Variety - June 14, 2022

36 Pages·2022·11.6 MB·English

Limited
Series
MURRAY BARTLETT has viewers
buzzing after ‘White Lotus’
By Ethan Shanfeld

6 ● VARIETY + 06.14.2022
B I Z B U Z Z
Prime Time
Crime Wave
No matter how dark they
may be, familiar stories
bring viewers together
etflix
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elli/
Riv
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ol
By Jennifer Maas Nic
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This year marks the 30th anniver- eral more are all competing in g A
sary of Joe Berlinger and Bruce the same Emmys’ cycle, Berlinger ntin
Sinofsky’s “Brother’s Keeper,” has some unique insight into nve
which, as Berlinger says, is “one the nonfiction-to-dramatized X; I
F
of the granddaddies of the true- evolution. e/
p
crime docu movement.” “I can think of no other storytell- hor
It’s true that the 1992 film about ing technique where there is per- na T
the bizarre murder trial of Del- fect dramatic structure,” Berlinger, nt: Ti
bert Ward, who was accused of who most recently produced Net- me
h
the “mercy killing” of his brother flix’s docuseries “Conversations ac
e
in rural upstate New York, was an With a Killer: The John Wayne mp
early entrant in our collective soci- Gacy Tapes,” says. “There’s rising e) I
g
a
etal obsession with the unscripted and falling action. There’s a clear p
true-crime format, which in beginning, middle and end. There This
recent years has crossed over to are two parties vying for the truth. ki; (
the scripted side. There’s an inciting incident and erals
As one of the founding fathers there’s a resolution. There’s just a op
D
of the format that has piqued our natural dramatic structure. an
D
interest in true crime to the point “So if you want to create un- by
where limited series including scripted content that feels like a ph
a
“Impeachment: American Crime movie that has dramatic struc- ogr
Story,” “The Staircase,” “The Drop- ture to it, that’s true crime,” he hot
P
out,” “Inventing Anna,” “Dr. Death,” adds. “And I think that scripted er)
“A Very British Scandal,” and sev- filmmakers have discovered that “Impeachment: American Crime Story” (top) and “Inventing Anna” are among the true crime stories contending. Cov
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8 ● BIZ + BUZZ 06.14.2022
as well. It is a category of content
that is extremely satisfying from
a narrative-slash-dramatic-struc-
ture standpoint.”
In 2015, Ryan Murphy debuted
the first chapter of his scripted
true-crime format, FX’s “Amer-
ican Crime Story.” Titled “The
People v. O.J. Simpson,” the first
season received 22 Emmy nods
in 13 categories and won nine,
including for limited series. The
third season, “Impeachment:
American Crime Story,” is now
looking to clear the Emmy bar
set by “People v. O.J.” and its fol-
low-up, “The Assassination of
Gianni Versace,” both of which
are based on violent crimes. But
“Impeachment” writer Sarah
Burgess notes the ways in which
the series fulfill the same need
in viewers.
“‘The People v. O.J.’ is such a
great use of the limited series HBO Max’s “The Staircase” examines whether Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth) killed his wife.
format. I think a good true-crime
story, with all of the different “It makes sense it could be a col- and with Anna Delvey [played by piece was a way to be like, look, this
worlds and characters you get to lective streaming or TV viewing Julia Garner], a lot of it is about, is the thing you’re familiar with.
experience and all that colliding experience, too,” she says. “We do I know her? We all know dif- You’ve seen this. Now what we’re
in some kind of climax, is a won- don’t have a shared book, a lot ferent sides of her. What does that going to do is, not only are we going
derful use of scripted, limited of us, or a shared religious text mean? What does that say about to show you what you haven’t seen,
series television,” she says. “Also, or even a shared newspaper. But me as a viewer based on my new but we’re going to show you what
there’s a collective experience in these collective obsessions, we or held opinion?” you have seen from behind the
that kind of television.” do actually all share, across party Beers adds: “With ‘The Stair- scenes. We’re going to show you
Burgess says these stories are lines, across ideologies. There’s case,’ in which, certainly, the how that thing was constructed.
often well-known ones, including something there that’s still very stakes are incredibly high in a And now looking back at that
the Simpson murder trial and the much a place where we can come life-and-death way, it’s the same. thing, you’re going to have a dif-
Bill Clinton scandal, but can still together — or fight about things. There’s a parallel there, because ferent perspective on it.”
work if it’s a lesser-known crime, But we’re all able to be there.” I’m looking at those characters Cohn sees audiences continued
as long as “there’s some kind of Betsy Beers, who along with and I’m saying, did he do it? It interest in true crime — whether
community aspect to it.” Shonda Rhimes produced Net- always boils down to, did he do it be unscripted or scripted — as
flix’s Anna Delvey limited series it? Did she do it? Did they do it? speaking to “a somewhat primal
“Inventing Anna,” says what And whether or not we feel like, need to believe that we have some
helps in leveling the playing field as an audience, we can figure that form of control over our lives.”
between a violent crime, such out, and number two, what would “Investigating real-life tragedies
as the Michael Peterson murder I do in that situation? We all want that have occurred to other peo-
trial at the center of HBO Max’s to feel like we know.” ple that are, to some degree, relat-
Colin Firth and Toni Collette-led Based on the Peterson trial, but able makes us think that maybe
“The Staircase,” and a non-violent also Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s we can find some sort of roadmap
crime story, e.g. the ones commit- Netflix’s docuseries that followed for our life and find some way to
ted by Delvey, is how they handle the trial, “The Staircase” is itself protect ourselves, protect our
what is at stake for their charac- a story about a true crime and loved ones,” she says. “I’d like to
ters based on real people. about making such content. think it’s beyond voyeurism. I
These collective obsessions, we do
“I think to Anna, the stakes are “Initially [‘The Staircase’ docu- like to think people enjoy joy as
actually all share, across party lines, as high as a situation in which a series] was this seminal piece much as train wrecks. So, I’d like
man may or may not have killed of true-crime media within the to avoid thinking that that’s the
across ideologies. There’s something
his wife,” Beers says. “What’s really canon of true crime,” executive reason that people are interested
there that’s still very much a place
interesting about true crime in producer Maggie Cohn says. “And in true crime. I really think it is to
where we can come together — or general is there’s something really it kind of started to shape our idea protect themselves, to try and find
fascinating about the puzzle of not of what true crime can be: the that control in the chaos that we
fight about things. But we’re all able being sure if you know somebody. twists and turns, the family ele- all experience every day within Max
to be there.” — Sarah Burgess Certainly with ‘Inventing Anna’ ment. So, for us to use this seminal our lives.” BO
H

10 ● BIZ + BUZZ 06.14.2022
The Bad Side of Blue
Jon Bernthal spoke to
corrupt Sgt. Wayne Jenkins
before portraying
him in ‘We Own This City’
By Joe Otterson
again how Jenkins not only
regularly broke the law during
his career, but was repeatedly
protected by higher-ups in the
department as they viewed him
as an effective officer who could
make arrests and put drugs and
guns in front of the cameras.
As Bernthal and the series lay
out, a police work slowdown
occurred in Baltimore following
the decision to charge the officers
accused of killing Freddie Gray in
2015. In the years that followed,
Jenkins flourished.
“It was almost like an athletic
contest,” Bernthal says. “How
many arrests did you make?
How many drugs did you get off
the street? How many guns could
you seize? And so, he was doing
the very thing that he was set out
to do [by the system].”
From there, Jenkins allowed “his
greed to take over and became
unbelievably corrupt, vile and
Jon Bernthal has played cops, he was most concerned about laid bare in recent years following wicked,” Bernthal continues.
criminals and everything in not simply portraying Jenkins protests against police violence But Jenkins’ actions were not
between. But his role in the HBO as a one-dimensional “monster.” in cities including Ferguson, just confined to his own life. As
limited series “We Own This City” Instead, he spoke to Jenkins, his Baltimore and Minneapolis. the series demonstrates, he cor-
presented a new challenge for the fellow officers and even his vic- He felt that this show would be rupted other officers by showing
celebrated actor. tims to develop a more nuanced particularly resonant since it hails them the ropes as he had learned
The series is based on the non- portrayal of the man behind from the team behind “The Wire,” them, which included theft and
fiction book of the same name by the headlines. a series Bernthal refers to as a “sus- lying about probable cause to
Justin Fenton. It tells the story of a “The first thing [Jenkins] said to tained and cogent meditation on effect arrests. In one such scene,
group of corrupt Baltimore police me is ‘You must think I’m the worst crime, the war on drugs, inner-city he offers a member of his team
officers who worked on the city’s guy on Earth.’ I said, ‘Look, Wayne, poverty and policing.” (played by Jamie Hector) a brick
Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF). It everybody told me you’re a good “David Simon and George of cash after they successfully raid
was eventually discovered that the father,’” Bernthal says. “And to me, Pelecanos approach their work a drug operation, arguing that they
officers routinely violated citizens’ there’s nothing more important to with journalistic innerntegrity,” he deserve the money given the risks
rights, stole money they seized in me than my kids. So that was a real says. “So for me to have the oppor- that they take.
drug raids and even resold drugs access point where I really could tunity to explore these issues with “What he’s saying is, ‘Look, don’t
back onto the street. latch on to him as a character.” the level of rich nuance that these Jon Bernthal we deserve more?’” Bernthal says. BO
H
Bernthal stars as Sgt. Wayne The biggest draw for Bernthal guys do was an opportunity that I worked to find the “And whether you agree with that, di/
Jenkins, a leader of the GTTF who to join the series was the chance wanted to jump on.” dofif Sfegrte. nWt alayyneer s or you don’t agree with it, it’s my hiral
was eventually sentenced to 25 to explore systemic issues in As the six-episode series Jenkins in “We job to understand and empathize ul Sc
years in prison. The actor says that American policing that have been unfolds, viewers see again and Own This City.” with it.” Pa