True Crime indie, FirstLookTV, has been commissioned by 5Star/Paramount to produce a 10-part documentary series, Sleeping With My Murderer. The seres will document ten tragically ill-fated love stories. Reflecting upon the early signs of abuse, it exposes weaknesses in the systems designed to police and protect people from this potentially lethal behaviour, with contributions from family members, law enforcement and legal professionals.

Through access to the inner workings of these relationships, each episode is centred around the accounts of those closest to the victims, as they share their stories of partnerships that began with a meeting full of hope, and ended in murder.

Every case is forensically uncovered, revealing the tell-tale events and threatening circumstances leading up to the murder. The series takes an emotive but journalistic approach to analysing the relationships to reveal the coercive behaviours and often- ignored signs of abuse. With rst-hand accounts of the crimes and the authoritative perspectives from members of the forensic teams, the series is positioned to alert audiences to the signs of escalating danger, and inform them of the resources and ways to support victims of these crimes, before it’s too late.

The Midlands indie will also launch a US-only version of Meet Marry Murder on A&E’s lifetime channel in late 2023, making FirstLookTV one of the biggest suppliers of true crime content in the world.

Will Hanrahan, founder of FirstLookTV and executive producer on Sleeping With My Murderer, commented: “We’re pleased to be working with our Paramount colleagues again on a series we feel will make an important contribution to understanding how domestic abuse can escalate. Our series, made in collaboration with ten British families, will show heart-breaking examples of relationships which end in tragedy. Working also with campaigning charities, we want our series to act as a vital source of information for those who feel they are in an abusive relationship”.

Damian O’Hara, Acquisitions Manager at Paramount Global, added “This is an important series which takes us to the core of controlling, coercive and dangerous relationships. Through these powerful true cases and brave family testimonials, our viewers will explore a world of silence and secrecy, and discover the ultimate heartbreak and devastating tragedy that results.”

Distributed by Abacus Media Rights, its founder Jonathan Ford, helped initiate the relationship between 5Star/Paramount and FirstLookTV.

“We know FirstLook’s work and were happy to facilitate a productive, creative dialogue. It’s an excellent series and we look forward to bringing it to market,” said Ford.