CBS To Bring JonBenét Ramsey Case To Life With New True Crime Series


With the success of American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson, it’s not a huge shock to see that another network wants in on the ratings buzz of a ripped-straight-from-the-pages court case.

O.J. Simpson’s trial was called “the trial of the century” but if there was another case that rivaled in popularity, it was the one about 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, the beauty pageant darling who was mysteriously murdered in December of 2006.

According to E! CBS revealed to the outlet that it’s developing its own true crime series, but this one is unscripted. It’s said that by the time CBS is ready to go on the JonBenét Ramsey case, the miniseries will unravel the mystery in the fall of 2016, which marks the 20-year anniversary of her murder.

So, if it’s not a fictionalized story, what’s the appeal? Well, insiders say that the JonBenét Ramsey special will stage together a reunion between the original investigators on the case, and will mix that commentary up with new experts. Everyone involved will then re-examine the case and try to solve it. CBS is already banking on the series being a success because it plans to have a different case each season.

CBS isn’t the only network getting on the true crime train. NBC announced they’re going to have a true crime case, too, but unlike CBS, theirs will be scripted. True to the network’s brand, it will be called Law & Order: True Crime.

It’s a smart move for NBC; not only are they banking on the success of FX, but they’re also pinning the idea on an already existing brand that has been amazingly successful and has kept up impressive ratings numbers, even while the network went through its own set of struggles. NBC is taking on the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of killing their parents back in 1994.

Of course, Netflix also has their hand in the true crime game, but this was prior to American Crime Story. Before the first episode aired, everyone had already spent their entire holiday season binging Making a Murderer, a series that told the story of convicts Steven Avery and Brandon Dassey.

As for CBS, it seems like it’s on the right track because people are already reacting very positively to the news, even though it will be a documentary of sorts.

Then, there are those who had hopes that FX would take on the Ramsey case for Season 2 of American Crime Story. Maybe that’s where CBS got their idea from?

That said, those people may be disappointed to find out that American Crime Story will leave the court room entirely for their second season. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the popular series will point its lens at the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster.

The reaction seems to be mixed for season 2 of American Crime Story, but that’s exactly how it was prior to the release of The People v O.J. Simpson.

[Photo by Barry Williams/Getty Images]

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