The fictionalized Devil In Disguise, starring Michael Chernus (Severance) as the infamous murderer, is based on the 2021 docuseries of the same name. Speaking with The A.V. Club at the time, NBC News Studios’ Alexa Danner (who served as an EP on the doc) made the case for revisiting what is already a very infamous true crime tale. “The Gacy case is still alive in that there are still six unidentified victims. The story has lingered on, and there is an ongoing fascination with a case like this with its rich history,” she said. “There’s always going to be an interest in someone like Gacy and his behavior.”
The same can be said for the Night Stalker, who was the subject of the NBC News Studio two-part documentary Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes last year. (Netflix has also done a Night Stalker doc, and Ryan Murphy has also used him as a character on American Horror Story). Patrick Macmanus has also become a go-to writer for true crime, having previously served as an EP on The Girl From Plainville and Peacock’s Dr. Death. His next project for Peacock is Vigilante, based on the podcast of the same name and following the story of “Texas-based search-and-rescuer Tim Miller, who becomes convinced that he’s finally solved his own daughter’s murder,” per Variety. Macmanus told TV Insider that he’s interested in exploring stories “driven by some semblance of systemic failure,” as how the Chicago police “were blinded and clouded by prejudice” in the Gacy case.
