.jpg)
Big news, true crime fans. As if we didn't have enough to binge, Channel 4 has now announced the launch of its very own true crime TV streamer, which will be known as True Crime On Channel 4.
The new destination will be found on All4, which is where you can catch up on all Channel 4 shows currently.
And it'll be the best place to find all of Channel 4's true crime content on demand, as well as various other commissions, acquisitions and archive content.
Advert
Result!
Shows we can expect to see on the platform include popular US docs, such as Surviving Jeffrey Epstein - a fascinating and chilling look at the life of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, as told by his victims - and The Alps Murders - which profiles the shocking murders of both the Al-Hilli family and Sylvain Mollier, back in 2012.
Meanwhile, there will also be a three-parter named Bling Ring, which will delve into the robberies, conducted by a group of teenagers, against 'it girls' Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.
Advert
Much like the Walter Presents destination on All4 - which is where the channel stores all its award-winning foreign language shows and films - True Crime On 4 will be a one-stop-spot for people to dig a little deeper into their fascination with the dark and mysterious.
And there will be around 150 hours of programming available when it launches, with new shows dropping every fortnight.
It's not surprising that true crime was the latest choice from Channel 4, given how exponentially our fascination with the criminal underworld has grown, of late.
Advert
Back in lockdown, Tiger King's Joe Exotic was the word on everyone's lips, to the point where his murder-for-hire plot against Carol Baskin became a cultural discourse in its own right. And even before that, there was barely a soul who hadn't seen Netflix's Making A Murder, and watched at least two deep dives on Ted Bundy, the Night Stalker and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Lee Chambers, Environmental Psychologist and Wellbeing Consultant at Essentialise, told Tyla our sudden interest in true crime may be a result of our increased awareness of the criminal world.
"We hear a lot more about evil in the world through social media nowadays, and this only fuels a desire to understand why it happens and delve into the minds of those who are willing to commit acts of evil and their victims," he said.
Advert
He added that the more unsettled our lives out - cough, *lockdown*, cough, *Covid* - the more fascinated we become with the genre.
"I would certainly say there is a level of schadenfreude involved in watching true crime. We get to experience the fear and horror of crime and approach the threat but ultimately know we are safe and comfortable in a controlled environment," he added.
“We’re finding audiences can engage with more layered and complex stories and not just turn up for a gruesome retelling of a crime,” Danny Horan, the head of factual at Channel 4 told The Guardian, explaining the channel's decision to evolve its coverage of the genre.
Advert
“I also think it’s partly because people have always been interested in real-world extraordinary events or people.
"Just look at most great titles in film and TV of recent times, almost all are based on a true story or event. That’s not a coincidence.”
Other shows on the new streamer will include a series of acquisitions from Vice, such as Sherry J Shriner docu-series The Devil You Know, and wrestling documentary Dark Side of the Ring.
Plus, six-part thriller, I, Sniper: The Washington Killers will be available, too, delving into John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo's three week killing spree in Maryland, Washington and Virginia back in 2002.
So much to binge, so little time.
Featured Image Credit: ShutterstockTopics: TV And Film, Channel 4, True Crime