Sky, HBO take Serial case to TV

European satcaster Sky and premium US cablenet HBO have commissioned a four-part documentary series about the murder case featured in the first season of hit podcast Serial.

Adnan Syed is awaiting a new trial

The Case Against Adnan Syed (4×60’) is from Academy Award-nominated director Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, West of Memphis).

It explores the 1999 disappearance and murder of 18-year-old Baltimore County high school student Hae Min Lee and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend. The case has been subject to renewed global attention since it was the focus of the popular Serial podcast in 2014.

NBCUniversal-backed Working Title TV and London-based indie Instinct Productions are working on the TV version, with NBCUniversal International Distribution distributing globally. The show will air on Sky Atlantic in Europe and HBO in the US.

In production since 2015, the doc will re-examine the events leading up to Min Lee’s disappearance, the aftermath, the original police investigation and the present day, with Syed awaiting a new trial. The programme makers have had exclusive access to Syed and his defence team.

The executive producers are Henrietta Conrad and Jemima Khan for Instinct Productions and Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Andrew Stearn for Working Title TV.

Sky and HBO have previously partnered on successful true crime docs including The Jinx and Tales of the Grim Sleeper.