Ava DuVernay drama about officer-involved shooting coming to CBS

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN

(CNN) -- CBS will try its hand at issues-driven drama this fall with a new show from Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay and super-producer Greg Berlanti.

The network on Friday announced it has picked up drama "The Red Line" for the 2018-19 television season.

The show is about a white Chicago cop who mistakenly shoots and kills a black doctor. The series follows three families connected to the case and the story is told from each perspective, CBS said.

Noah Wyle, best known for his decade-plus run on "ER," stars on the series as the husband of the doctor killed.

Emayatzy Corinealdi, Aliyah Royale and Noel Fisher also star in the series, written by "Supergirl" alum Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss.

Sarah Schechter ("The Flash," "Riverdale") executive produces alongside DuVernay and Berlanti.

"The Red Line" in some ways seems to be CBS's answer to the issues-driven dramas that have had some difficulty attracting eyeballs in recent years.

Notably, Fox premiered officer-involved shooting drama "Shots Fired" last year but it was canceled after one season.

ABC's socially conscious anthology "American Crime," which earned star Regina King two Emmy Awards, had a respectable three-year run but was axed last year.

Netflix recently canceled "Seven Seconds," a drama that was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.

"The Red Line" marks DuVernay's latest foray into television. Her other series, "Queen Sugar," airs on OWN.

Berlanti, meanwhile, remains one of the busiest producers in television, with nearly a dozen shows either on the air or in the works.

CBS also handed out a number of other series orders on Friday.

"Fam," a multi-cam comedy starring "Vampire Diaries" alum Nina Dobrev; "God Friended Me," another Berlanti drama; and a "Magnum P.I." reboot all got the greenlight as the network prepares to present its fall schedule to advertisers next week in New York City as part of the annual Upfronts.