2017 Upfront: Oxygen

(press release) Oxygen Media is aggressively expanding its crime programming slate with eight new greenlights, two new series in development and the acquisition of “Dateline: Secrets Uncovered,” it was announced today by Rod Aissa, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Development, Oxygen Media. The new crime offerings include projects from NBCUniversal’s Wilshire Studios, NBC News’ Peacock Productions, BuzzFeed Motion Pictures and Executive Producers Dick Wolf, Ice-T, Soledad O’Brien and Nancy Grace respectively.

“This new slate has a great mix of high stakes real time crime investigation and innovative formats that allows viewers to stay engaged from beginning to end with immersive storytelling,” said Aissa, “It’s a real differentiator in our programming, and we’re thrilled to be working with some of the sharpest talent and producers in the genre.”

“This investment in premium video content is a strong signal to our industry partners as they continue to seek out quality environments for their brand messages,” said Laura Molen, Executive Vice President, Lifestyle and Hispanic Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal. “We know that crime programming delivers an engaged, passionate consumer and we’re excited to deliver these audiences to marketers as they continue to advance their business priorities.”

Moving to a fulltime crime destination for women this summer, Oxygen is unveiling a new logo (right).

Since announcing the shift to becoming a crime destination for women, Oxygen has become the fastest growing cable entertainment network in total day (up +48% year over year) among total viewers. Additionally in April 2017, Oxygen Digital (Oxygen.com and Oxygen Now App) was up +47% in unique visitors and up +68% in visits from last year.

New Series:

“What Happened to…Jessica Chambers?” (working title)
This active crime investigation docu-series takes a deep dive into the mysterious death of Jessica Chambers, the Mississippi teen who was doused with gasoline and set on fire in December of 2014. The series is inspired by the investigative journalism of BuzzFeed News’ Senior National Reporter Katie J.M. Baker, who reported Chambers’ story, uncovering developments and helping raise awareness about the case. Executive Produced by Academy Award® nominated, two-time Emmy® and Peabody Award winner Joe Berlinger (“Brother’s Keeper,” the “Paradise Lost Trilogy” and "Intent to Destroy"), the series looks at the mystery and unanswered questions surrounding Chambers’ death, which has made it one of the most-talked about cases on the internet. In 2016, a grand jury indicted Quinton Tellis, 27, charging him with capital murder. Tellis has pled not guilty to the charge. A trial date has been set for October of 2017, which Wilshire Studios plans to cover as part of production.

“Mysteries and Scandals”
Hosted and executive produced by multiple Emmy® and Peabody Award winner Soledad O’Brien, this new true crime series investigates Hollywood’s most intriguing criminals, murders and cases of corruption, exploring infamous headlines that captured the nation’s attention using archival footage, new interviews and stylized depictions of past events.

“Final Appeal”
Brian Banks was a star football player with NFL aspirations before he was wrongfully convicted. He spent five years behind bars until he was fully exonerated a decade later. The series will follow Brian along with former prosecutor, Loni Coombs, as they attempt to unravel details of criminal cases where the defendants claim to have been wrongfully convicted. The series will expose viewers to a thrilling whodunit mystery as the puzzling cases unfold and potentially reveal new information that could change the fates of the suspected criminals.

“Ice Cold Murder” (working title)
Hosted by Ice-T, this series exposes outrageous tales and shocking true stories involving sex, money, murder and sometimes a fatal cocktail of all three. Captivating reenactments will spotlight the very dark side of playing with fire and the tangled webs of lust, greed and death.

“Criminal Confessions”
This series delves into the psychological showdown that takes place inside actual police interrogation rooms and dissects what happens to yield a confession. Each hour-long episode takes viewers through the twists and turns of a real homicide case from the crime scene to the suspects’ questioning to the ultimate confession. The police officers and detectives assigned to each case will reveal their methodology while interviews with the suspects’ and victims’ friends and family will shed light on the crime. In every case, the interrogating officer will “break” the suspect and get a shocking reveal of what really happened.

“The Disappearance of”
“The Disappearance of…” is a series of multi-part documentaries that dive headfirst into a rabbit hole of unexplored leads, missing evidence and unnerving suspicion surrounding the most puzzling cases of young women who have gone missing.

“Patricia Cornwell’s True Conviction” (Working title)
Patricia Cornwell, a world-renowned author who has sold more than 100 million books worldwide and has built an entire career on extensive scientific research and unprecedented forensic detail, has assembled an all-star team of world-class experts in the fields of psychology, forensics, and clinical pathology. Together, they will apply their collective knowledge toward a real life case where the stakes are life and death.

The Price of Duty (Working title)
From Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman, the producers of “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” “The Price of Duty” delves into the most haunting cases of homicide detectives’ careers. Each episode takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride to the front lines of the investigation, retracing their first steps on the crime scene to the final bust and the emotional aftermath that they still carry today.

Acquisition:

“Dateline: Secrets Uncovered” (Working title)
Real-life mysteries. Investigative reporting. Justice. Dateline is the long-running, award winning newsmagazine bringing viewers stories ranging from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Hosted by NBC News’ Craig Melvin, each episode of “Dateline: Secrets Uncovered” incorporates the classic elements of drama and great storytelling: good guys, bad guys, conflict with the highest stakes, suspense and resolution. Hear the chilling tales directly from those most affected and involved, including investigators tasked with cracking the case and the families confronting tragedy. In every story we tell, we help the real people who lived the events share their journeys with you.

In Development:

“Retried”
This true-crime series follows a group of legal experts lead by Nancy Grace as they reassess an adjudicated murder case to see if they can uncover new information that could potentially lead to a retrial. Each week, the team will tackle one new case, studying key moments from the trial, inadmissible evidence, and crucial facts that were never made public. Could the reexamination ultimately produce a different theory, or did our justice system get it right the first time?

“Kept Alive”
This investigatory series explores the true stories of missing person cases where the attacker convinced the world their victim was still alive by impersonating them. Through text messages, social media posts, and more, the murderer or murderers were able to divert suspicion of foul play. On each case, family, friends, key witnesses and the detectives assigned will unravel the tangled mystery and expose the mistakes that finally brought a killer to justice.