The Staircase Showrunners on Their Gripping True Crime Drama

Co-Showrunners Antonio Campos & Maggie Cohn detail their gripping new true crime series, HBO Max’s The Staircase. They discuss the intricacies of telling a story where the truth is undefined and how they wanted to give each possibility of truth its own exploration within the series. They also shared some of the elements which made for telling a complex story but that were important to keep aligned with authenticity from what actually happened.

Watch the full conversation below.

Q&A on the HBO Max series The Staircase with showrunner/executive producer/director Antonio Campos and showrunner/executive producer Maggie Cohn. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company.

In 2001 novelist Michael Peterson's wife died, and he claimed she perished after falling down stairs at their home. The medical examiner, however, determined that she had been beaten with a weapon, which led to Peterson becoming a suspect in what would become a murder investigation. This series, which began with eight episodes in 2005 before being updated in 2013 and 2018, follows the investigation as it proceeds from Peterson's arrest to a verdict being reached in the ensuing trial. The real-life courtroom thriller offers a rare and revealing inside look at a high-profile murder trial and an examination of contemporary American justice.