You could label the new Fox anthology series “Accused” as binge-worthy — but that wouldn’t necessarily be music to the ears of its showrunner, Howard Gordon.
“I want [‘Accused’] to be something people will want to watch but don’t feel like they have to watch every single episode, and they don’t have to,” Gordon (“24,” “Homeland”) told The Post. “This series doesn’t invite binging for that very reason and I’m really happy it’s on a linear network so people will be getting it only once a week — and not dumped in their laps all at once.
“It’s not that kind of show.”
“Accused,” premiering Jan. 22 at 9 p.m., is adapted from Jimmy McGovern’s BAFTA-winning BBC drama of the same name. Episodes are self-contained, with a different cast and storyline each week grappling with a crime, its aftermath, and the moral implications involved therein.
“I really like the the challenge of telling these stories and distilling them into a one-episode experience,” Gordon said. “That was the appeal. I feel like a lot of TV is bloated and I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. [‘Accused’] gets to the point and I think we all learned the discipline of telling a narrative.”
Dr. Scott Corbett (Michael Chiklis) is accused of killing his son (left) in the series premiere of “Accused,” airing Jan. 19 on Fox.Steve Wilklie / FoxGordon wrote the series opener, “Scott’s Story,” which revolves around well-respected surgeon Dr. Scott Corbett (Michael Chiklis) and his wife, Lynn (Jill Hennessy), trying their best to cope with their unreachable, troubled teenaged son, Devon (Oakes Fegley), who feels isolated and ignored — and posts an online rant about killing classmates at his high school. That, in turn, precipitates a series of events resulting in Scott’s standing trial for Devon’s murder as the episode pivots between timeframes.
In Episode 2, entitled “Ava’s Story” — and directed by Marlee Matlin — a couple discovers that their newborn is deaf and elects to try a surgical procedure, but their surrogate, who’s also deaf, learns about this and tries to intervene.
“[‘Ava’s Story’] has much more of a ‘This Is Us’-kind of feel. I really challenge people not to be crying at the end of that one,” Gordon said. “Whereas the Chiklis episode [the first one shot for the series] is a tragedy with a side of tragedy, in Marlee’s episode … the world will be a better place at the end. The crime and the result leaves people in a better place — the justice that’s served isn’t just legal, it’s emotional and very human.”
Stephanie Nogueras stars in “Ava’s Story,” the second episode of “Accused.” It’s directed by Marlee Matlin.FOXFuture episodes include A-listers Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Abigail Breslin, Betsy Brandt, Wendell Pierce, Rhea Perlman, Keith Carradine, Rachel Bilson, Whitney Cummings and Margo Martindale. Chiklis also gets behind the camera to “Jack’s Story,” starring Jason Ritter; Tazbah Chavez and Billy Porter (“Robyn’s Story”) also direct.
“I like the opportunity to tell a diversity of stories,” Gordon said. “Every episode has a different cast and story and texture. I really want people, at the end of every episode, to not be able to talk for 30 seconds — and then to not stop talking about it.”
“Accused” premieres Sunday, Jan. 22 at 9 p.m. and moves into its regular timeslot on Tuesday, Jan. 24 (9 p.m.)
