Kerry Washington: Facebook community vital part of 'Five Points'

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Scandal star Kerry Washington said Facebook's sense of community is vital for eliminating "gatekeepers" for her new show Five Points.

Speaking at Facebook's C Space Storytellers session at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Washington said the social network's video platform Facebook Watch provides a new outlet for more diverse voices.

"The latest inspiration for storytelling in the digital and tech space involves more voices at the storytelling table," she said. "Hollywood is going to spend a lot of time grappling with this ... the power of the gatekeepers is being lessened and lessened."

Executive produced by Washington, Five Points will follow high school students in Chicago's South Side from five different points of view and is set to deal with topics such as LGBT identity, gun violence, drug use and bullying.

Washington said Facebook Watch was the ideal home for the 10-episode series, as it will allow fans to feel a sense of community by having the Five Points cast create Facebook pages for their characters to interact with the audience.

"What I'm thrilled about is not only the content itself ... but that we get to have it live in a space where we can combine it with groups," she said. "I wouldn't want to put this out without creating a place for discussion."

Washington cited her experience during the first season of Scandal as her introduction to the impact community can have on a show.

"When Scandal came along we were not a show that was necessarily poised to be a hit," she said. "It had a very small order of episodes and we found ourselves in a position ... where we had to push to create community and to build a community around the show that could uplift it."

Five Points is expected to premiere on Facebook Watch sometime in February.