NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ Once a True-Crime Documentary, Has Become A Massive Content Stack
variety.comBrian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThe people who make NBC’s “Dateline” are trying to solve another mystery — but this one will likely never be seen on TV.The show has become known for presenting true-crime stories on NBC’s Friday nights, when Lester Holt and correspondents including Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy take viewers across difficult emotional terrain.
A crime has been committed and the victim’s loved ones want justice. Now, in the streaming era, Friday nights are no longer enough.“You can’t just put your show on broadcast and hope the show’s going to do a big number,” says David Corvo, senior executive producer of “Dateline,” in an interview. “You have to accumulate that number over a number of different platforms.” Soon, one of those will be Peacock, where the show’s producers expect to launch a new “Dateline” format, one that isn’t tied to the rhythms of broadcast TV and will have an almost documentary style to it.
The new series will aim to recreate the crucial last day of a victim’s life, examining decisions that were made, and the turn of fate that ended up making the difference between life and death.“We don’t have to adhere to limits on minutes,” explains Liz Cole, executive producer of “Dateline” and president of NBC News’ documentary studio unit, in an interview. “We can have a little bit more freedom with pacing.
We can be a little more leisurely at times.”The effort to expand “Dateline” is taking the program into new frontiers, including podcasts, 24/7 streaming channels and even scripted fare, as seen in the recent NBC limited series, “The Thing About Pam,” which starred Renee Zellweger.
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