Peacock plucks Banks for crime series

NBC News’s Peacock Productions has signed a deal with American football player Brian Banks, who was exonerated of a rape conviction in 2012, to develop a series about a potential case of wrongful conviction.

Brian Banks

The as-yet-untitled, unscripted series will take an in-depth look at the facts and key suspects of a case and attempt to answer questions that might not have been asked before.

“Brian has unique insight into the complex world of the criminal justice system,” said Sharon Scott, president and general manager of Peacock Productions.

“He spent a decade fighting to clear his name and will draw on that experience during his investigation of one captivating case that has all the drama of a scripted series – except it is real.”

A promising talent on the field during his teenage years, Banks was sentenced to five years in prison and another five on parole after a high-school acquaintance accused him of rape in 2002.

However, nearly a decade after his conviction, his accuser admitted to fabricating the entire story. Banks went to court with this new evidence and successfully cleared his name.

The athlete played professional football with the Atlanta Falcons and now works at the NFL’s corporate headquarters.