A&E Network to Air Live Police Ride-Along Reality Series ‘Live PD’
A&E Network has given the greenlight to “Live PD,” a live reality series that will show police at work in real-time across six different cities.
The series hosted by ABC News vet Dan Abrams is set to air in eight two-hour installments on Fridays starting Oct. 28. The episodes will air live, albeit on a delay because of the unpredictable nature of law enforcement activity.
A&E aims to dive into the national debate over law enforcement and the criminal justice system at a volatile moment for police in many urban areas. The rash of deadly police shootings of African-American men over the past two years has sparked protests, heightened tensions between law enforcement and the public in many communities and fueled the Black Lives Matter social justice initiative.
“Every day the demands for more transparency in law enforcement continues to come from both civilians and police across the country,” said Rob Sharenow, exec VP and g.m. of A&E and Lifetime. “ ‘Live PD’ will not only highlight the difficult work being done by our men and women in uniform as they go out into the streets never knowing what to expect, but also answers citizens’ calls for clarity.”
“Live PD” will use dashboard cameras and other high-tech means of capturing the work of police officers on routine patrols. Each episode will feature a mix of incidents in six different settings, both urban and rural. The show’s social media presence will include special feeds offering a look behind the scenes in the “Live PD” studio.
Abrams, chief legal analyst for ABC News, will be joined in the studio by Dallas Police Department Detectives Kevin Jackson and Rich Emberlin, who have been partners for more than 20 years. Dallas’ law enforcement community was caught up in the maelstrom of outrage over police shootings when five officers were killed by a sniper during a peaceful demonstration in July.
David Doss, an ABC News alum, will serve as showrunner of “Live PD.” Doss is exec producing with Dan Cesareo, George McTeague, Kara Kurcz and John Zito.
(Pictured: Dan Abrams)
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