‘Shots Fired,’ a dramatic look at racially charged shootings, picked up as ‘event series’ by Fox

Fox is about to bring a dramatic look at racially charged shootings to series television.

“Shots Fired,” from the husband-and-wife team of Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood, has been picked up as an “event series” for 2016, the network announced Thursday.

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The series will star Sanaa Lathan as an investigator who looks into racially motivated crimes in a small town in Tennessee. Among the executive producers is Brian Grazer, who is also behind Fox’s hit soap “Empire.”

“Gina and Reggie have crafted a profoundly moving portrayal of a timely and sensitive issue that pervades our culture at this very moment,” Fox Entertainment President David Madden said in a statement.

Fox didn’t say how many episodes it will order, but typically the “event series” designation translates to between eight and 12 episodes for a first season.

Gina Prince-Bythewood is best known as the writer and director of the 2008 feature hit “The Secret Life of Bees.” Reggie Rock Bythewood has written for numerous TV series and directed one of the acclaimed “30 for 30” sports documentaries for ESPN. The pair also worked together on the 2014 romantic drama “Beyond the Lights.”

Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT

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