American Crime gave Modesto a leading role in prime-time television. The first season of John Ridley’s ABC drama, which premiered March 5, 2015, places a devastating home invasion in the city and follows the families pulled into its aftermath. For local viewers, the connection lasts much longer than a passing mention: Modesto is the setting for the entire eleven-episode story. Read the original season preview.
The Modesto connection starts with a phone call
In “Episode One,” Russ Skokie, played by Timothy Hutton, receives a message from a detective in the City of Modesto’s robbery/homicide division. He flies in, hears an airport announcement naming Modesto, and has to identify his son’s body. Those details establish the city through the action itself, before the investigation starts drawing together people from very different households.
“Welcome to Modesto Airport.”
Airport announcement in “Episode One,” as recorded in the published episode transcript.
The murdered man is Matt Skokie, a military veteran; his wife, Gwen, survives the attack in a coma. Matt’s estranged parents, Russ and Barb Hanlon (Felicity Huffman), find themselves facing each other again while trying to understand what happened. The story also follows Carter Nix (Elvis Nolasco), Hector Tontz (Richard Cabral), and teenager Tony Gutiérrez (Johnny Ortiz), whose arrests bring their own families into the crisis. The Television Academy’s 2015 profile of Ridley explains how the series connects grief, race, class, and religion through these characters.
Watch ABC’s scene breakdown
In this short featurette from ABC’s official channel, Ridley and Hutton discuss the scene in which Russ identifies Matt. It is a useful introduction to the show’s approach: the emotional cost of the crime comes into focus before the audience has answers. The clip contains discussion of a death and footage from the opening episode.
Why John Ridley chose Modesto
Ridley’s choice was deliberate. In a March 2015 interview, he said he wanted a city that viewers would approach without the ready-made expectations attached to Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago. A less familiar place would let the audience discover the people as the story developed.
“Modesto could represent almost anywhere in America.”
John Ridley, speaking to Interview.
He also wanted the focus to stay on ordinary people living through the long aftermath of violence. That choice shapes the viewing experience. A parent’s response, an old grievance, or a family argument can matter as much as a new piece of evidence. Film Independent’s conversation with Ridley describes how he used lingering shots and movement within a scene to reveal those tensions. In a diner conversation between Russ and Barb, for example, the camera pays attention to nearby tables as well as the speakers.
Modesto on the page, Austin on the set
The first season was filmed in Austin, Texas. Executive producer Michael J. McDonald told Assignment X that Austin could stand in for Modesto while offering an experienced crew, production infrastructure, and a tax incentive. Its varied architecture and surroundings helped create the show’s California setting.
Regina King won the 2015 supporting-actress Emmy for playing Aliyah Shadeed, Carter’s sister. Start with the 2015 first season for the Modesto story; American Crime changes stories between seasons.
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