‘Ice,’ about the underbelly of the LA trade, will premiere this year

It’s hard to see this as good news: The AT&T Audience Network, available on DirectTV, has ordered 10 episodes of Ice, a drama about the diamond trade. It will premiere later this year.

A release says the serialized show will spotlight the “treacherous and colorful world of diamond traders in downtown Los Angeles,” through a family that “plunge[s] into the underbelly of the Los Angeles diamond trade.”  

Here is the synopsis:

Jake and Freddy are half brothers brought together by their father Isaac, the patriarch behind G&G Diamonds, and their uncle Cam. After wildcard Freddy kills a prominent diamond dealer, his brother Jake must bail him out and save the family business while maneuvering among jewelry thugs, blood diamond deals, false certificates, and the Feds.

This is the third attempt to create an industry TV series called Ice. In 2014, DirectTV ordered a similar show with different people involved. Before that, AMC looked at a diamond show called Ice, also with different personnel, but passed.  

The show comes from the production company of director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer), who will direct the first episode.

Said Fuqua in a statement: “I’m always looking for projects that explore worlds that audiences think they know, and then shining an authentic light on them, and with Ice we’re going to do both.”

From that synopsis, the show doesn’t seem like it will be shining much authentic light. I have visited the Los Angeles diamond community many times, and spoken at the Diamond Club West Coast. Far from being “treacherous,” I have always found the members of the Los Angeles diamond trade warm, welcoming, and decent. Whatever issues this business has—and it does have issues—if this show really wants to be authentic, I would hope (but don’t expect) the producers will acknowledge that basic fact.

AT&T and the show’s production company did not respond to requests for more information from JCK. Any industry folks who have information about this can contact me at my email below.

Rob Bates

JCK News Director