And the TCA Award for the creepiest panel of the Summer Press Tour goes to … Investigation Discovery!
ID put forth “Homicide Hunter” host Lt. Joe Kenda, “Killer Instinct” host Chris Hansen, “Deadly Women” host Candice DeLong, “Behind Closed Doors” host Tony Harris and Production Senior Vice President Sara Kozak at Thursday morning’s Discovery Television Critics Association event. A chill definitely took over the ballroom, and for once it wasn’t the blasting air conditioning courtesy of the Beverly Hilton.
Former “To Catch a Predator” host Hansen (pictured, second from the left) recapped an interview he did for his new ID show, “Killer Instinct,” when he spoke with a woman who came across the headless corpse of another victim — one that wasn’t lucky enough to get away from their shared captor.
“In 30-something years of doing this, it was the most compelling victim interview I’ve ever done,” he told the TV critics in attendance.
Shortly thereafter, Kozak fielded a question about why women watch ID programming habitually for such potentially unhealthy lengths of time.
“Essentially, it’s very compelling storytelling. And it’s very relatable, because the majority of crimes are personal,” Kozak (pictured, far right) told journalists. “They’re about relationships that have done wrong.”
“We’ve actually — we’ve dialed back,” she continued. “We’re not about violence and we’re not about gore. And if any torture is involved, we don’t show that. What we do show, is the consequence of the crime.”
“Just like a good crime novel, we have a strong beginning, very strong middle, and an end, which usually, the majority of the time, the heroes, the cops, the investigators — they bring that person to justice,” Kozak concluded. “It’s satisfying to see them in the orange jumpsuit, put away.”
Harris’ expanded ID relationship was the only actual new announcement of the session.
“Behind Closed Doors: Shocking Secrets” is a special report on the state of domestic violence in the U.S., set to premiere this October. Additionally, ID and the investigative journalist are once again teaming with the Southern Poverty Law Center and its founder Morris Dees to showcase iconic stories from the organization’s case files in the all-new series “And Justice For All,” which will premiere in early 2016.
“Building on the tremendous success of the ‘Hate in America’ special we premiered last February, I’ve been looking for more opportunities to work with Tony, a journalist who puts his passion on the line with his reporting,” said Henry Schleiff, group president, Discovery Networks. “Timed to air during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Tony will go “Behind Closed Doors” to provide a very intimate look atthe unexpected victims of domestic abuse in this country. Furthermore, we’re proud to be the television home for projects that shine a light on important, often overlooked aspects of our justice system. We are honored that Morris Dees and his team at the SPLC are working with Tony to provide in-depth reports of some of the most shocking and saddening hate crimes in the U.S.”
“I am grateful to Investigation Discovery for providing me with an amazing platform for these very important documentary projects,” added Harris. “There are very few homes on television that allow for the compelling, in-depth storytelling that I am passionate about, and I look forward to working with the teams at ID and NBC News’ Peacock Productions to bring these revealing stories to viewers.”