According to Variety.com, CBS has given a pilot order to “East New York,” a drama series written by William Finkelstein and Mike Flynn.
Here’s how they describe the show:
The series will follow Regina Haywood, the newly promoted police captain of East New York, an impoverished, working class neighborhood at the eastern edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting during the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.
Finkelstein is best known for his writing and producing work on a number of police and legal dramas. Most recently, he has worked on “The Good Fight,” CBS’ sequel series to “The Good Wife.” He has also written and executive produced episodes of “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue,” “L.A. Law,” “Brooklyn South,” “Murder One” and “Civil Wars.”
Flynn has written and produced for ABC’s “Big Sky,” Starz’s “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” and the Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Queen Sugar.” He has also written episodes and served as a story editor for “The Chi,” “Greenleaf,” “Rush” and “Detroit 1-8-7.”
Finkelstein and Flynn executive produce “East New York” alongside Mike Robin of Skyemac Productions and Christine and Mark Holder of Wonder Street. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.
I’m a Brooklyn born and raised filmmaker and screenwriter. I have a ton of concerns that this will be nothing more than fluff. One, CBS is home of the procedurals. Of the prestige shows on tv in the last 20 years how many came from this network? None.
CBS or cliche broadcast system-has never gone deep. In the 80’s it was the old folks network. Currently it’s the “by the book” network. ABC had NYPD Blue, NBC had the brilliant Homicide Life on the Streets the precursor to The Wire. CBS has never had a show like in my lifetime.
Look at the current cop/law enforcement shows on the network they are no different than Magnum PI in the 80’s. Everything is solved in an hour.
The shows executive producer and writers also cause concern. A young black man Mike Flynn is attached. But he’s from Atlanta. The white dude is 70.
So who came up with the show? Why did they name it “East New York”?
We know Issa came up with Insecure. You can see that due to the depth of the show.
Add the shows plot-gentrification set in the East.
East New York isnt the Stuy, my old block in Linden projects is exactly as it was in high school (graduated in 94).
So what gentrification angle will it cover?
It says the lead is a captain? But of what? The 7-5 pct?
Will they shoot in the East? Lots of shows shoot in hoods now. BMF shot in Big Meech childhood home. Issa show all over Inglewood. The Wu tang series shot in the apartment Ghostface lived in.
But I can hear the excuses now. It’s too far out and they can-wrongly shoot parts of Fort Green and the Stuy -which in detail looks NOTHING like the housing stock in the East.
I’d like to get hype about this but it’s all wrong. The hood is being used for shock value.
Most people who have come to Brooklyn over the past 20 years and have been here awhile have NEVER been to the East or the Ville.
They are still too scared. In fact Crown Heights and Bushwick are still the point of no return. All white food get off at Utica or B’way Junction.
I can assure CBS will cover none of this. It will be all surface as depth.