AT&T net prepares diamond trader drama

US channel AT&T Audience Network has commissioned a ten-part drama from Entertainment One and Fuqua Films about downtown LA diamond traders.

Ice will be a “high-impact, serlialised crime drama” that follows a family as they “plunge into the underbelly of the Los Angeles diamond trade”, with one man forced to bail out his brother after he kills a prominent jewel dealer.

Antoiine Fuqua, who is currently producing a TV remake of his Training Day movie for CBS, will direct the first episode and serve as executive producer. Robert Munic (Fighting) will write and executive produce.

eOne will produce in association with US telco AT&T, and will control international distribution rights.

“I’ve been interested in this idea for several years and am thrilled to have found such great partners to bring this project to fruition,” said Fuqua.  “I’m always looking for projects that explore worlds that audiences think they know, and then shining an authentic light on them, and with Ice we’re going to do both.”

AT&T has moved into original production after buying DirecTV, which was already in the space with the Thandie Newton cop drama Rogue. That show was given a fourth and final season this week.

“Ice has truly been a labor of love for us as we have been cultivating and evolving this project with Antoine Fuqua for more than two years,” said Christopher Long, senior vice president, original content and production, AT&T.