Trump TV · Andrew Tate · LISK Doc
Plus, a long weekend for true crime (or not)
the true crime that's worth your time
Happy holiday weekend to those who observe! In the U.S., Monday is Labor Day, a national holiday that Best Evidence will be observing, too. (We’ll be back on Tuesday with our weekly discussion thread.) This weekend, I’m in Indianapolis with my husband Tim, ostensibly celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary (we’re not big Valentine’s/anniversary people due to our desiccated and rotten hearts); Sarah is just chilling at home with a couple books. How about you?
In terms of new true crime that’s dropped in time for the weekend, the cupboard is extremely bare — things don’t really pick up until next week, when the new releases start coming in droves. That’s fine for me, as Tim and I had been apart for the last couple weeks and have a lot of “shared” TV to catch up on (Project Runway All-Stars, that whole new Justified season, and he asked me to save the rest of Telemarketers to watch with him so there’s that). But for content within our area of interest, this might be a weekend to catch up or rewatch.
For me, I think that might be HBO’s dramatic adaptation of The Staircase. I gave the show short shrift when it aired — I think I jammed through our screeners on a plane and while jet-lagged, never with my full attention. But I keep thinking about that cast, and about the overall story (did he do it?) and want to come back to it. Plus, it just feels like some humid late-summer viewing, for whatever reason. So that’s my pick for my weekend. How about you? — EB
Paid subscribers got August’s bonus review last night, complete with a Sam Elliott tighty-whitey shot. I’d expect nothing less from Sarah, of course, but was still thrilled to see that — and her appreciation of late actor Farrah Fawcett — in my inbox this morning. Next month’s options are equally intriguing (my vote went to Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, FYI) and are ready for your vote. So, get to it! — EB
Hearsay
Fulton judge says Trump court proceedings will be televised [AJC]
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee issued an order Thursday saying (per Mediaite) “ all court proceedings involving Trump and his 18 co-conspirators will be broadcast via a television pool.” In addition, McAfee’s own YouTube channel will stream it live, which is certainly ONE WAY to get subscribers! Also loosened are media communications rules: reporters can bring in laptops and cell phones and use them during the proceedings, as long as they’re not recording. Brace for impact, everyone.
Who Holds the Keys to Andrew Tate’s Empire? [Rolling Stone]
The Dangerous Rise of Andrew Tate dropped earlier this year; now its makers are back with Andrew Tate: The Man Who Groomed the World?, which hits the BBC on Sept. 28. Filmmakers Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin talk to RS about life on the Tate beat and why this guy matters, including an alleged “45 potential victims” of folks in Tate’s circle.
Liz Garbus to Direct Netflix Docuseries on Gilgo Beach Serial Killings [Variety]
As we all know, Garbus directed the fictionalized adaptation of Robert Kolker’s 2013 LISK book Lost Girls for Netflix, so it would have been weird if her name wasn’t on this one, too. Per a Netflix release, this new series “will foreground the stories of the victims’ lives, with exclusive access to their families, and examine the history of the police investigation and recent breakthroughs that led to the identification of Rex Heuermann.”
Garbus gets a release quote, of course, saying, “With the arrest of suspect Rex Heuermann on July 13 of this year, a new chapter began in the decades-old investigation of the missing and murdered women found in Gilgo Beach and beyond. And yet, just as some questions start being answered, new ones emerge.” I sure hope so, because there’s still relatively little out there on Heuermann; a multi-episode series might have to be pretty damn padded to fill the time. — EB
Next week on Best Evidence: Rewriting David Grann, death-row gameplay, and Rob Lowe’s true crimes.
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