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Documentary Business

Peter Hamilton Consultants, Inc

New Trends in True Crime: Streamers are Changing the Game… What producers need to know! A podcast with Ed Hersh

Ed Hersh is a veteran channel executive who spent years at A&E, Court TV, and Investigation Discovery as one of the architects of their True Crime programming.

He is my fellow New York-based, senior consultant, and has his own company now, StoryCentric, which advises networks and producers on their development, pitching and storytelling strategies, with a special focus on True Crime.

In our ‘pod-versation’, Ed defines what we mean by True Crime programming.

We then expand on the analysis covered in his recent popular Documentary Business post titled True Crime All the Time: Bulk Gives Way to Bespoke.

He describes three categories of the genre:

  • WHODUNIT
  • HOWDUNIT
  • WHYDUNIT

We investigate a selection of recent releases starting with The Tinder Swindler followed by We Need to Talk About CosbyScream: The True StoryBad Vegan and others.

We conclude by comparing True Crime with the hot MUSIC genre, also covered recently in Documentary BusinessStreamers Spend on Music Documentaries. Big Stars. Unique Access. Sky High Budgets. $25 Milllion for Billy Eilish July 6, 2022


Podcast: Listen to Ed Hersh on True Crime


ED Hersh

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My Upcoming Webinars + MIPCOM Workshop

How to Find and Develop Your Documentary Concept into a Compelling Pitch, with Tom Jennings

  • Tom Jennings is the inspiring Peabody & PGA award-winning producer for leading channels & platforms worldwide.
  • In our webinar, Tom will answer your questions about how to find a great idea for an unscripted show, and then develop the concept into winning pitch.
  • The webinar is for subscribers to my Desktop Documentaries course. Watch for more details!
  • Thursday, September 8, 10am/PT, 1pm/ET.

Netflix & the Streamers: the latest on what they buy and what they pay, with Keith Ochwat

  • I join Show&Tell’s Keith Ochwat to discuss the streamers’ evolving content needs.
  • Webinar is for Show&Tell subscribers. Watch out for details.
  • Thursday, September 15, 345pm/ET.

MIPCOM Case Study Workshop

  • I’m very excited about attending MIPCOM, starting Sunday, October 16 in Cannes.
  • On Wednesday October 19, I’ll moderate the afternoon session dedicated to three revealing Unscripted Case Studies.
  • Details to follow.