Listen now, watch later
Two roundups today: Some new podcasts of interest, and a bunch of upcoming true crime film and TV to watch for
the true crime that's worth your time
There’s a week left in February, but our budget doc is already close to the bursting point. To avoid an ugly explosion of themed aviator glasses, {name} and [name} docuseries, and podcasts from platforms big and small, I’ve culled two interest areas of headlines from Sarah’s and my list of potential Best Evidence items: newly released podcasts that we think might be good, and film and TV projects currently in development. That means I’m hooking you up with plenty to keep you busy today, while giving you plenty to look forward to in the future. Put that way, things could certainly be worse! — EB
The No-Good, Terribly Kind, Wonderful Lives and Tragic Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman AND The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman
The still-unsolved 2017 strangulation case gets the podcast treatment twice over this month: there’s an eight-parter from the CBC and a Toronto Star show hosted by their longtime reporter on the case, Kevin Donovan. Both are only two episodes in, making for convenient head-to-head listening. Listeners should brace for a dissatisfying ending, though, as the high-profile case remains unsolved — and that’s even with a $35 million reward on the table for evidence leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Chambers is, as you know, the person to whom Armie Hammer was married when news of the actor’s alleged abusive behavior and alleged sexual assault broke. “The series will explore the complexities of toxic and traumatic relationships by investigating and shedding light on long-held secrets, generational trauma and deep-rooted psychological issues through interviews and firsthand accounts of survivors,” Deadline reports.
Chambers has been asked to participate in Discovery+’s House of Hammer but declined, she told E! last year, saying then that the actor is trying to be “the best father, the best person he can be.” The show is as yet unnamed, and a release date has yet to be announced. — EB
This 10-episode podcast dropped on February 7 with the explosive claim that it would “will reveal how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) infiltrated and undermined the racial justice movement during the summer of 2020.” The first of what its creators say will be a multi-season podcast “draws from hours of secret FBI undercover recordings to tell the story of how a paid informant with a silver hearse and a proclivity for violence became a leader among Denver’s racial justice activists, encouraged violence and destruction, and attempted to set up unsuspecting activists in crimes,” its press materials say. It runs with weekly episodes through April 4. — EB
Sandy Hook Gun Lawsuit to Be Dramatized in Limited Series [The Hollywood Reporter]
Please forgive me my disappointment that this isn’t a dramatic adaptation of the Alex Jones/Sandy Hook trial, which — while his behavior is and was vile — is truly the stuff of the darkest comedy. Instead, this is about the nine-family suit against then-Cerberus Capital Management-owned Remington Arms, which made the assault rifle used by the shooter in the 2012 mass homicide.
Several of the families involved in the suit will consult on the series, as will Josh Koskoff (photo above), their attorney. No casting, writers, or any other details have been announced so far, and and the series “has yet to be to be shopped to potential outlets.” So, early days yet, but your thoughts on casting Koskoff (if only Jon Cryer were a bit younger!) are welcomed below. — EB
I downloaded the Guardian’s “story behind the headlines” podcast to listen to Guardian columnist George Monbiot’s mea culpa regarding wood burning stoves, but stayed for two recent episodes with a true crime bent. One is on Andrew Malkinson, a convicted rapist who says new evidence will clear his name. The other is on pig-butchering scams that worked through “more than 150 fake UK firms …to allay victims’ suspicions.” Both are a solid 30 or so minutes that left me better informed about the issues behind these cases. Sometimes, a single serving is enough — not everything has to be an hours-long audio series, right? — EB
ID Debuts Two New True Crime Obsessions with the Back-to-Back Premieres of "Mean Girl Murders" and "Killer Cheer" [Press release]
Starting March 13, ID is here to remind you that being a teen is hell. That’s when MGM (logline: “the inner workings of cutthroat cliques, vicious backbiting and cruel intentions”) and KC (“how crimes among young women turn deadly”) premiere on broadcast and streaming.
The first episode of MGM is entitled "Battle of the Besties” if the trailer didn’t give you enough of a feel for the ethos of the show; the encouragement to use the hashtags #MEANGIRLMURDERS and #KILLERCHEER might also give you an idea of the vibe at play here. Not everything has to be stately and prestige-y, I suppose. — EB
Formerly incarcerated Chicago writer Yohance Lacour hosts this show, which is part memoir and part investigation into the racist 1997 beating of 13-year-old Lenard Clark. This is very much the kind of podcast where the host is the main character, so your interest in it might be predicated by your interest in Lacour — so far, I find him very appealing so I’m sticking with it for now, but am hopeful the spotlight will be shared by others as the series goes on. — EB
PBS Picks Up ‘After Sherman,’ ‘Murders That Matter’ for Upcoming Season of ‘POV’ [Variety]
Folks who follow film fest news might be familiar with these docs: After Sherman is a film about “how systemic racial discrimination and violence have affected generations in the South,” with a focus on a South Carolina made up of folks who are descended from enslaved people who once worked their land.
Murders That Matter is about Philly mom and activist Movita Johnson-Harrell, whose 18-year-old son Charles was slain in 2011. His death galvanized her to seek office, and from March to December 2019 she served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives until a corruption scandal brought her down.
Those docs join Children of the Mist, a documentary about the “tradition of bride kidnapping still practiced by the Hmong, one of Vietnam’s largest ethnic groups,” POV announced earlier this month. All these docs, and more, will air as part of POV’s 36th season, which kicks off this summer. — EB
Wednesday on Best Evidence: Is centering the suspect ever a good thing?
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