All Columns in Alphabetical Order


Monday, December 3, 2018

#SmallScreenScenes @SundanceTV #WhomYouKnow SUNDANCE TV FINDS ANOTHER WINNER IN THE TRUE CRIME GENRE AS VIEWERS FLOCK TO LATEST DOCUMENTARY, “JONESTOWN: TERROR IN THE JUNGLE”

Leonardo DiCaprio and Stephen David Entertainment Produced Series Delivers More Than 500,000 Total Viewers and Grows Audience From First to Second Installment
Notable Audience Delivery Comes as Network Expands Its Documentary Slate with Projects Including “Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo” and “The Preppie Murder: Death In Central Park” (WT)

SundanceTV’s newest true crime documentary, “Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle,” which aired as a two-night special programming event on Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18, delivered 527,000 total viewers in Nielsen L+3 ratings for the first installment and grew its audience for the second installment to 529,000. Beginning last year with “Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders,” SundanceTV is continuing its exploration of true crime by partnering with award-winning talent on new multiple series from top tier talent behind the camera, that examine an infamous crime and the lasting effect of these stories on the victims, American society and popular culture.

For those who may have missed it the first time, SundanceTV will encore “Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle,” tonight, Thursday, November 29 and Friday, November 30 at 11:00 pm on both nights; then again Sunday, December 2 starting at 10:00 am. The series airs in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre that claimed the lives of more than 900 people. The New York Times said the series was “engrossing, disturbing” and “fast-paced;” The Hollywood Reporter said “I’m…prepared to call Terror in the Jungle one of the best of the genre;” and Entertainment Weekly said “this four-part documentary details the massacre in, skilled deeply harrowing fashion.” “Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle” is executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson of Appian Way, author of “Road to Jonestown” Jeff Guinn, and Stephen David of Stephen David Entertainment and directed by Shan Nicholson.

Additionally, SundanceTV will premiere additional true crime documentaries including “Ministry Of Evil: The Twisted Cult Of Tony Alamo,” from Emmy Award®-winners Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, and Peacock Productions; “The Preppie Murder: Death In Central Park” (WT) with Emmy® Award- winner Robert Friedman’s Bungalow Media + Entertainment and the original prosecutor in the case, Linda Fairstein and directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg; and “No One Saw A Thing” from Blumhouse Television.

“SundanceTV’s explorations of true crime have been enormously popular with viewers, and we are so pleased with the response to ‘Jonestown’ in particular,” said SundanceTV executive director Jan Diedrichsen. “With prestigious creative talent on board, we are taking a look back at some of the most notorious crimes in American history with a fresh perspective and cinematic lens and look forward to bringing more of these series to audiences who seek this kind of evocative storytelling.”

Upcoming true crime documentary series on SundanceTV include:

“Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo” – chronicles the life and crimes of Tony Alamo, who, with his wife, Susan Alamo, became a born-again, fire-and-brimstone televangelist. The two launched The Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation in 1969, which soon evolved into a cult that is said to still operate today. Together, by skirting the law and enforcing a code of silence among their followers, the Alamos came to wield unimaginable power, becoming millionaires on the backs of their believers. When Susan Alamo died in 1982, Tony continued getting away with heinous cruelty that included child abuse, polygamy and pedophilia. The series will explore the cultural consequences of the Alamo empire and feature rarely-seen archival footage, including an exclusive videotaped deposition with Alamo himself. It will also weave together interviews with the FBI agent who took Alamo down as well as cult survivors who have never previously shared their stories. “Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo” is executive produced by Emmy Award®-winners and World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Inside Deep Throat), and Elizabeth Fischer and Leslie Mattingly of Peacock Productions.

“The Preppie Murder: Death In Central Park” (WT) – a multi-part docuseries that reexamines one of the most infamous crimes in recent American history: the brutal murder of Jennifer Levin in Central Park in 1986. Working closely with the case’s prosecutor, Linda Fairstein, the series will expose evidence that was inadmissible in the trial and will also examine the circumstances that made the story unfold the way it did: America’s untamed ambition in the mid-1980s, the rarified lifestyle of New York’s Upper East Side, sexism, elitism, an all-out tabloid media war that blamed the victim and an imperfect justice system. The series is produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment with executive producer Robert Friedman. Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (“Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing,” “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work”) direct the series.

“No One Saw A Thing” – examines an unsolved and mysterious death in the American Heartland and the corrosive effects of vigilantism in small town America. The case garnered international attention in the early 1980s after a resident was shot dead in front of almost 60 townspeople. These witnesses deny having seen anything, to this very day. Award-winning Israeli filmmaker Avi Belkin will direct and serve as executive producer of the six-episode series from Blumhouse Television, which will also be executive produced by Alexandra Shiva. In addition to Belkin and Shiva, “No One Saw A Thing” is executive produced by Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, and Marci Wiseman and co-executive produced by Mary Lisio.

About SundanceTV

Since its launch in 1996, SundanceTV has remained true to founder Robert Redford’s mission to celebrate creativity and distinctive storytelling through unique voices and narratives found in the best independent films. From delivering critically acclaimed Emmy®, Golden Globe® and Peabody Award-winning television featuring some of the world’s most talented creators and performers, to showcasing some of the most compelling and iconic films across genres and generations, SundanceTV is a smart and thought-provoking entertainment destination. SundanceTV is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.; its sister networks include AMC, IFC, BBC America and WE tv. SundanceTV is available across all platforms, including on-air, online at www.sundance.tv, on demand and mobile.

Back to TOP