What is Making a Murderer about? Who is Steven Avery? And where can I watch it?

What is Making a Murderer about?

Making Murderer tells the real story of the case of Steven Avery, who was charged and then convicted for the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach, alongside his nephew Brendan Dassey, just a few years after being released from prison for a wrongful sexual assault conviction.

The first series explores issues and conflicting interests inside the police force.

The second series deals with the aftermath of the documentary itself and how the momentum created in the case by the overwhelming media attention impacted Avery’s and Dassey’s efforts to overturn their convictions.

How many seasons of Making a Murderer are there?

The first season of Making a Murdered was rolled out onto Netflix in December 2015 and portrays the period between 1985 and 2007.

The second season of the show, which came out on the streaming site in October 2018, explores the aftermath of both Avery's and Dassey's convictions and the media attention that the case received after the first series and the efforts to prove their innocence in a retrial.

Netflix has not revealed whether they have plans to commission a third season.

Filmmaker Shawn Rech is working on an unofficial spin-off which has no affiliation with Netflix titled Convicting a Murderer which will look at the story through the eyes of the prosecutors and the State of Wisconsin.

Who is Steven Avery?

Steven Avery is the subject of the Making a Murderer documentary series. In 1985 he was jailed and served 18 years in jail before being exonerated by new DNA evidence. Only a few years later though, he was arrested for the murder of Teresa Halbach and was incarcerated in 2007 for what he claims was a wrongful charge. Since then he has been fighting to prove his innocence and that of his nephew Brendan Dassey.

Where is Making a Murderer filmed?

Writers and directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos used footage from police interrogations and court hearings to build the narrative of their true-crime series, as well as interviews with the Avery family, defense lawyers, the prosecution, judges and law enforcement, mainly filmed on location in Manitowoc County.

What should I watch/read/listen to next?

If you have become a true-crime nut after watching Making a Murderer, rest assured as you will not run out of similar anytime soon.

The Confession Tapes on Netflix presents six cases of possible false confessions leading to murder convictions, and presents the viewer with alternative scenarios of how the crimes could have been committed, featuring experts on criminal law, miscarriage of justice and psychology.

Serial is one of the most popular podcasts out at the moment, even beyond the true-crime genre. Hosted by Sarah Koening, each season of the podcast investigates a case of wrongful conviction.

In seven episodes, Netflix’s The Keepers explores the unsolved murder of nun Sister Cathy Cesnik and the believed cover-up by local authorities to protect priest A. Joseph Maskwell, guilty of sexual abuse over children.

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In The Central Park Five, author Sarah Burns how the high-profile case of a Wall Street banker being raped, beaten and left for dead in Central Park in 1989 and the how five teenagers of colour where made to confess for it. On the same true story is based Netflix’s four-part drama When They See Us.

For something that hit more close to home, the story of Amanda Knox, two-times convicted then acquitted for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, is explored in a Netflix documentary film with her name.

HBO’s miniseries The Jinx gained widespread exposure when it first aired in 2015, as its subject New York real estate heir Robert Durst and accused murderer was arrested the day before the series finale aired.