ABC announced premiere dates today for murder mysteries American Crime starring Timothy Hutton and Felicity Huffman, and Secrets and Lies starring Ryan Phillippe and Juliette Lewis. Additionally, the network has confirmed the two-hour finale season finale of How to Get Away With Murder will air on Thursday, February 26.
The 10 episode first season of Secrets and Lies will have a two-hour premiere on Sunday, March 1 at 9/8c. following the third season return of Once Upon a Time.
The 11 episode first season of American Crime will premiere on Thursday, March 5 at 10/9c. following a new episode of Scandal.
In American Crime, a young couple in Modesto, California were brutally attacked in their home leaving Matt Skokie, a war vet, murdered, and his wife, Gwen, unconscious, barely hanging on. The crime sends shock waves throughout the community stirring up tensions across socioeconomic and racial lines in this gritty new drama - from the points of view of all those involved.
The drama stars Felicity Huffman as Barb Hanlon, Timothy Hutton as Russ Skokie, W. Earl Brown as Tom Carlin, Richard Cabral as Hector Tontz, Caitlin Gerard as Aubry Taylor, Benito Martinez as Alonzo Gutiérrez, Penelope Ann Miller as Eve Carlin, Elvis Nolasco as Carter Nix and Johnny Ortiz as Tony Gutiérrez.
American Crime was written, directed and produced by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years A Slave). Executive producers are John Ridley and Michael J. McDonald. American Crime is produced by ABC Studios.
In Secrets and Lies, Ben Crawford is about to go from Good Samaritan to murder suspect after he discovers the body of his neighbor's young son, Tom Murphy, in the woods. Even as Detective Andrea Cornell digs for the truth in her investigation and pegs Ben as a person of interest, the case unfolds from Ben's perspective - whether he is guilty or not. In trying to clear his name, it is Ben who peels back the layers of these suburbanites' lives in their quiet cul-de-sac, revealing their dirty little deceptions and all-too-crowded closets overflowing with skeletons. No one is above suspicion. Ben's family's life, already privately in disarray, is turned upside down as he sets out on a complicated journey to prove his innocence.
The drama stars Ryan Phillippe as Ben Crawford, Juliette Lewis as Detective Andrea Cornell, KaDee Strickland as Christy Crawford, Natalie Martinez as Jess Murphy, Dan Fogler as Dave Lindsey, Indiana Evans as Natalie Crawford, and Belle Shouse as Abby Crawford.
Barbie Kligman developed Secrets and Lies, which is based on the Australian series of the same name created by Stephen Irwin. Executive producers are Barbie Kligman, Aaron Kaplan, Tracey Robertson, Nathan Mayfield and pilot director Charles McDougall. Secrets and Lies is produced by ABC Studios, Avenue K Productions, Kapital Entertainment and Hoodlum Entertainment.