Hot Picks: Dead In The Water

Don’t F**k With Cats indie Raw TV is returning once again to the space where murder and online sleuthing coalesce, with a series about the hunt for the killer of a British couple in Guatemala in 1978. Four decades after the trail goes cold, the devastated families of the young victims take up the manhunt and begin their own online investigation.

According to Dead In The Water executive producer Keeley Van Dyke, the series covers much more than simply the investigation around a tragic unsolved case. “Crucially for us at Raw, there has to be an additional layer or a deeper theme beyond the crime itself,” she says.

“The narrative of the series involves numerous twists and turns within the crime, but it also unfolds as a story about love, loss and two families seeking closure on both sides of the Atlantic. That is what truly captivated us.”

All3Media International senior vice-president of non-scripted Rachel Job agrees that what sets the crime series apart is the way the British and American families come together in their search for justice and to uncover the truth about what happened so many years ago.

Because the series delves deeply into the psychology of those involved, it reveals just how much each of them has been shaped by the shocking murders and feels let down by law enforcement. This is what brings a real sense of purpose to the story, according to Job.

“The families are candid, and still so hurt by what happened, it feels as though the viewer is there by their side, rooting for them,” she says. “The audience gets an exceptionally rounded depiction of the impact this crime has had on the lives of so many people.”

Job says that given Raw’s true-crime reputation, Dead In The Water has all the makings of a hit. The indie’s previous titles include Netflix smashes Vatican Girl: The Disappearance Of Emanuela Orlandi and The Tinder Swindler.

“Bearing in mind its unique access to the families, we were sure Raw would find a way to deliver something genuinely captivating,” she explains.

“Stylistically, we’re taken back in time through excellently crafted dramatic reconstruction, and a soundtrack straight from the 1970s. In true Raw style, it feels utterly accurate and authentic, allowing a real sense of place and time, which helps us understand the context of the crime.”

The doc is part of an exciting development in the true-crime space, she adds, because it has opened up the genre to premium budgets from commissioning, co-production and pre-sales. “Premium true-crime docs are so well researched and produced that they can directly compete with drama,” she says.

“More than that, they are often the inspiration for scripted shows, as often the truth has more twists and turns – and is more inherently dramatic – than fiction could ever be.”

Dead In The Water will be showcased at the London TV Screenings as one of All3MI’s key factual titles. “We have built a fantastic relationship with our buyers, and they trust that when Raw has a new project, they’re going to want to see it,” says Job, who has already landed sales in Hong Kong and Denmark.