Staircase drama reaches for the stars
Colin Firth and Toni Collette are bringing a chilling true-crime tale to our screens,
IF YOU are one of the diehard fans who binge-watched their way through Netflix’s true-crime documentary, The Staircase, you’ll have been counting down the days to Sky’s drama of the same name.
This week the wait is over as the series, based on the death of Kathleen Peterson and the dramatic trial that followed, is brought to life in a new way.
For those unfamiliar with the case, which was also made into a French documentary mini-series, Kathleen appeared to have the perfect life with her crime novelist husband, Michael Peterson.
When, in 2001, Kathleen was discovered unconscious at the bottom of the staircase in their home in North Carolina, Michael claimed she had fallen while drunk.
However, suspicion soon fell on the author, who was later charged with her murder.
At Michael’s high-profile trial in 2003, details of his bisexuality, love of gay porn and his affair with a sex worker were revealed and he was eventually convicted of bludgeoning his wife to death.
This series asks whether Michael – whose children stood by him – was a cold-blooded killer or an innocent and heartbroken man accused of a crime of which he was totally incapable of committing. Across eight compelling episodes, Oscar-winner Colin Firth steps into the shoes of Michael, while The Sixth Sense and Muriel’s Wedding star Toni Collette plays Kathleen.
Viewers will see the lead-up to her death and what happened after the body was discovered and the trial began, before jumping to the present day when Michael is a free man after having had his conviction overturned.
Like the Netflix documentary, the series will explore multiple theories behind Kathleen’s death and consider her earlier life. And along with the cast and crew of The Staircase, fans of true crime will no doubt be discussing the uncertainties it throws up for weeks to come.
Of taking on the real-life role, Colin said recently: “It just had this way of poking at questions… and it’s not as if we were hovering in some grey area. It would lead you down a path where you thought you were finding a resolution and then it would mess with you.
“It was fascinating just working with fellow actors and crew members, because I would hear people change their minds.”
Meanwhile, Toni, who has spoken of the difficulties of having to re-enact Kathleen’s death several times, said she wants the series to pay tribute to just one person.
“Kathleen’s death is so gruesome and incomprehensible. I just want her to be seen for all she was, as a person, prior to when she left her body,” she says.
“She had spirit, and she really lived and loved.”
■ The Staircase airs on Thursday at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and NOW