A Friend of the Family (miniseries)
| A Friend of the Family | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Nick Antosca |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 51–56 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Peacock |
| Release | October 6, 2022 – present |
A Friend of the Family is an American drama miniseries. Based on true events, it follows Robert Berchtold, a close friend of the Broberg family, who kidnaps Jan Broberg twice over a period of two years. It consists of nine episodes and premiered on Peacock on October 6, 2022.[1] The events depicted in the series were previously covered in the 2017 documentary Abducted in Plain Sight.
Plot
In 1974, Robert Berchtold, a close friend of the Broberg family turned serial child abductor, kidnaps Jan Broberg, age twelve. After she was returned to her parents, he abducts her again at age fourteen in 1976.
Cast and characters
- Jake Lacy as Robert Berchtold
- Anna Paquin as Mary Ann Broberg
- Colin Hanks as Bob Broberg
- Lio Tipton as Gail Berchtold
- Mckenna Grace as Jan Broberg
- Hendrix Yancey as Young Jan Broberg
- Mila Harris as Young Karen Broberg
- Maggie Sonnier as Older Karen Broberg
- Elle Lisic as Young Susan Broberg
- Norah Murphy as Older Susan Broberg
- Austin Stowell as FBI Agent Peter Walsh
- Patrick Fischler as Garth Pincock
- Bree Elrod as Jennifer Ferguson
- Philip Ettinger as Joe Berchtold
- Ella Jay Basco
- Callie Johnson as Cop #4
- Kate Adams as Eileen
Episodes
| No. | Title [2] | Directed by | Written by [3] | Original air date [4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Horseback Riding in American Falls" | Eliza Hittman | Nick Antosca | October 6, 2022 |
| 2 | "The Mission" | Rachel Goldberg | Teleplay by : Brian Chamberlayne Story by : Brian Chamberlayne & Rachael Paradis | October 6, 2022 |
| 3 | "The Gift of Tongues" | Eliza Hittman | Teleplay by : Lucy Teitler Story by : Lucy Teitler & Julia Batavia | October 6, 2022 |
| 4 | "Articles of Faith" | Rachel Goldberg | Marie Hanhnhon Nguyen | October 6, 2022 |
| 5 | "The Bitter Cup" | Steven Piet | Brian Evenson | October 13, 2022 |
| 6 | "Son of Perdition" | Steven Piet | Alana B. Lytle | October 20, 2022 |
| 7 | "The Great Deceiver" | Jamie Travis | Brian Chamberlayne | October 27, 2022 |
| 8 | "Outer Darkness" | Jamie Travis | Teleplay by : Lucy Teitler Story by : Lucy Teitler & Diana Pawell | November 3, 2022 |
| 9 | "Revelation" | Lauren Wolkstein | Nick Antosca & Brian Evenson & Alana B. Lytle | November 10, 2022 |
Production
Development
In May 2020, it was announced Universal Content Productions was developing a series revolving around Jan Broberg's kidnappings, with Nick Antosca set to write and executive produce the series under his Eat the Cat banner, with Broberg and Mary Ann Broberg set to serve as producers.[5] In February 2022, Peacock gave the series a straight-to-series order, with Eliza Hittman set to direct episodes and executive produce.[6]
Casting
In February 2022, Jake Lacy, Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton joined the cast of the series.[7] In March 2022, Hendrix Yancey, and Mckenna Grace joined the cast of the series.[8][9] In April 2022, Austin Stowell, Patrick Fischler, Bree Elrod, and Philip Ettinger joined the cast of the series.[10] In July 2022, Ella Jay Basco joined the cast of the series.[11]
Filming
Principal photography commenced by February 2022.[12]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 90% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8/10, based on 21 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Unspooling like a slow-motion nightmare, A Friend of the Family benefits immeasurably from Eliza Hittman's deft direction and Jake Lacy's unflinching portrayal of insidious evil."[2] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]
References
- ^ "A Friend of The Family Official Teaser Peacock Original". August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ a b "A Friend of the Family: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ "A Friend of the Family". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ "Shows A-Z - friend of the family, a on peacock". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Thorne, Will (May 7, 2020). "'The Act' Creator Developing Jan Broberg Kidnap Series at UCP". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 15, 2022). "Peacock Orders True Crime Series 'Friend of the Family' With Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 15, 2022). "Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks & Lio Tipton To Star In Jan Broberg True-Crime Limited Series From Nick Antosca At Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (March 25, 2022). "Peacock True Crime Series 'Friend of the Family' Casts Hendrix Yancey as Young Jan Broberg". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 25, 2022). "Hendrix Yancey Joins Mckenna Grace In 'A Friend Of The Family' True-Crime Limited Series At Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (April 6, 2022). "'A Friend Of The Family': Austin Stowell, Patrick Fischler, Bree Elrod & Philip Ettinger Join Peacock Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Hailu, Selome (July 7, 2022). "'Birds of Prey' Star Ella Jay Basco Cast in Nick Antosca's True Crime Series 'A Friend of the Family' at Peacock (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Hittman, Eliza (February 24, 2022). "Who has time to sit?". Instagram. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ "A Friend of the Family: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
