Felicity Huffman stars in “American Crime”

There’s no shortage of gripping crime dramas on television right now. If the long-running “Law & Order” and "CSI" franchises are anything to go by, it’s a genre that audiences love.

Most of these series tend to present the heinous deed at the beginning of the episode, and after a few dubious interviews and a wild goose chase or two, the culprit is nabbed by the good guys before the end credits start rolling.

ABC’s new series, “American Crime,” is shaking up the format a bit. Someone has perpetrated a brutal attack in a young couple's home, leaving a war vet murdered and his wife in a coma. Instead of having things wrapped up in a neat little package within the hour-long time-slot, however, audiences will follow the racially charged investigation that follows and, more importantly, the impact the murder has on a wide range of individuals over the course of the season’s 11-episode run. Created by Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley (“12 Years a Slave,” 2013), the anthology crime drama premieres Thursday, March 5, on ABC.

The concept of following the aftermath of a murder throughout an entire series is uncommon, but not unprecedented. In the first season of the British hit “Broadchurch,” a small English town is rocked by the vicious murder of an 11-year-old boy. The eight-episode arc focuses on the hunt for the boy’s killer, but also on how the horror, grief and suspicion that follow impact the residents of the close-knit community. The show became a “national obsession” in the U.K., according to “Entertainment Weekly,” averaging more than nine million viewers per episode. It’s raked in heaps of awards and nominations, including three BAFTA wins and a Peabody for its “pitch-perfect take on the classic crime drama.”

All that considered, you might think “American Crime” has the makings of an instant success, but “Broadchurch’s” American remake, “Gracepoint,” proved that the concept alone is not what made its British forerunner such a massive success. Critics and audiences alike were disappointed with the version, which simply didn’t have the magic of “Broadchurch,” despite the compelling material.

“While it’s hard to pinpoint, ‘Gracepoint’ can’t help but feel as if something significant has been lost in translation,” wrote Brian Lowry for “Variety.”

Fortunately, “American Crime” has its own ingredients for success, including a fantastic ensemble cast to deliver the still-compelling concept. Emmy-winning actress Felicity Huffman, who's best known for her role as Lynette Scavo in “Desperate Housewives,” plays grieving mother Barb Hanlon, who has been reunited with her estranged ex-husband, Russ (Timothy Hutton, “Leverage”), over the murder of their son, Matt (Grant Merritt, “Bullets for My Baby,” 2013). Barb, who is determined to pin Matt’s murder on somebody, has convinced herself that her son was murdered by a racial minority. Russ, who spoke to his son on the phone every week, comes to learn that he didn’t know him as well as he thought he did.

W. Earl Brown and Penelope Ann Miller in “American Crime”

Huffman and Hutton are joined by W. Earl Brown (“True Detective") and Penelope Ann Miller (“Mistresses”), who play the distraught parents of Matt’s pretty blond widow, Gwen (Kira Pozehl, “Fall to Grace,” 2005), who may still live or die.

While the show does focus heavily on the investigation and the hunt for the killer, one element that sets it apart from other crime dramas is that the angle is less on the police and detectives and more on the people close to the victims, as well as the suspects and their families.

"It's not about the police. It's not about the prosecutors. It's really about the family, what they have to deal with. These events usually take months, if not years, to deal with and sometimes even then there's not much resolution," Ridley said at the Television Critics Association winter press tour.

Race issues figure prominently into the plot, as do religion, class, gender and other social groupings. The four suspects hauled into custody are Tony (Johnny Ortiz, "McFarland, USA," 2015), a Hispanic teenager who has a good heart but gets caught up with the wrong people; drug addicts Aubry (Caitlin Gerard, "Magic Mike," 2012) and Carter (Elvis Nolasco, "Oldboy," 2013), who are in a mixed-race and mutually destructive relationship; and Hector (Richard Cabral, "Southland"), an illegal immigrant who has made some bad choices in his life.

What the authorities come to learn early on is that what was believed to be a random home invasion may have been far more deliberate, and that Matt may not have been an innocent bystander after all.

It will always be solid entertainment to see inside the police stations and forensic labs as cops take down evildoers, but it’s also refreshing to get a new take on the crime dramas that have become so popular. With its spotlight on the many people dealing with the aftermath of the murder, and the season-long storyline, John Ridley’s new series promises to deliver something that stands apart from the ordinary prime-time fare. Don’t miss the series premiere of “American Crime” when it airs Thursday, March 5, on ABC.