ID Announces New and Returning Shows
ID, the leading true crime and justice network and discovery+, the premier streaming destination for true crime and the largest library of mystery and investigative content, announced today a jam-packed slate of gripping new programming. Over the span of 2022-23 upfront season, ID will premiere more than 450 hours of premium specials, brand new series and reboots of beloved classics. ID and the discovery+ podcast team will also add multiple series to its growing footprint of original podcasts in the booming true crime space.
“We are thrilled to continuously innovate in the crime and justice space by challenging the traditional true crime storytelling format to create impactful, original programming across our ID linear network, discovery+ and podcasts that not only captivates audiences but illuminates figures, cases and forensic revelations that we know our fans care about,” said Jason Sarlanis, President of Crime and Investigative Content, Linear and Streaming. “That’s why I am so excited to unveil an incredible, expansive slate of programming that’s an impressive combination of fascinating new series and specials, countless hours of fresh episodes from our returning hit series, reboots of series that are near and dear to our ID Addicts, and new podcast content. We are delighted to bring our audiences even more of the content they love.”
Kicking off the slate, ID will sizzle this summer with four blockbuster specials revisiting some of the most headline-making cases of the 1990s. Over the month of August, ID offers a nostalgic look at crimes of the decade with 11 brand new hours of appointment viewing: a fresh look at the shocking trial of Erik and Lyle Menendez for the murder of their parents in MENENDEZ BROTHERS: MISJUDGED?; a portrait of the illicit student-teacher relationship that gripped news stations with MARY KAY LETOURNEAU: NOTES ON A SCANDAL; a deep dive into a deadly feud between hip hop legends in WHO KILLED BIGGIE AND TUPAC? (wt); and a revisitation to the murder trial of British au pair Louise Woodward in THE KILLER NANNY. The month-long nostalgic dive into these controversial and heartbreaking cases will kick off the first Sunday in August on ID.
Premieres of new programming continue into 2022 with the long-anticipated debut of the exclusive discovery+ special HOUSE OF HAMMER (wt), which chronicles the deeply troubling accusations leveled against Oscar-nominated actor Armie Hammer and the dark, twisted legacy of the Hammer family dynasty. New series launching in 2022 include MURDERER NEXT DOOR, and WILD WICKED WEST (wt) as well as reboots of the classic ID love-gone-wrong series WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY? and the beloved missing persons series DISAPPEARED, both back by fervent viewer demand.
To commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, ID will use its platform to bring awareness to domestic violence survivors and advocates, and provide resources for potential victims. This slate of powerful programming will be anchored by the premiere of GABBY PETITO: AN ID MURDER MYSTERY, which presents a thoughtful investigation into the disappearance and tragic death of Gabby Petito that gripped the nation last year.
Signature returning series this upfront season include: AMERICAN DETECTIVE WITH LT. JOE KENDA, IN PURSUIT WITH JOHN WASLH, UNDERCOVER UNDERAGE, EVIL LIVES HERE, REASONABLE DOUBT, MURDER UNDER THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, PEOPLE MAGAZINE INVESTIGATES and ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN, among others.
Descriptions for all programming listed below:
SPECIALS
MENENDEZ BROTHERS: MISJUDGED?
August
Thirty years ago, the nation watched every moment of the Menendez Brothers’ dramatic trial in real time on Court TV. Now, thanks to TikTok and social media, an entirely new generation is learning their story for the very first time. Details of the murder were seared into our collective memory: the 911 call, the crime scene photos, the Rolexes. The media narrative – that two Beverly Hill boys killed their parents out of greed and allegedly concocted a fantastic account to get out of it – remains a national punchline. But now, three decades later, as Gen Z discovers the case, they see the story of two boys who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of their mother, father… and the media. Did we get it all wrong?
WHO KILLED BIGGIE AND TUPAC? (wt)
August
25 years of contempt, controversy, and conspiracy all lead to the same single question: who killed Biggie and Tupac? Now, with exclusive interviews and unique insight into both shootings, this series offers up answers from the key players involved. Who do you believe is telling the truth?
MARY KAY LETOURNEAU: NOTES ON A SCANDAL
August
With all the ingredients of a Hollywood movie, this sex scandal shocked, enthralled, and enraged 1990s America. 34-year-old elementary school teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, who was married with 4 kids, began an affair in 1997 with her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualauu. They not only didn’t deny the outrageous behavior, but they would also eventually embrace the love affair that included French-kissing on school grounds, trysts in her van, and even sexual rendezvous in her family home. The question on everyone’s mind was: Is this true love, or is Mary Kay Letourneau a pedophile, guilty of child rape?
THE KILLER NANNY
August
The murder trial of British au pair Louise Woodward was televised live in the UK transfixing viewers and splitting public opinion about whether she was guilty or innocent. Twenty-five years later evidence is reexamined with unprecedented access to witnesses, the defense team, the prosecution, and members of the jury who decided her fate.
HOUSE OF HAMMER (wt)
Debauchery. Deceit. Abuse. Addiction. Corruption. Over the course of five generations, the men in the Hammer family have more secrets and scandals than any vault can contain. Armie Hammer’s alleged crimes are only the tip of the iceberg. Through a trove of archive and interviews from survivors and family members, the dark and twisted secrets of the Hammer family come to light. Behind the money and power lies a dysfunctional dynasty with its male characters exhibiting all the devastating consequences of privilege gone wild.
GABBY PETITO: AN ID MURDER MYSTERY
October
On the one-year anniversary of Gabby Petito’s disappearance and eventual death which caused a media firestorm comes a thought-provoking special to break down the harsh realities of her fatal relationship with Brian Laundrie.
NEW SERIES AND REBOOTS
DISAPPEARED
Capitalizing on the success of ID’s DISAPPEARED podcast comes a television re-invention of the beloved franchise. After growing demand from devoted fans, ID reboots its missing persons series to help shine a light on more individuals who vanished seemingly without a trace, and whose loved ones are still searching for answers. The series aims to bring answers for the missing and closure to their loved ones – sometimes with devastating results.
WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY?
One of ID’s iconic series is back to reveal stories of happily ever after gone terribly wrong. Following the success of the recently released podcast, WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY? returns to ID after a seven year hiatus with a modern-day makeover. All-new episodes highlight manipulative and dangerous criminals who use their charm to cheat, steal, and lure unsuspecting victims into romantic relationships – ultimately leaving a wake of devastation … and even death.
WILD WICKED WEST (wt)
Set in an epic landscape where traditions of blood and vengeance run deep as the canyons and murder is still solved the old school way, this gripping series reveals the most compelling murders committed in some of the wildest and most remote towns in the western US. With few or no witnesses, no CCTV and oftentimes a dead phone signal, these can be the hardest cases for cops to crack.
MURDERER NEXT DOOR
These are stories of ordinary folks who confront the evil that was always right in front of them. Through the lens of home archive, we journey with our insiders into shocking crimes to reveal what was missed before tragedy changed everything.
RETURNING SERIES
IN PURSUIT WITH JOHN WALSH
After an incredibly successful 36 episodes with 36 featured fugitives found or brought to justice, ID and victims’ rights advocate John Walsh are teaming up to hunt down persons of interest and find missing children with the fourth season of IN PURSUIT WITH JOHN WALSH. In the series, John Walsh and his son, Callahan Walsh, introduce ID’s active and engaged audience to unsolved violent crimes that urgently need to be closed. In partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the series also features two missing children each hour in the hopes that viewers can provide new leads to their whereabouts.
ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN
ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN takes viewers on a thrilling journey inside the most fascinating crime and mystery investigations. First person accounts, along with insight from experts, are featured as each case reaches its dramatic conclusion.
PEOPLE MAGAZINE INVESTIGATES
New Season Returns Monday, June 6
Ripped from the pages of one of the nation’s top weekly magazines, PEOPLE MAGAZINE INVESTIGATES goes beyond the headlines to uncover the heart-wrenching stories of lives and families ripped apart. The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America’s most compelling crimes, as PEOPLE’s renowned journalists divulge the shocking twists and surprising facts they learned while investigating each case.
AMERICAN DETECTIVE WITH LT. JOE KENDA
With a 92% solve rate, Joe Kenda is one of the most successful homicide detectives in the country. His impressive career was profiled in nine seasons of ID’s hit series HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA, and now he’s back to tip his cap to the other great men and women who answered the call. In AMERICAN DETECTIVE, Kenda trades in his own case files to bring viewers astounding investigations from across the country, with each episode profiling a different detective whose tireless efforts helped bring justice for the victim.
REASONABLE DOUBT
Retired homicide detective Chris Anderson and defense attorney Fatima Silva re-examine controversial murder cases to ensure that the right person is behind bars for the crime committed. The due process-duo return to look at 10 new cases with an objective lens, hopeful to uncover the truth behind questionable courtroom convictions. Their investigation culminates in an emotional reckoning with families, either offering hope for an appeal, or acceptance of their loved ones’ guilty verdict.
UNDERCOVER UNDERAGE
This intense docuseries follows the work of child advocate Roo Powell – a 39-year-old mother of three – who poses online as underage decoys to identify dangerous internet child predators. Through her organization SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse), Roo and her team work in collaboration with law enforcement to detect offenders who prey on unsuspecting kids. UNDERCOVER UNDERAGE follows the team in real-time as they transform Roo into a teen persona and work to confirm the true identities of the men who reach out to her.
EVIL LIVES HERE
If the person closest to you were the devil in disguise, would you see the signs? EVIL LIVES HERE features intimate and unbelievable first-hand accounts from people whose loved ones have committed some of the most horrifying crimes imaginable. Each season takes viewers through the terror, pain, and lingering trauma that comes hand-in-hand with living in close proximity to evil.
BODY CAM
Raw, intense, and action-packed, BODY CAM uses body cam footage to show the dangerous, fast-moving situations officers face and the life-or-death decisions they must make in the blink of an eye.
MURDER UNDER THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Across the country, high school football unites small-town communities. But when a heinous murder shatters that Friday night dream world, the crime ripples beyond those immediately impacted, and the community will never be the same again.
In addition, ID’s extensive slate of true crime podcasts will continue to grow with a number of new, returning and ongoing podcasts, including:
NEW PODCASTS
HOT & DEADLY
Debuts Thursday, June 16
Danger lurks between the marshy swamps down South and across the open road, never missing a beat, even in the dead of summer. Each episode examines a gripping story, from the murder of a former biker gang to a missing bank president discovered duct-taped to a chair in a swamp, listeners will hear from investigators and family members closest to the cases. HOT & DEADLY features audio from three hit ID shows: SWAMP MURDERS, HIGHWAY TO HELL and SOUTHERN FRIED HOMICIDE.
DEADLIEST DECADE
Debuts in August
Featuring stories from ID’s hit TV series of the same name, THE DEADLIEST DECADE journeys back in time to recount murder investigations through the lens of nostalgia. We get a snapshot of the national mood, the major news stories of the time, and the pop culture trends. But the cozy spell of treasured pastimes is quickly broken with the occurrence of a shocking murder.
RETURNING PODCASTS
MIND OF A MONSTER
New Season Begins in July
In this season of MIND OF A MONSTER, criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward takes us to Washington State in the 1970s to investigate two of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history – Ted Bundy and the so-called Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. Both use deception to prey on young women and utilize the vast terrain to dump their bodies. And they did it almost 100 times between them – maybe more.
Ongoing current podcasts include DISAPPEARED, WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY?, NIGHTMARE NEXT DOOR, and SCORNED: LOVE KILLS.
To keep up to date on all exciting ID programming in store for 2022, exclusive web content, and bonus material, ID addicts and true crime fans can follow ID on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or check out the network’s true crime blog, CrimeFeed.
