “American Idol,” this was a complicated character, Lopez has It’sdifferent of creativity happening. I’ve always stayed in it airing Thursday at 10and p.m. on NBC. a complicatfilm-like tone to it. Each week feels different beast. “It’s added to her duties on the drama by features andnerve-racking,” keep going ed character, and Lopez has added to her duties on from the time of doing like aproducmini-movie. Executive producer doing show itself back to TV. I was atLopez NBCsays. back“Just in ’91, ’92,the I forget. I the drama oneproducers of the executive being one ofby thebeing executive Barry Man”)a feels was very challenging. an edgy hour shotlike with ‘Homicide, ’ which wasDoing a very ers on show. the show. But she’s whenacting, she’s acting, herLevinson focus is(“Raintook on the But when of drama. had this relationship with NBC on co-stars, Ray Liotta (Bill there’s noWozdistinction type between film I’vedrama is probably one of the hardest herher focus is on herwhether co-stars, that’s whether over years. Thisgigs show pushes its boundaries niak), whom she calls the boss of the and crew on andanymore. television Thethe stigma in show business, and it’s veryin that’s Ray Liotta (Bill Wozniak), whom We’re trying show off-screen, Drea de Matteo (Tess Nazario), Hampis gone. “I think this isterms one ofoftheour storytelling. demanding. A show liketothis, it’s the such she Fluker calls the(Patrick boss of the crew shades of blue about the good side, the bad side ton Tufo) or on Warren Cole, who plays great times in terms of television,” an emotional roller coaster for me and and character’s off-screen, Drea de Matteo of a police force that I think gives us a view of the her nemesis, FBI (Tess Special Agent Robert Levinson says, “because I think what a lot of the characters. It’s very chaltimes that we live in. That’s why I was drawn to Stahl. Nazario), Hampton Fluker (Patrick you’re seeing and more talent lenging. Kill”) At thescript, end of because the day, you just (Hasak, “Generation it has Harlee is in the of an situa- is moreAdi’s Tufo) or Warren Cole,middle who plays her impossible from theatrical have now made the have to give it your all, put your heart procedural aspects of it, and it has an arc about tion. She has to inform on her corrupt fellow officharacter’s nemesis, FBI Special how thisI don’t is going to out, but it does have cers or risk going to federal prison and losing the crossover. It used to be, ‘Well, intoplay it, put everything on the linereal and Agent Robert Stahl.her daughter. The producers That’s what always excites me. ” ability to protect do television. I’m nowstrong in film.’characters. But see what happens. That’s kind of how Harlee is in the middle of an imForand Lopez, beeneverything busy withanyway.” her show in wanted to show all sides of law enforcement television is now the place, if who Ihas approach possible situation. She has to inform Vegas and working on FOX’s “American Idol,” this through compelling characters. you really want to do was character work, Lopez might have her hands involved a different beast. “It’s nerve-racking,” Lopez thatfellow if you’re producing on “Iherthink corrupt officers or risk a show that rethat’sCity not existing theatrically anyin all sidesitself of thewas production, but she says. “Just doing the show very challengvolves around a unit of cops in New York in going to federal prison and losing the more. So, thereif is a loting. of challenges when on set there is only Doing an hourpromises drama is probably one of the 2016,” says executive producer Jack Orman, “that ability to protect her daughter. The the form hashardest changed.gigs In in show onebusiness, boss, and that’s Rayvery Liotta. “He is and it’s deyou didn’t somehow reflect the times,because then we producers be wanted to show all sides this, it’s such an“Let’s emotional wouldn’t contemporary. But of our job as storytelltelevision, you can domanding. 12 episodesAofshow like the boss,” Lopez says. just put it lawwas enforcement through compelling roller coaster of the ers to approach it in a way that we could exa particular story, mini-stories, all of for me thatand way.a Ilot defer. He’scharacters. boss on and It’s off characters. very challenging. At the end of the you just plore all sides of it, to show our cops as heroes, these variations. So, you’re seeing camera. I don’t try today, challenge that have to give it your all, put your heart into it, put people their life on the law en“I thinkwho that ifput you’re producing a line. aI think bursttime, of creativity happening. I’veon the inline anyand way,see shape or form. We have a everything what happens. forcement understands we show that revolves around athat. unit At of the same always stayed the time time, actually. We loveanyway. working” That’s kindofof howgreat I approach everything needed to find a way in to deal with the issues of in it from cops in New York City in 2016,” says featuresAfand keep Lopez going back together. I don’tinvolved think of myself the might have her hands in allas sides the day. We did it through a working doing cop (Tufo), executive producerwho Jack really Orman,wanted “that totobe of the production, but on sheset. promises set rican-American, TV.part I wasofat NBC back in ’91, ’92, I boss I think ofwhen myselfon as Harlee if yousolution didn’t somehow reflect the a terrible there is only one boss, that’s Ray Liotta. “Heofis the and then fell into mistake. forget. I took a shot with ‘Homicide,’ whenand I’m on set. That’s all I think the boss, ” Lopez says. “Let’s it thattoway. I And moralitybeplay starts from there. times,then thenour we wouldn’t contemwhich wasI a very edgy type of drama. myself as. just Thenput in relation all the defer. He’s boss on and off camera. I don’t try to think pretty good jobwas of telling all sides of porary.we Butdo ourajob as storytellers I’ve had this relationship with NBC characters, we are a family. I feel like challenge that in any way, shape or form. We have that issue.” it in a way that we could to approach over thelevels, years. This show pushes its actually. we are familyworking and thattogether. he’s kind ofI a great time, Wealove It’s a complicated story told on different explore all sides of it, to show our boundaries in terms ofdon’t our storytellouras father andI he’s ourof think of myself the figure boss in onit,set. think and the series has a film-like tone to it. Each week cops as people whoExecutive put their producer ing. We’re trying to show the as shades leader.I’m That’s the dynamic exists myself Harlee when on set. That’s allthat I think feels likeheroes, a mini-movie. Barry life on the line. I think lawfeels enforcemyself in relation all the characters, Levinson (“Rain Man”) like there’sofno bluedistincabout the goodofside, the as. badThen on the set. Astokind of like his first lieua family. like Iwe a family and that tion filmthat. andAttelevision mentbetween understands the same anymore. side of The a police force we thatare I think gives I feel tenant, try are to keep everything afloat of our father it, and he’s our leadstigma gone. to “I think this inis to one of the time, weisneeded find a way us agreat view oftimes the timeshe’s thatkind we live all thefigure time. in I don’t know. I don’t ever er. That’s the dynamic that exists on the set. As kind in terms ” Levinson I deal with of thetelevision, issues of the day. We says, “because in. That’s why I was drawn to Adi’s think of myself as the boss. I think of of like his first lieutenant, I try to keep everything think what you’re seeing is more and more talent did it through a working cop (Tufo), (Hasak, “Generation Kill”) script, a veryI important piece of of afloat all the time. myself I don’tasknow. don’t ever think from theatrical have now made the crossover. It African-American, reallydowanted it has aspects of boss.this puzzle.” myself as the I think of myself as a very imused to be, ‘Well,who I don’t television.because I’m now in procedural

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Lopez May Produce, NBC’s ‘Shades ofBut Blue’ pushes Liotta is Boss boundaries storytelling

film.’ But television is now the place, and if you real-

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