Hey, "20/20" fans. We're back on here to let you know that ABC does have another episode of 20/20 all queued up and ready to go for you guys tonight, August 25, 2023. Tonight's episode will once again be a repeat episode since it's still the offseason. We've got some preview information for this repeat episode for you guys who might not have seen it yet. ABC served up a new, official press release for tonight's August, 25, 2023 repeat episode. So, we're going to certainly reference it for this preview session. Let's get to it. For starters, we've got an official title for tonight's August 25, 2023 repeat episode of 20/20. It's called,"Sincerely, the Happy Face Killer." It originally aired way back on November 5, 2021.
- 8/25/2023
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
ABC’s ‘20/20‘ brings viewers a gripping account of how a bizarre false confession led authorities astray in the investigation of the first murder committed by Keith Hunter Jesperson, infamously known as the “Happy Face Killer.” This two-hour program, airing on Friday, August 25 from 9:01 to 11:00 p.m. Edt, delves into the chilling story of how Laverne Pavlinac’s fabricated confession diverted attention from Jesperson, enabling him to remain at large and claim the lives of at least seven more women before his eventual arrest.
The False Confession That Derailed the Investigation
In 1990, after the discovery of Taunja Bennett’s body in the Columbia Gorge, 57-year-old Laverne Pavlinac confessed to police that she and her boyfriend, John Sosnovske, had committed the crime. Her detailed and convincing account led to their convictions and life sentences. However, Pavlinac’s confession turned out to be a web of lies concocted to escape an abusive relationship with Sosnovske.
The False Confession That Derailed the Investigation
In 1990, after the discovery of Taunja Bennett’s body in the Columbia Gorge, 57-year-old Laverne Pavlinac confessed to police that she and her boyfriend, John Sosnovske, had committed the crime. Her detailed and convincing account led to their convictions and life sentences. However, Pavlinac’s confession turned out to be a web of lies concocted to escape an abusive relationship with Sosnovske.
- 8/24/2023
- by Alex Matthews
- TV Regular
The new season of the true-crime series Very Scary People will premiere on Sunday, April 16, 2023 on its new home, Investigation Discovery. Donnie Wahlberg (Blue Bloods) will return as host and executive producer.
“I could not be more excited for a new season of Very Scary People to air on Investigation Discovery,” stated Wahlberg. “With each episode, we bring new insights into the lives of terrifying criminals to create awareness and hope this knowledge helps prevent similar crimes from happening in the future.”
The new season will kick off with “The Trailside Killer” which delves into serial killer David Carpenter. Per Investigation Discovery: “From 1979 to 1981, Carpenter terrorized Northern California’s typically tranquil hiking trails, shocking the quiet community surrounding them with his cold-blooded violence and led local authorities on a twisted and challenging investigation to bring him to justice.”
The upcoming season also features episodes that focus on Larry Hall, the...
“I could not be more excited for a new season of Very Scary People to air on Investigation Discovery,” stated Wahlberg. “With each episode, we bring new insights into the lives of terrifying criminals to create awareness and hope this knowledge helps prevent similar crimes from happening in the future.”
The new season will kick off with “The Trailside Killer” which delves into serial killer David Carpenter. Per Investigation Discovery: “From 1979 to 1981, Carpenter terrorized Northern California’s typically tranquil hiking trails, shocking the quiet community surrounding them with his cold-blooded violence and led local authorities on a twisted and challenging investigation to bring him to justice.”
The upcoming season also features episodes that focus on Larry Hall, the...
- 3/23/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
It would be an understatement to say that 2018 was a good year for true-crime podcasting — in fact, there’s a bit of a glut in the crime market these days. The soaring popularity of shows like My Favorite Murder, Casefile and Up and Vanished has fired up the imaginations of thousands of podcasting newbies around the world who are, apparently, eager to dissect cold cases. Do we really need another podcast from a group of girlfriends discussing crime scenes while chugging Merlot? Sure, sure we do.
To help ease the...
To help ease the...
- 12/31/2018
- by Laura Barcella
- Rollingstone.com
This fall, Lifetime will take an uncharacteristic trip into horror lit with Big Driver, an adaptation of Stephen King’s same-named short story from his 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars. Maria Bello stars in the grim and brutal pic, about an author who is brutally raped and assaulted by a truck driver, only to survive and return seeking vengeance.
The project is an unusual one for Lifetime, though the network has been branching out in recent years with increasingly dramatic original series like Witches of East End and The Lottery. Big Driver is also, like many of Lifetime’s programs, a tale of female empowerment led by a particularly steely protagonist.
Now, the suitably dark first trailer for the movie, which also stars Olympia Dukakis, Joan Gett, Ann Dowd and Will Harris, has arrived online. Check it out below, along with the official synopsis for the adaptation.
From a story by Stephen King,...
The project is an unusual one for Lifetime, though the network has been branching out in recent years with increasingly dramatic original series like Witches of East End and The Lottery. Big Driver is also, like many of Lifetime’s programs, a tale of female empowerment led by a particularly steely protagonist.
Now, the suitably dark first trailer for the movie, which also stars Olympia Dukakis, Joan Gett, Ann Dowd and Will Harris, has arrived online. Check it out below, along with the official synopsis for the adaptation.
From a story by Stephen King,...
- 9/24/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
We're closing in on the October 18th premiere date of Lifetime's upcoming "Big Driver" adaptation, and on tap today we have the film's official poster art to share plus over a dozen new stills. Check 'em out, and look for more soon!
About "Big Driver" on Lifetime:
From a story by Stephen King, "Big Driver" marks the first collaboration between Lifetime and King. This dark story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after falling victim to a brutal crime stars Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (A History of Violence).
Bello's co-stars include Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, film and television veteran Ann Dowd ("The Leftovers"), and Will Harris ("NCIS").
In "Big Driver" Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer, faces a long drive home following a book-signing engagement. But while driving on a lonely stretch of New England road,...
About "Big Driver" on Lifetime:
From a story by Stephen King, "Big Driver" marks the first collaboration between Lifetime and King. This dark story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after falling victim to a brutal crime stars Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (A History of Violence).
Bello's co-stars include Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, film and television veteran Ann Dowd ("The Leftovers"), and Will Harris ("NCIS").
In "Big Driver" Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer, faces a long drive home following a book-signing engagement. But while driving on a lonely stretch of New England road,...
- 9/11/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
From the looks of this effective new teaser trailer for its upcoming "Big Driver" film adaptation, Lifetime really seems to be trying to change its image and appeal to the horror crowd. Will it work? We'll find out October 18th.
About "Big Driver" on Lifetime:
From a story by Stephen King, "Big Driver" marks the first collaboration between Lifetime and King. This dark story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after falling victim to a brutal crime stars Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (A History of Violence).
Bello' co-stars include Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, film and television veteran Ann Dowd ("The Leftovers"), and Will Harris ("NCIS").
In "Big Driver" Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer, faces a long drive home following a book-signing engagement. But while driving on a lonely stretch of New England road, her tire blows out,...
About "Big Driver" on Lifetime:
From a story by Stephen King, "Big Driver" marks the first collaboration between Lifetime and King. This dark story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after falling victim to a brutal crime stars Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (A History of Violence).
Bello' co-stars include Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, film and television veteran Ann Dowd ("The Leftovers"), and Will Harris ("NCIS").
In "Big Driver" Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer, faces a long drive home following a book-signing engagement. But while driving on a lonely stretch of New England road, her tire blows out,...
- 9/2/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
A couple of months ago we learned that Lifetime was adapting Stephen King's "Big Driver" short story from his Full Dark, No Stars collection, and now the network has released some stills and revealed the film's premiere date.
About "Big Driver" on Lifetime:
From a story by Stephen King, "Big Driver" marks the first collaboration between Lifetime and King. This dark story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after falling victim to a brutal crime stars Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (A History of Violence).
Bello' co-stars include Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, film and television veteran Ann Dowd ("The Leftovers"), and Will Harris ("NCIS").
In "Big Driver" Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer, faces a long drive home following a book-signing engagement. But while driving on a lonely stretch of New England road, her tire blows out,...
About "Big Driver" on Lifetime:
From a story by Stephen King, "Big Driver" marks the first collaboration between Lifetime and King. This dark story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after falling victim to a brutal crime stars Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (A History of Violence).
Bello' co-stars include Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, film and television veteran Ann Dowd ("The Leftovers"), and Will Harris ("NCIS").
In "Big Driver" Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer, faces a long drive home following a book-signing engagement. But while driving on a lonely stretch of New England road, her tire blows out,...
- 8/26/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
David Arquette and Courteney Cox make better friends than lovers. The famous exes are both engaged to other people, and on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live Sunday, the 42-year-old Happy Face Killer star explained how they've remained amicable since getting divorced. "We just really dealt with it in a very sweet and honorable way. I don't know. We just love each other. Even though the relationship didn't work out, we wanted to still remain friends and treat each other with respect and have a great relationship for our daughter," David said of 10-year-old Coco Arquette. "In the negotiating process of a divorce, we did it with a mindful head: 'What are you cool with?'...
- 8/11/2014
- E! Online
There's already one film on its way based on a story from the Stephen King collection Full Dark, No Stars, and now joining A Good Marriage is Big Driver on Lifetime, which will star Maria Bello, Olympia Dukakis, Joan Jett(!), and Will Harris.
From the Press Release:
From best-selling author and master of suspense Stephen King, comes the Lifetime Original Movie Big Driver, starring Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (pictured; A History of Violence), Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Sex & Violence, Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, and Will Harris (Sky High).
Set to premiere this fall, Big Driver was first published as a novella within King’s critically-acclaimed collection Full Dark, No Stars and tells the story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after the core of her psyche is broken following a brutal crime. The film marks Lifetime’s first collaboration with America’s foremost horror authority and begins production in Halifax,...
From the Press Release:
From best-selling author and master of suspense Stephen King, comes the Lifetime Original Movie Big Driver, starring Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (pictured; A History of Violence), Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Sex & Violence, Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett, and Will Harris (Sky High).
Set to premiere this fall, Big Driver was first published as a novella within King’s critically-acclaimed collection Full Dark, No Stars and tells the story of a young novelist hell-bent on revenge after the core of her psyche is broken following a brutal crime. The film marks Lifetime’s first collaboration with America’s foremost horror authority and begins production in Halifax,...
- 6/25/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
Add Big Driver, a short story in Stephen King’s 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars, to the huge list of works by the living literary legend that are in the midst of being adapted to the screen. Lifetime just green-lit a television movie based on the story and has set A History of Violence actress Maria Bello to star.
Big Driver will center on a successful mystery novelist (Bello) who takes an ostensible shortcut on her way home from an engagement at a Chicopee, Massachusetts, library and falls into a trap set by a sinister trucker, who proceeds to brutally rape her and leave her for dead. After recovering from her injuries, the novelist uses the detective skills she picked up from writing mystery novels to track down and take revenge on the trucker and his accomplices.
It’s pretty disturbing material for a TV movie, and King’s short story was sickeningly graphic,...
Big Driver will center on a successful mystery novelist (Bello) who takes an ostensible shortcut on her way home from an engagement at a Chicopee, Massachusetts, library and falls into a trap set by a sinister trucker, who proceeds to brutally rape her and leave her for dead. After recovering from her injuries, the novelist uses the detective skills she picked up from writing mystery novels to track down and take revenge on the trucker and his accomplices.
It’s pretty disturbing material for a TV movie, and King’s short story was sickeningly graphic,...
- 6/24/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Maria Bello (Prime Suspect, Touch) is getting behind the wheel of Big Driver, a Lifetime movie based on Stephen King’s horror novella, TVLine has learned.
Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, rock icon Joan Jett and NCIS guest star Will Harris have also been cast in the project, which marks the first collaboration between King and Lifetime.
Big Driver, which was featured in King’s collection Full Dark, No Stars, centers on Bello’s Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer who faces a long drive home following a book signing engagement. While driving on a lonely stretch of New England road,...
Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, rock icon Joan Jett and NCIS guest star Will Harris have also been cast in the project, which marks the first collaboration between King and Lifetime.
Big Driver, which was featured in King’s collection Full Dark, No Stars, centers on Bello’s Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer who faces a long drive home following a book signing engagement. While driving on a lonely stretch of New England road,...
- 6/24/2014
- TVLine.com
Lifetime's latest original movie, the based-on-a-true-story "Happy Face Killer," was truly disturbing. You'll definitely get creepy chills every time you see David Arquette for the next few weeks.
Arquette played real-life serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, a Canadian truck driver who began strangling women as he crisscrossed the country, leaving a confession with a happy face at each crime scene. When a couple took responsibility for one of his murders, he started to get cocky and write letters to newspaper editors and messages on rest stop walls. That hubris ultimately got him arrested.
If you don't want to get caught having committed murder, you should probably not write letters and film videos confessing.
As far as Lifetime movies go, this one was pretty middle-of-the-road. No performances were outrageously campy -- though all low-budget thrillers on this network seem to have some level of cheesiness to them. Gloria Reuben was certainly...
Arquette played real-life serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, a Canadian truck driver who began strangling women as he crisscrossed the country, leaving a confession with a happy face at each crime scene. When a couple took responsibility for one of his murders, he started to get cocky and write letters to newspaper editors and messages on rest stop walls. That hubris ultimately got him arrested.
If you don't want to get caught having committed murder, you should probably not write letters and film videos confessing.
As far as Lifetime movies go, this one was pretty middle-of-the-road. No performances were outrageously campy -- though all low-budget thrillers on this network seem to have some level of cheesiness to them. Gloria Reuben was certainly...
- 3/2/2014
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
In March of 1995, Canadian truck driver Keith Jesperson’s five-year, eight-victim murder spree ended, but his notoriety had just begun. Livid when a woman falsely confessed to the first killing as a way out of an abusive relationship, Jesperson had sent letters detailing his crimes to prosecutors and media outlets, signing them with only a smiley face — leading one reporter to dub him the “Happy Face Killer.” This month, Lifetime dramatizes Jesperson’s story in the harrowing original movie Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette in the title role. “It’s a social study and an examination of what leads to … Continue reading →
The post David Arquette chills as Happy Face Killer Keith Jesperson in Lifetime film appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post David Arquette chills as Happy Face Killer Keith Jesperson in Lifetime film appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 2/27/2014
- by Lori Acken
- ChannelGuideMag
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