Over two weeks, we have THREE limited series based on true stories and focused on a shocking death in American suburbia: last week’s “Under the Banner of Heaven” (from FX on Hulu), Hulu’s upcoming “Candy”—and this week’s HBO Max drama series “The Staircase.” Based on an acclaimed documentary series from 2002, “The Staircase” stars Academy Award winner Colin Firth as novelist Michael Peterson, who was charged with the murder of his wife, Kathleen, played by the invaluable Toni Collette.
This just a few weeks after the NBC crime drama “The Thing About Pam,” which was also about … a shocking murder in American suburbia. There’s a trend here, and it’s indicative of our collective obsession with all things true crime, whether in book, podcast, feature film, documentary or limited series form. While the material is decidedly lurid and usually follows the same time-hopping path where we start with the murder and work our way back, these series have been universally addictive, thanks to the first-rate production values, appropriately melodramatic dialogue and some of our best actors leaning into their roles and relishing the chance to don period-piece wardrobes and wigs (in most cases) and lose themselves in some complex and troubled characters.
