An S&A interview with Janine Sherman Barrois is overdue! It’s been on my to-do list for a little bit, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet! I (we) will!
While names like Shonda Rhimes continue to receive much press ink (and pixels) – and rightfully so, mind you – there are those like a Janine Sherman Barrois, who are also responsible (whether in part, or wholly) for hit TV series currently (and previously) on the air, and who continue to see new projects sold to networks, but without similar fanfare.
A year ago, Ms Barrois, executive producer, and writer on CBS hit series Criminal Minds, sold an hour-long murder procedural to CBS titled, Darkness Falls, a show that was to explore the complex dynamic of an FBI psychologist and a homicide specialist as they journey into small communities around the country to solve the darkest, most twisted single murders.
That sale was in collaboration with The Mark Gordon Company and Barrois partner at Criminal Minds, Erica Messer.
Over the summer, she inked a 2-year development deal with ABC Studios.
Today brings word that Barrois has sold yet another project, titled Jigsaw (with production house Fake Empire) to CBS via ABC Studios, likely as part of the above development deal.
Here’s how Jigsaw is summarized:
“Jigsaw” is an epic crime drama that follows the intersecting lives of homicide detectives, prosecutors, defense attorneys, the Media and the Mayor’s office as they work to solve the most scandalous crimes San Francisco has seen in decades.
Fake Empire’s Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein will executive produce along with Sherman Barrois, who began her television career working as a writer on The Jamie Foxx Show. She went on to become a co-producer of The PJs and then was hired as an executive story editor for Third Watch, which she also wrote several episodes for. She would move up the ladder on that series, eventually promoted to Co-Executive Producer for the sixth and final season. After Third Watch ended, she became a co-executive producer for ER, where she would continue to write as well, contributing several scripts to that series.
She’s also a Humanitas Prize nominee.
