Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone searching for a new true-crime drama to watch.
In this week’s newsletter, Screen Gab editor Matt Brennan gets insight from “Happy Face” showrunner Jennifer Cacicio about her approach to telling a serial-killer story — plus, streaming recommendations for your weekend and more.
You are reading Screen Gab newsletter
Sign up to get recommendations for the TV shows and streaming movies you can’t miss, plus exclusive interviews with the talent behind your favorite titles, in your inbox every Friday
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
ICYMI
Must-read stories you might have missed
‘The Apprentice’ made Trump a reality TV mogul. Now Amazon is putting it back in the spotlight: The reality show, which premiered in 2004, helped propel Donald Trump to new heights and set the stage for his political career.
Commentary: Unlike ‘The Baldwins,’ Halyna Hutchins documentary grapples with reality of ‘Rust’ shooting: On their reality show, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin discuss how the “Rust” shooting affected their lives, but a new documentary about Halyna Hutchins reminds us who the real victim was.
‘Long Bright River’ allowed Amanda Seyfried to go inside a cop’s mind with its creator: The Peacock limited series offered the actor a rare opportunity to play a character adapted from a book while working closely alongside the author, Liz Moore.
Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender on spy game ‘Black Bag’: The actors have both worked with director Steven Soderbergh before and craved a return to his speedy, efficient playfulness with “Black Bag.”
Turn on
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
“1923” (Paramount+)
Of all the timelines in Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” universe, “1923” is my hands-down favorite. And not just the miraculous match-up of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as Jacob and Cara Dutton, struggling to hold onto their Montana ranch until their troubled He-Man of a nephew Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) can come home to help, though that figures heavily. I love a good epic journey and “1923” is full of them. Summoned home from the dusty veldts of Africa, Spencer and his posh/feisty British soulmate turned wife, Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer), encounter a series of catastrophes, including being physically separated, that make “The Odyssey” look like a drive to Santa Barbara.
Meanwhile (and there are loads of “meanwhiles”) Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), having escaped the racist horrors of a Catholic boarding school with murderous vengeance, is on the lam and being tracked by a ruthless racist lawman and an only slightly less evil-minded French priest. Back in Montana, every trip Jacob and company take to Bozeman and back is inevitably fraught with peril — if not instigated by dastardly rich guy Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) and/or his henchman Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn), then by the pitiless nature of extreme weather. And at the ranch, Cara and Lizzie (Michelle Randolph) find that, in Season 2 anyway, even a trip to the henhouse (or the front porch!) can turn into a life-or-death situation. All over the place, geographically, socially and psychologically, “1923” manages to provide a “greatest hits” look at the time period (including, most recently, Alex’s traumatic encounter with Ellis Island) while keeping a firm hold on its many narrative threads. The admirable result? Characters you care about and never a dull moment. — Mary McNamara
“Dark Winds” (AMC, AMC+)
There are many reasons you should be watching “Dark Winds,” but the biggest is Zahn McClarnon’s turn as Navajo Nation tribal cop Joe Leaphorn. The 1970s-set neo-western crime thriller follows the veteran police officer working to keep his community steady against internal and external agitators while also carrying some lingering scars from personal tragedies. Although he wields a casual aloofness, Leaphorn is caring and competent, with a strong moral compass that gets very much tested throughout the series (which you can catch up on Netflix). He’s a gruff police officer you can’t help but root for as he investigates incidents that are indicative of some of the larger systemic issues that affect his community, from racism to tribal sovereignty and the complexities of Indian law. The third season, which kicked off earlier this month, sees Leaphorn grappling with the repercussions of a decision he made to serve a kind of justice that others might not agree with. — Tracy Brown
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Some family secrets are life-altering. At 15, Melissa Moore learned that her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, was the prolific serial killer commonly known as “Happy Face.” He was sentenced to life in prison for murdering at least eight women in the early 1990s. As an adult, Moore shared her story in the 2009 memoir “Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter” and later launched the podcast “Happy Face”; both projects serve as the basis for Paramount+’s new true-crime drama. Premiering Thursday, “Happy Face” stars Annaleigh Ashford as Moore and Dennis Quaid as Jesperson. Showrunner Jennifer Cacicio stopped by Screen Gab recently to discuss what’s different about this serial-killer show, what she’s watching and more.— Matt Brennan and Yvonne Villarreal
What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?
I’ve been getting caught up on shows I missed while I was in production last year, and one I just watched and loved was “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” [Prime Video]. I just thought it was so fun. The writing was fantastic, as were the performances. I love how the action was underpinned by the emotional story of this complicated marriage. And I always recommend to everyone that they should watch “Below Deck” [Peacock] . Full stop.
What’s your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?
“Freaks and Geeks” [Paramount+] is probably the show I’ve watched the most times. It’s absolute perfection, and I will never tire of its humor and heart. Another fave is “Friday Night Lights.” When I feel stuck writing, I rewatch that pilot. It’s flawless. And then I’m really into ’90s thrillers: “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” is one of my all-time favorites. Anything with Ashley Judd. The ’90s were a magical time in the storytelling of badass mothers who would do anything to save their families. Really trying to bring that era back.
When/how did you first encounter the story of Melissa Moore and what was your initial reaction?
I first heard this story through Melissa’s podcast, “Happy Face.” I was writing on “Your Honor” [Netflix] at the time and listened to the first episode on my commute into work, then immediately called my agent and told her I needed the rights. My father was actually in prison for most of my childhood for dealing drugs, so while the crimes of our fathers were different, a lot of Melissa’s experience was familiar, filled with secrecy and trauma and complicated family dynamics. The idea of creating a serial-killer show told through the daughter’s POV was something I was so excited to do.
In many ways, “Happy Face” flies in the face of what we’ve come to expect from the proliferation of serial-killer stories, scripted and not. What trope or convention were you most excited to challenge or dispense with in making the show and why?
I love this question! I think I was most excited to dispense with the trope of half-naked dead girls found in various places. I really wanted to make a serial-killer show without violence. I feel we’ve had our fill of violence against women onscreen. Our show explores violence in many ways, but we never glorify it. I’m more interested in the ripple effects of these kinds of crimes on the family members of both the perpetrators and victims. I think the challenge was how to make a show about a serial killer that’s not violent but still entertaining and suspenseful, while also staying true to Melissa’s emotional story. Hopefully, we succeeded at that!