Amazon Studios has greenlit an original drama series based on James Patterson's Alex Cross book series.

The Cross series will star Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross, a detective and forensic psychologist uniquely capable of digging into the psyches of killers and their victims in order to ultimately capture the murders, according to Amazon Studios. The series will stream on Prime Video.

“James Patterson is among the best at captivating audiences with his undeniably enthralling novels and we are confident that with Ben Watkins’ artistic vision, Cross will do the same for our global customers,” said Amazon Studios head of global television Vernon Sanders. “We are proud to work with James and Ben alongside Paramount Television, Skydance, and the extremely talented Aldis Hodge, who we know will do an exceptional job of bringing Alex Cross to life.”

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The Alex Cross character has previously been portrayed by Morgan Freeman in such films as Kiss The Girls (1997) and Along Came a Spider (2001) as well as Tyler Perry in the 2012 Alex Cross film.

Cross is executive produced by Patterson, along with Ben Watkins, Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, Craig Siebels, Bill Robinson and Patrick Santa. ■

Showtime will return to Boston for a new season of its crime drama City On a Hill, premiering July 10.

The eight-episode third season, which stars Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, will focus on Boston’s high society Beacon Hill neighborhood where former FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon) finds a new job running security for a wealthy family. Secrets begin to unravel however, leading to an investigation led by Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge), who sees an opportunity to finally break down a broken criminal justice system, said Showtime.

City On a Hill season three also stars Jill Hennessy, Lauren Banks and Matthew Del Negro, and introduces new cast members Corbin Bensen, Joanne Kelly and Ernie Hudson, according to network officials.

City On a Hill is executive produced by Bacon, Hodge, Tom Fontana, Jennifer Todd, Jorge Zamacona, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Barry Levinson. ■

Showtime on Friday dropped a new video trailer for its upcoming police drama City On The Hill, premiering June 16.

The series, which stars Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Aldis Hodge (Underground), is set in early 1990s Boston, which is rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies in which corruption and racism was the norm, according to the network.

Chuck MacLean (Boston Strangler) and Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Street) serve as executive producers for the series, along with Bacon, Jennifer Todd, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Michael Cuesta and Barry Levinson. Bacon and Jorge Zamacona serve as co-executive producers.

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WGN America shines a light on the Northern escape of slaves from the South in its new original series Underground.

The series, created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, stars Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton) as Noah, a field slave who has tried to escape his slaveowners several times, only to be caught and beaten for his transgressions. Yet his thirst for freedom is never quenched, so – armed with a map outlining the road to the North -- he plans another attempt at escape, but this time he tries to bring in others to join him on his journey.

Meanwhile inside the house serving the plantation owning family is Rosalee (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), who along with her mother Ernestine (Amirah Vann), lives a more comfortable existence than the slaves in the field, yet slaves they remain.

A chance encounter in which Rosalee is ordered to tend to Noah’s wounds from a violent lashing due to his last escape attempt sets the stage for an eventual joining of the two as they both look for the freedom that exists for themselves and other slaves outside of Georgia.

Noah’s plan is not without fear or consequences, and the series’ initial episodes brilliantly capture the grit and passion of the slaves’ desire to be free and the perils they face in obtaining their goal. The action within the plot will have viewers on the edge as executive producer John Legend cleverly weaves both contemporary and period music to gin up the often thrilling scenes incumbent to the planning of the slaves’ ultimate escape. The opening scene in particular sets the tone for the series as a slave runner is pursued through the woods to the beat of Kanye West’s "Black Skinhead."

Underground also benefits from a strong supporting cast, which includes Noah’s partners Moses (Mykelti Williamson), Sam (Johnny Ray Gill) Henry (Renwick Scott) and Zeke (Theodus Crane), as well as his nemesis Cato (Alano Miller). Outside the plantation, farmer August Pullman (Christopher Meloni), abolitionist lawyer John Hawkes (Marc Blucas) and his wife Elizabeth (Jessica De Gouw) contribute a different, nuanced perspective to the main slave escape plot.

While the series’ title is based on the real-life Underground Railroad that allowed slaves to escape the southern states through an intricate network of trails, much of the series’ early action takes place on the plantation. Undoubtedly future episodes will further weave that historical element into what is a very entertaining series that will have viewers anxiously awaiting the next weekly episode.