Oxygen, which has turned into a crime-programming focused cable network, says it has four new projects in the genre in development.
One series comes from Buzzfeed motion pictures, with the working title of Buzzfeed: Behind the Crime. Another is based on the Up and Vanishedpodcast.
Related: Behind Oxygen’s Killer Rebranding
“Fans of the crime genre have really responded to the new Oxygen,” said Cori Abraham, senior VP, development and international. “We're attracting some of the biggest producers and talent in this space, and we’re looking forward to unveiling our 2018 slate.”
With its new orientation toward crime programming, including series from Law & Order’s Dick Wolf, Oxygen says viewership among total viewers in total day is up 53% year over year.
Related: Dick Wolf’s ‘Criminal Confessions’ Debuts on Oxygen Oct. 1
Details of the projects in development follow.
Up and Vanished (working title)
Produced by Propagate Content with Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, Brett-Patrick Jenkins, Payne Lindsey and Donald Albright serving as executive producers.
With over 140 million downloads, the hit podcast Up and Vanished shined a spotlight on the small town mystery of Tara Grinstead, a Georgia beauty queen and school teacher who went missing in 2005. Kicking off with the investigation of Grinstead’s disappearance, the real-time investigative docu-series will follow Payne Lindsey as he examines the bizarre, unexplained and mysterious cases of people who have up and vanished, never to be seen again. Combining chilling stories with cinematic storytelling techniques, this citizen sleuth will scrutinize alibis and double check reports, stopping at nothing until he finds the truth.
Buzzfeed: Behind the Crime (wt)
Produced by BuzzFeed Motion Pictures with Matthew Henick, Sanjana Seelam, Kelsey Darragh and Garrett Werner serving as executive producers.
BuzzFeed's Kelsey Darragh scours the reaches of the web, putting her true-crime obsession to the test as she investigates unsolved mysteries kept alive through the power of the Internet. In each case, Kelsey goes from laptop to blacktop - traveling to the scene to inspect places of interest, interview local law enforcement and residents to gain an insider’s perspective. While debunking Internet theories from her "boots-on-the-ground" vantage point, Kelsey will uncover new insights and theories along the way.
License to Kill (wt)
Produced by Shed Media, a division of Warner Bros. Unscripted and Alternative Television, with Pam Healey, John Hesling, Dave Kuba and Terry Dubrow serving as executive producers.
Renowned plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow (Botched) investigates jaw-dropping cases of murderous doctors and nurses. In each episode, Dr. Dubrow will detail the outrageous events that led to each medical professional’s insidious use of their expertise by taking viewers inside the killers’ minds, and inside the bodies of the victims, utilizing signature forensic animation. Every case unfolds from the perspective of the victims, families, colleagues and law enforcement, with harrowing accounts of patients put into jeopardy all the way through to the final act. Whether these doctors spiraled out of control over money, jealousy, power or from mental breakdowns, armchair detectives will be on the edge of their seats as authorities try to stop the madness before someone else gets killed.
Unhinged (wt)
Produced by Peacock Productions with Andy Cashman, Art Lyons, Soraya Gage and Knute Walker serving as executive producers.
Hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Troy Roberts and Emmy nominated reporter Stephanie Bauer, Unhinged is an immersive true-crime series that breaks open the nation’s most twisted and suspenseful cases to unearth answers never before revealed . . .until now. Plunging viewers into an investigative journey for the truth, each self-contained episode has Roberts and Bauer traveling to the scene of the crime to meet with key players and uncover all the grisly twists and turns of the investigation. Shot vérité style, unexpected discoveries and new details are brought to light about the victim and killer. Over the course of an hour, the series provides a compelling, 360-view of a gripping case that changed the lives of families, friends and communities forever.
