Investigation Discovery Refutes Netflix’s ‘Making A Murderer’ With ‘Front Page’ Special – TCA

Investigation Discovery is partnering with NBC News’ Peacock Productions on Front Page: The Steven Avery Story, slated to air late this month. Dateline NBC correspondent Keith Morrison will host the special, which ID says aims “to provide viewers with critical details surrounding the case” and “inform viewers in light of the nearly 300,000 people calling for the release of Avery.”

Front Page comes in response to Netflix’s 10-episode docuseries Making A Murderer from directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, which premiered last month on Netflix. That series, which questions Avery’s arrest and murder conviction for the 2005 killing of photographer Teresa Halbach, prompted two petitions of outrage, with most signers demanding Avery’s release. Almost all based their anger on their viewing of the Netflix series, which some critics have said withheld important information.

“As the country’s most experienced true crime network, we feel compelled to address some critical details missing from the case as presented in the Netflix documentary,” said Henry Schleiff, group president of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America, in announcing the project today at TCA. He added that ID will  air a “special edition” of Front Page “to provide critical, crucial evidence and testimony that will answer many questions surrounding Steven Avery.”

Each episode of Front Page covers a major case making headlines, within just weeks of the initial incident. The quick=turnaround documentaries — or “instamentaries” — feature interviews with people closely associated with the case and expert commentary from ID’s roster of experts spanning criminal profiling, criminal psychology, investigative journalism, legal analysis, forensic science and police investigation.