FX Orders John Singleton’s ’80s LA Crack Cocaine Drama ‘Snowfall’ to Series

FX has ordered a 10-episode season of early-’80s Los Angeles crack cocaine drama, “Snowfall.” Production is set to begin next month for a 2017 debut.

“Snowfall” is being produced by FX Productions, and is executive produced by Dave Andron, Thomas Schlamme, John Singleton, Eric Amadio, Michael London and Trevor Engelson. Andron is showrunner.

The pilot was written by Singleton, Amadio and Andron and directed by the Belgian team of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

“We are excited to add ‘Snowfall’ to our original series lineup,” said Eric Schrier, of of two presidents of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. “Dave Andron, Tommy Schlamme, John Singleton and Eric Amadio have delivered a riveting and beautiful pilot and we can’t wait to start work on the series.”

Here’s the official series description, all in FX’s own words:
Los Angeles 1983. A storm is coming and its name is cocaine. “Snowfall” is a one-hour drama set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and its ultimate radical impact on the culture as we know it. The story follows numerous characters on a violent collision course, including: Franklin Saint (Damson Idris), young street entrepreneur on a quest for power; Gustavo Zapata (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), a Mexican wrestler caught up in a power struggle within a crime family; Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson), a CIA operative running from a dark past who begins an off-book operation to fund the Nicaraguan Contras; and Luica Villanueva (Emily Rios), the self-possessed daughter of a Mexican crime lord.

Below are the cast and their character descriptions in more detail.

Damson Idris (pictured above) will play Franklin Saint, a young street entrepreneur on a quest for power. Born and raised on the streets of South Central but educated in an upper class neighborhood in the Valley, Franklin is determined to raise his station in life through whatever means necessary.

Sergio Peris-Mencheta will play Gustavo “El Oso” Zapata, a Mexican wrestler turned gangster in search of his American dream.  An outsider since birth, he has struggled his whole life to find somewhere to belong. Gustavo will finally find a place in a Los Angeles crime family that values his brutal ways — but belonging will cost him more than he can imagine.

Carter Hudson will play Teddy McDonald, a CIA operative banished to the Los Angeles office after a tragic misstep in the past. When he sees an opportunity to reverse his fortunes, Teddy risks everything to get his life back on track.

Emily Rios will play Lucia Villanueva, the self-possessed daughter of a Mexican crime lord that imports and sells marijuana throughout Los Angeles.