Oxygen announced the expansion of its true crime programming Monday, including 10 new shows and the United States premiere of “Serial Killer With Piers Morgan.”
“Serial Killer With Piers Morgan” will explore the minds of three of America’s “most depraved” serial killers through on-camera interviews with Morgan. Morgan will executive produce with John Ferriter, Will Daws and Stuart Cabb. The show is produced by Plum Pictures and Ferret Productions.
“The response from the true crime community has been overwhelming,” said executive vice president of original programming and development Rod Aissa.
“We’ve had some tremendous early ratings successes since our rebrand, and this new slate adds to our mission of providing best in class investigative docu-series from the top producers and talent in the genre, while continuing to offer exclusive access and compelling storytelling that have become paramount to our viewers,” he added.
“Oxygen is delivering an audience of true crime enthusiasts that is passionate about the programming, resulting in the ideal effectiveness for our advertiser’s messaging,” said executive vice president of lifestyle and Hispanic advertising sales at NBCUniversal. “We’re seeing this engagement not just on linear but also across Oxygen’s digital presence, where younger, valuable consumers are coming to the network, allowing us to show the network’s reach across multiple demos.”
The true crime slate includes 10 new series, below:
“In Defense Of” explores the relationship between criminals and their defense attorneys. It will take a look at high-profile criminals including the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and his defense attorney Chris Tritico, and Jodi Arias and her public defense lawyer Kirk Nurmi. It is produced by Magical Elves with executive producers Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth.
“The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers” takes a look back at the disappearance in 2015 of a 35-year-old mother in Bardstown, Kentucky. Journalist Stephanie Bauer partners with retired homicide detective Dwayne Stanton in this investigative series. It is produced by Peacock Productions with executive producers Lloyd Fales and Nicole Rittenmeyer.
“Price of Duty” portrays homicide detectives recounting the most haunting case of their careers. It is produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC) with executive producers Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Bill Pruitt, Jackson Nguyen and Todd Crites.
“Abuse of Power” is hosted by television journalist Lauren Sivan and will explore cases in which a pillar in a community took advantage of their power and influence. Produced by Storyville Entertainment and Lucky 8 with executive producers Betsy Schechter, Kim Woodard, Greg Henry, Dahlia Damaghi and Mitchell Rosenbaum. It will premiere on Saturday, May 12.
“The Mark of a Killer” (working title) looks at serial killers’ strange habits and trademarks. It is produced by Jarrett Creative, with executive producers Seth Jarrett and Julie Jarrett and Motiv8 Media with executive producers Kara Kurcz and Brian Lee.
“License to Kill” (working title) will see “Botched” plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow investigate murderous doctors and nurses. Each episode will detail a different case from the victim’s perspective. It is produced by Shed Media, a division of Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television. Pam Healey, Dave Kuba, Adam Kassen, and Terry Dubrow executive produce.
“Dying to Belong” explores cases in which people chose to kill with the goal of feeling accepted, including cases where a teenager killed to impress his friends and a mother who killed a cheerleader competing with her daughter. It is produced by Jupiter Entertainment with executive producers Stephen Land, Allison Wallach, Matt Sprouse and Eric Wetherington.
“Buried in the Backyard” looks at cases in which the victim was buried in an unsuspecting place: the backyard. Each episode will start with discovering the body’s remains through the police investigation. It is produced by Renegade 83 with executive producers Jay Renfroe, David Garfinkle, Bob Kusbit and Jeff Kuntz, and premieres Sunday, June 3.
“A Wedding and a Murder” looks at cases in which a wedding serves as a catalyst for a murder. Anyone could be a suspect, from the bride and groom to a wedding guest. It is produced by Leepson Bounds Entertainment with executive producers David Leepson, Stephanie Lydecker, Mary Bissell and Daniel Schulman. It also premieres Sunday June 3.
“Cult of Killers” (working title) explores murders committed by cults. Each episode will look at the cult behind the crime and try to explain what drove its members to kill. It is produced by IPC with executive producers Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman and Eureka with executive producers Paul Franklin and Chris Culvenor.