NBC has ordered the series The Thing About Pam, with Renee Zellweger starring and executive producing. The six-episode scripted series is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in Faria's husband Russ’s conviction, but that was later overturned. The crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme involving Pam Hupp, played by Zellweger.
NBC went straight to series on the project, a collaboration between Blumhouse Television, NBC News Studios and Zellweger’s Big Picture Co. It marks the first major scripted project for Susan Rovner, chairman, entertainment content, and the first project between Blumhouse Television and NBC News Studios.
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Dateline NBC covered the Faria murder, calling it one of the most popular topics in the history of the show. A 2019 podcast was also called “The Thing About Pam.”
“When you think about what qualifies something as a ‘must watch,’ I’m not sure you could do any better than the undeniable trifecta of Renee Zellweger, Blumhouse and Dateline,” said Rovner. “The twists and turns of this saga are truly stranger than fiction, and in the hands of this incredibly talented artistic team, this series will bring a completely new perspective to a story that has already captivated millions.”
Jessika Borsiczky will write the series and be showrunner.
“Similar to our acclaimed and award-winning crime series such as The Jinx and Sharp Objects, we see this opportunity to fuel viewers’ appetites for strong and compelling stories,” said Jason Blum, CEO and founder of Blumhouse. “This opportunity to build a powerful, scripted franchise and work with the incomparable Renee Zellweger in her first starring role on broadcast TV, with a writer as gifted as Jessika Borsiczky and adapting material from the treasure troves of Dateline in partnership with our friends at NBC, is unparalleled. I couldn’t be more proud of the Blumhouse team for bringing it to fruition.”
The project represents NBC News’ first foray into scripted content.
Zellweger’s past projects include the biopic Judy, Cold Mountain, Chicago and Bridget Jones’ Diary.
The Thing About Pam will be executive produced by Zellweger, Carmella Casinelli, Borsiczky, Liz Cole, Noah Oppenheim, Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold.
