Jennifer Lopez IS The Good Cop/Bad Cop In Shades Of Blue

Shades of Blue, Jennifer Lopez's upcoming cop drama that has set itself up for 1,000 Fifty Shades puns, looks like it's going to hit all the beats of your typical police show. It's a classic case of good cops vs. bad cops vs. the bad guys. But from the first moment of the trailer, it isn't clear which characters fit under which of those labels. Lopez plays a cop who doesn't seem to fit the stereotype of television's bad cop, committing more crimes than the perps themselves. She certainly wouldn't be respected by any of your Law and Order faves, though. For us, a new cop show has to really distinguish itself as different — and worth the average viewer's time — if we're going to give up TV time that could be spent on SVU marathons. And the trailer, while intriguing, doesn't present the series as particularly compelling. Much remains to be seen, however.

A lot of the show's appeal is riding on Lopez's ability to sell her character as the slightly crooked, but not totally corrupt cop willing to do anything to protect her daughter. Though J.Lo's been a rom-com staple for almost two decades, she has effectively taken up powerful, tough-as-nails roles like the victim-turned-self-defense-expert in Enough. The question remains: Could this be the new show that teaches you police codes? Shades of Blue will premiere on January 7, on NBC.

Opener photo: MediaPunch/REX Shutterstock.