Large station owner Tegna Inc. struck a multi-year pact with Law & Crime Productions and Cineflix Rights to create original true-crime documentary series that utilize content from Tegna’s stations. The companies will launch their agreement with the production of 50 hour-long episodes, starting with a new series called “Cult Justice.”
The ten-episode series purports to examine the allure and power of cults. Every episode will tell the story of how law enforcement sought justice against different cult leaders through narratives from the survivors and police, accompanied by rare photos and videos. Some episodes focus on stories ripped from headlines, such as the NXIVM sex cult and The Family, a present-day iteration of the well-known Children of God cult.
“Cult Justice” will be led by executive producers Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, two former ABC News investigative journalists who will also lead all 50 true crime episodes. Dan Abrams, founder of Law & Crime; Rachel Stockman the company’s president, John Ford, head of programming for Tegna’s Quest and True Crime Network, and Felicia Litovitz, vice president, acquisitions, North America for Cineflix Rights, will also serve as executive producers on the shows.
“The partnership with Law&Crime and Cineflix Rights solidifies Tegna’s position as a player in original true crime programming,” said Brian Weiss, vice president, entertainment programming and multicast networks, for Tegna, in a statement, adding that the deal “reinforces our role as a future leader in the unscripted entertainment content space.”
Tegna’s Vault Studios and Law&Crime Productions also intend to collaborate on the production of a podcast series based on the hit series “Killer Cases,” which currently airs on A&E and True Crime Network, further expanding the series’ multi-platform presence.
“We are thrilled to partner with Tegna and Cineflix Rights in this first of its kind deal that gives us access to thousands of impactful stories in markets all around America,” Rachel Stockman, president of Law&Crime Productions
