PASADENA, CA – February 9, 2019 – SundanceTV and Sundance Now are delving deeper into the true crime genre space with the launch of a podcast series hosted by Amanda Knox. The series, entitled The Truth About True Crime with Amanda Knox, will take a detailed look at the true crimes that are chronicled in upcoming Sundance TV and Sundance Now documentary series Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo, Killing for Love, The Preppie Murder: Death In Central Park (WT) and No One Saw A Thing.
Episodes of The Truth About True Crime with Amanda Knox are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other listening platforms and new episodes will premiere timed to each documentary airing on Sundance TV or Sundance Now. Listeners can subscribe on the platform of their choice here via Art19. Each podcast episode will be 20-30 minutes in duration.
Knox, who is an executive producer on the podcast series with Christopher Robinson, hosted a new bonus episode of the podcast from the 2019 Sundance Film Festival featuring filmmaker Joe Berlinger, who was the director and producer behind acclaimed SundanceTV documentary Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders. Knox and Berlinger discussed his latest film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which stars Zac Efron as Ted Bundy and premiered at Sundance. That episode is now available along with the first season of the podcast, which Knox hosted late last year for the docu-series, Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle. In the seven-episode season, Knox talks to survivors and scholars, as well as the TV series creators, to further explore cult leader Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple and the tragedy that became known as the Jonestown Massacre. Guests include Jim Jones Jr., The Road to Jonestown author Jeff Guinn and more.
“In keeping with the Sundance tradition of innovation in storytelling, SundanceTV and Sundance Now are thrilled to expand deeper into true crime space,” said Jan Diedrichsen, executive director of SundanceTV and Sundance Now. “While television as a format allows us to utilize archival footage, photos and videos, the podcast format allows for a deeper conversation and expansion of the story. What’s more, we have found a real-life expert in Amanda Knox, who brings a unique perspective to the true crime genre, and a humanity to the storytelling.”
“After surviving my own true crime saga, I tend not to be a fan of the genre, because it so often veers into sensationalism at the expense of the human beings involved and the truth,” said Knox. “But these stories are very important when told with compassion and context. I’m excited to partner with Sundance to bring nuance to these stories.”
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.
Killing for Love is a riveting dissection of a 1985 courtroom battle that played out on television, and its disturbing aftermath. Convicted of brutally murdering his girlfriend’s parents, Jens Soering has been in prison for over 30 years. The series reveals for the first time the mounting evidence of his innocence. The six-episode docu-series is available on Sundance Now.
The Preppie Murder: Death In Central Park (WT) is 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.sundancetv.com, on demand and mobile.
About Sundance Now
Sundance Now is AMC Networks’ premium streaming service, offering original and exclusive dramas and true crime series, in addition to award-winning movies from every genre, including foreign-language and documentary features – all streaming commercial-free. Built on the Sundance legacy and curated by acclaimed filmmakers and cultural icons, Sundance Now is proud to present an extensive array of entertainment for a passionate and intellectually curious audience.
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