ABC ANNOUNCES PREMIERE DATES FOR "AMERICAN CRIME" AND "SECRETS AND LIES"

Explosive two hour season finale of "How to Get Away with Murder" airs February 26

ABC announced premiere dates today for Oscar winner John Ridley's groundbreaking new drama "American Crime," and gripping murder mystery "Secrets and Lies," starring Ryan Phillippe and Juliette Lewis.

In addition, the season finale of the hit ABC drama "How to Get Away with Murder" will air on Thursday, February 26 (9:00-11:00 PM).

The 10 episode drama series "Secrets and Lies" premieres Sunday, March 1 (special time 9:00-11:00 PM; regular time slot 9:00-10:00 PM), and 11 episode "American Crime" premieres Thursday, March 5 (10:00-11:00 PM).

AMERICAN CRIME -- A young couple in Modesto, California were brutally attacked in their home leaving Matt Skokie, a war vet, murdered, and his wife, Gwen, unconscious, barely hanging on. The crime sends shock waves throughout the community stirring up tensions across socioeconomic and racial lines in this gritty new drama - from the points of view of all those involved.

"American Crime" stars Felicity Huffman as Barb Hanlon, Timothy Hutton as Russ Skokie, W. Earl Brown as Tom Carlin, Richard Cabral as Hector Tontz, Caitlin Gerard as Aubry Taylor, Benito Martinez as Alonzo Gutiérrez, Penelope Ann Miller as Eve Carlin, Elvis Nolasco as Carter Nix and Johnny Ortiz as Tony Gutiérrez.

"American Crime" was written, directed and produced by Oscar winning screenwriter John Ridley ("12 Years A Slave"). Executive producers are John Ridley and Michael J. McDonald. "American Crime" is produced by ABC Studios.

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SECRETS AND LIES - Ben Crawford (Ryan Phillippe) is about to go from Good Samaritan to murder suspect after he discovers the body of his neighbor's young son, Tom Murphy, in the woods. Even as Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis) digs for the truth in her investigation and pegs Ben as a "person of interest," the case unfolds from Ben's perspective -- whether he is guilty or not. In trying to clear his name, it is Ben who peels back the layers of these suburbanites' lives in their quiet cul de sac, revealing their dirty little deceptions and all-too-crowded closets overflowing with skeletons. No one is above suspicion. Ben's family's life, already privately in disarray, is turned upside down as he sets out on a complicated journey to prove his innocence.

"Secrets and Lies" stars Ryan Phillippe ("Damages," "The Lincoln Lawyer," "Flags of Our Fathers") as Ben Crawford, Juliette Lewis ("August Osage County") as Detective Cornell, KaDee Strickland ("Private Practice") as Christy Crawford, Natalie Martinez ("Under the Dome," "CSI: NY") as Jess Murphy, Dan Fogler ("The Goldberg's," "Hannibal") as Dave Lindsey, Indiana Evans ("Blue Lagoon: The Awakening") as Natalie Crawford and Belle Shouse as Abby Crawford.

Barbie Kligman ("Private Practice") developed the mystery thriller, which is based on the original Australian series "Secrets & Lies," created by Stephen Irwin. The teleplay for "Secrets and Lies'" series pilot, entitled "The Trail" is by Kligman, who also executive produced along with Aaron Kaplan ("Chasing Life," "The Neighbors," "Mysteries of Laura"), Tracey Robertson, Nathan Mayfield and Charles McDougall ("Resurrection"), who also directed the pilot. Executive producers of "Secrets and Lies" include Kligman for Avenue K Productions, Kaplan for Kapital Entertainment, Robertson and Mayfield for Hoodlum Entertainment and Timothy Busfield. "Secrets and Lies" is a production of ABC Studios.

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