‘The Thing About Pam’, based on ‘Dateline’ stories and a companion to the podcast, achieved a live series.
Renee Zellweger is on his way to NBC to star in a limited series, based on one of Dateline’s most popular true crime stories.
The network picked up a live series on The thing about Pam, based on a set of stories from NBC’s long-running newspaper and companion podcast. Zellweger will make her TV series debut in the six-episode program on which she is also an executive producer.
The show is the first major pickup under the screenplay under Susan Rovner, the recently installed chair entertainment content at NBCUniversal. The thing about Pam comes from Blumhouse Television, NBC News Studios and Zellweger’s Big Picture Co. Jessika Borsiczky (UnReal, House of Lies) writes and will serve as a showcase runner.
“If you think about what qualifies as a ‘must watch’, I’m not sure you could do better than the unmistakable trifecta of Renee Zellweger, Blumhouse and Date line, “Rovner said.” The twists and turns of this saga are truly stranger than fiction, and at the hands of this incredibly talented artistic team, this series will bring a whole new perspective to a story that has captivated millions. “
Blumhouse and NBC News Studios (the premium content center of the news division) entered into a partnership last year to develop text series based on NBC News content. The thing about Pam started developing in May 2020 as the first project from the partnership.
“Similar to our award-winning and award-winning crime series such as The Jinx and Sharp objects, we see this opportunity to whet viewers’ appetites for strong and compelling stories, “said Jason Blum, CEO and founder of Blumhouse. This opportunity to build a powerful, written franchise and work with the incomparable Renee Zellweger in her first starring role broadcast on TV, with a writer as gifted as Jessika Borsiczky and the adaptation of material from the treasure chest of Date line in partnership with our friends at NBC, is unmatched. I could not be more proud of the Blumhouse team that made it to its rightful place. ‘
Borsiczky said: ‘As someone watching an episode of Date line in ten years, what immediately struck me about Pam from other true crime stories, is that at first glance it’s all the twists and turns of an exciting murder mystery, but it’s a character story in his heart that is reflected in a profound American landscape back to us. ‘
The thing about Pam concentrates on the murder of Betsy Faria in 2011. Her husband was convicted of the crime but insisted he was innocent and later his conviction was overturned. The crime leads to a series of events that expose a demonic scheme involving Pam Hupp (Zellweger).
The real Hupp is currently serving a life sentence for a 2016 murder in Missouri. Her story is the subject of several Date line segments and a podcast of 2019 that shares a title with the limited series.
“As NBC News Studios builds on an impressive record just one year after our launch, we can no longer be proud to work with this extraordinary team of collaborators on our first foray into the text,” said Noah Oppenheim, president of NBC News, said.
Liz Cole, president of NBC News Studios and producer of Date line“This story resonated with the public every time we discussed it. We are delighted to share it in a new way by collaborating with Renee and our incredible partners at Blumhouse and NBC.”
The limited series will be Zellweger’s first regular role in a broadcast program. She plays in Netflix’s What if in 2019 and is the best actress Oscar for Judy last year. Her credits also include Cold Mountain, Jerry Maguire, the Bridget Jones movies and Chicago. She is fascinated by Carrabino Management and CAA.
Borsiczky is represented by ICM Partners, Rain Management and Jackoway Tyerman.
Borsiczky and Zellweger will supply executive products The truth about Pam with Carmella Casinelli, Cole, Oppenheim, Blum, Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold.