Jennifer Lopez shines bright in her action packed role as Santos on the recent series “Shades of Blue.” Complimented by co-star Ray Liotta who adds a load of corruption and intense drama, the series is gaining in popularity in the cop show genre. There is an interesting story behind the development of the television series. We believe that readers will have a greater appreciation after hearing how writer Adi Hasak developed and marketed his masterpiece.
An unlikely television script writer
Hasak was born to Russian Jewish parents in Holland. He moved to the United States long enough to finish his education and then relocated to Israel. There he served in the military as a soldier for seven years. He graduated from University there and after his stent in the military, became a journalist. He relocated his family and moved to Los Angeles where he discovered a passion for writing script. This was the beginning of his career as a script writer for TV. He took the long way around before settling into the new field, but had ample experience under his belt for recreating actual events for the screen.
Marketing his work
Hasak geared his writing for networks in the US. To his credit he wrote “From Paris with Love,” Shadow Conspiracy” and “3 Days to Kill.” He focused on thriller and action genres. He finally wrote the script for “Shades of Blue” but had not yet landed a deal for it. He made a few connections and attempted to ge the series on air through Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, producer and the director Barry Levinson. The script was finally submitted to the ABC network. Nothing happened for a full year. There was talk of choosing Shades or Blue or a paranormal series. As it turned out, Shades of Blue was put on the back burner as the other series was chosen but soon discarded.
Finally the show was picked up and through connections, the script made it to Jennifer Lopez for consideration as the lead. She, Drea de Matteo and Ray Liotta landed the lead roles adn production began in New York City which is the setting for the series.
Inspiration for the plot
Hasak’s life experience gave him the exposure to a variety of political situations. His time in the army taught him that most of the soldiers and police officers are the good guys who are around to serve and protect. There are also those in amongst the good ones who get caught up in shady dealings. It was this aspect that he chose to focus to plot upon rather than the positive aspects of the police force. He portrays the characters as jaded and corrupt and the choices that they make carries the plot forward. It’s full of twists, turns and intense actions. There are parallels within the show to current events which are taking place around the nation as well as the world.
Final thoughts
“Shades of Blue” gets its quirky and thrilling realism from the talented writer who began his adult life as a soldier. Fans appreciate Hasak for his infusion of corruption versus morality in this fast paced action drama. It’s hard hitting and viewers are never really sure which direction the story is going to take. It leaves fans in high anticipation of the next episode and is an example of brilliance in script writing. From the current popularity and success of the show, who would have known that it just sat on a network execs desk for a year? Kudos to Adi Hasak for delivering the goods for cop show enthusiasts!
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