Editorial: ABC To Air Upcoming Drama “Cold Blood” With A Black Woman Playing The Lead Role

“Criminal Minds” executive producer Janine Sherman Barrois has sold medical drama “Cold Blood” to ABC. Described as “‘The Firm’ in a medical setting,” the show puts a conspiracy thriller spin on the genre and tells the story of Dr. Cara West, a new attending who uncovers the shady dealings of an elite team of doctors at the prestigious New York Memorial Hospital.

“Cold Blood” joins a slate of new projects in ABC’s apparent push for diversity, including John Ridley’s “American Crime,” Kenya Barris’ “Black-ish,” and Shonda Rhimes’ “How To Get Away With Murder.”

Along with Rhimes’ “Murder” and “Scandal,” it would also be the third ABC project to star a black woman lead. And with the show’s New York location and its focus on the business of medicine, we can only expect that culturally relevant themes – like universal healthcare, preventative care, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on communities of color – may be discussed as well.

Barrois teams with Aaron Kaplan’s Kaplan Entertainment on the project, which follows last year’s announcement of Barrois’ overall development deal with ABC Studios. Barrois was a longtime writer and executive producer on medical series “Third Watch” and “ER” before joining “Criminal Minds” in 2010. Recall that she also sold crime dramas “Darkness Falls” and “Jigsaw” to CBS, in 2012 and 2013 respectively, so a creator-showrunner post seems a long time coming.

News source courtesy of Shadow & Act!!!