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The Independent
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Dennis Quaid is brilliantly creepy in true crime serial killer thriller Happy Face
On balance, the podcast revolution has been a negative for television. Whether it's Homecoming on Prime Video (starring a confused Julia Roberts) or Dirty John on Netflix, hit podcasts have invariably made for watered-down TV. Something about the format's chatty, informal style translates uneasily to the screen. For that reason, true crime fans could be forgiven for having muted expectations for Paramount+'s Happy Face, a serial killer saga adapted from the 2018 podcast of the same name. But it pulls off the shift from non-fiction to drama surprisingly well – helped, perhaps, by the fact that it isn't trying to do anything especially spectacular. The series tells a sensational story but with a minimum of fuss. Given the challenge posed by bringing podcasts to TV, simply to be stonkingly average (rather than weird and boring) is a victory in itself. The big draw is Dennis Quaid. He is quietly chilling as Keith Hunter Jesperson – a real-life American-Canadian serial murderer dubbed the 'Happy Face killer' in the 1990s because of the smiley faces with which he would sign his Jack the Ripper-style letters to the media. Quaid says he was initially 'hesitant' about the part, explaining he didn't want to 'glorify' Jesperson. Yet he uncorks oodles of A-lister charm as a monster who projects dad-next-door vibes on the surface but whose wholesome smile is offset by the dead gravity pits of his eyes. In the mid-1990s, Jesperson led an outwardly normal life as a hard-working trucker and doting dad to teenage daughter Melissa. Every so often, he would return home with a present for his little girl. What she didn't know was that the gifts were his way of calming his roiling soul after he had taken another victim. He was using his innocent daughter as a coping mechanism as he raped and strangled numerous women across America. Back in the present, Melissa (Annaleigh Ashford) has ended all contact with her now-imprisoned father. She has a career as a makeup artist on an Oprah-style daytime talk show hosted by the gregarious Dr Greg (a wonderfully fake and manipulative David Harewood). But her father continues to plague her with letters and calls from prison. When she rebuffs his latest attempt at contact on her daughter's 15th birthday, he phones her employer and promises to reveal the identity of another, hitherto unidentified victim. There is a catch. He will share the details only if Melissa is involved in the process. The real Jesperson is still alive. As are his victim's families, who will presumably have mixed feelings about having their trauma turned into prime-time entertainment while the man who murdered their loved ones serves out his life sentence in Oregon (which does not have the death penalty). But Happy Face is, on the whole, respectful towards their suffering. The gruesome murders are largely glossed over. This is not one of those serial killer dramas that reveals an unhealthy fascination with the minutiae of the killings. As was the case with the original podcast and Melissa Moore's 2009 memoir, Shattered Silence, the true subject matter is Melissa's relationship with her father. Ashford excels as an everyday mother and daughter, getting on with her quiet life in the suburbs while living always in the shadow of a dark secret. For his part, Quaid brings an overpowering Hollywood charisma as the father from hell. He is horribly watchable as an avuncular everyman whose cheesy dad banter papers over a bottomless well of evil. It is a story crammed with surprises (provided you haven't already binged the podcast). For instance, Melissa is shocked to discover that an innocent African-American Elijah (Damon Gupton) has been wrongly blamed for the Texas murder to which Jesperson has just confessed and languishes on death row. The exploitative nature of daytime TV is also unpacked when Melissa is encouraged to go on Dr Greg (Harewood plays a variation on the evil talk show host he portrayed in video game Alan Wake 2) to talk about the wrongful conviction in Texas. She has walked into a trap and is encouraged, despite her visible distress, to discuss her relationship with her father instead. Her personal tragedy has become meat for the masses. That isn't to say Happy Face doesn't have its soapy moments. A subplot in which Melissa's daughter becomes a minor celebrity among local true crime fans because of her bloody family history is presumably intended as a critique of the podcast industry and its obsession with dead women (the grislier the killings, the better). But the execution is hokey – as the resident mean girls pick on Hazel (Khiyla Aynne), it feels as if we're sitting through a grim riff on High School Musical rather than a sensitive exploration of trauma and survival. But that's just a quibble. By the standards of TV adaptations of hit podcasts, Happy Face can be considered a success. It stands on its own two feet as a drama and tells a grisly story without exploiting the victims or making the viewer feel cheapened or complicit merely by the act of watching. Disaster averted.
Express Tribune
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Loved Apple Cider Vinegar? Then These 6 Gripping Shows Are Perfect for Your Next Binge
If you're hooked on Apple Cider Vinegar, you're in for a wild ride. This Netflix series is based on the true story of Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who was accused of faking her cancer diagnosis and deceiving thousands. With standout performances from Kaitlyn Dever, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Aisha Dee, Apple Cider Vinegar mixes humor with heartbreak, shining a light on the tragic consequences of wellness fraud. The fact that it's all based on reality only makes it more unsettling. If you find yourself glued to your screen and itching for more stories about scam artists, frauds, and jaw-dropping cons, here are six other shows and podcasts to add to your watchlist. These series are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, just like Apple Cider Vinegar. 1. The Dropout, Hulu The Dropout is the next must-watch in the genre of true crime scams. It's all about Elizabeth Holmes, the once-celebrated founder of Theranos who duped Silicon Valley with her fake blood-testing technology. Amanda Seyfried gives a powerhouse performance as Holmes, diving deep into the rise and fall of the Theranos empire. The show is based on the ABC News podcast of the same name, which also captures the insane twists of this high-profile fraud case. 2. Dirty John, Netflix For another jaw-dropping true crime series, Dirty John is a must-watch. Inspired by the infamous podcast, the show dramatizes the life of John Meehan, a manipulative con artist who deceives businesswoman Debra Newell. Julia Garner, Eric Bana, and Connie Britton lead a stellar cast in this psychological thriller, which dives into a web of lies, deceit, and dangerous obsession. 3. Dr. Death, Peacock If you like your crime stories a little more medical in nature, Dr. Death is for you. This anthology series follows the horrific stories of unethical doctors who caused unimaginable harm to their patients. Season 1 focuses on Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon convicted of maiming patients. Season 2 shifts gears to Paolo Macchiarini, a surgeon who conducted dangerous surgeries on patients without ethical approval. It's intense, gut-wrenching, and a chilling reminder of the dangers of trusting the wrong people in the medical field. 4. Dopesick, Hulu Kaitlyn Dever doesn't just shine in Apple Cider Vinegar; her performance in Dopesick is another career-defining role. Based on the book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, this show digs deep into the opioid crisis and the fraudulent practices of Purdue Pharma. It's a tough watch, but one that paints a powerful portrait of the systemic failures that led to millions of lives being ruined. 5. The Act, Hulu The Act is less about the scammers themselves and more about the devastating consequences of a health fraud. This chilling dramatization tells the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was manipulated by her mother Dee Dee into believing she was sick with multiple chronic illnesses. Patricia Arquette and Joey King lead this heartbreaking tale, which culminates in Gypsy's tragic involvement in her mother's murder. It's a disturbing look at the psychological manipulation behind one of the most horrific cases of medical fraud. 6. Inventing Anna, Netflix Much like Apple Cider Vinegar, Inventing Anna follows a young woman with a big lie. Anna Delvey (played by Julia Garner) arrives in New York with a striking accent and a rich persona, quickly infiltrating the city's elite. But when her lies about her wealth and identity unravel, the true extent of her con is exposed. Based on the real-life story of Anna Sorokin, this series is a must-watch for anyone fascinated by high-society scams and con artists. Each of these shows delivers high-stakes drama, deception, and fascinating characters, all based on real events. Whether it's a wellness fraud or a medical disaster, they're sure to leave you speechless. After watching Apple Cider Vinegar, these six shows will give you the perfect mix of real-life scandals to keep your binge-watching marathon going.
NBC News
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Meet Keith Morrison, Correspondent for Murder in the Moonlight
Keith Morrison is an award-winning correspondent for Dateline NBC, the longest running primetime show in NBC history. He joined the Friday newsmagazine in 1995 after a varied career at both NBC and in Canadian television. Morrison has covered stories worldwide, interviewing everyone from presidents and prime ministers, student protesters under fire in Tiananmen Square, to criminals, teachers, artists, actors and authors. Since joining Dateline, Morrison has covered a wide variety of stories, including investigating the disappearance of two Idaho children, the 'Dirty John' case, the Robert Durst trials and a series of wrongful convictions. Additionally, Morrison was a part of the broadcast's 2019 induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. Morrison has made a specialty of the true-crime mysteries for which Dateline NBC has become famous. In 2024, Morrison hosted another installment of Morrison Mysteries, Murder in the Hollywood Hills, and The Man in the Black Mask. In 2023, Morrison hosted the original podcast series Murder in Apartment 12 and The Girl in the Blue Mustang. He has also hosted the #1 podcasts: Murder & Magnolias, The Seduction, The Thing About Helen & Olga, Mommy Doomsday, Killer Role and The Thing About Pam, which has been downloaded over 33 million times since it debuted. Additionally, NBC aired a series inspired by the story featured in the podcast, starring two-time Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger. Beginning his career in the 1960s, Morrison worked for several radio and television stations in Canada's western provinces, before joining the Canadian CTV Network in 1973 where he was a correspondent, producer and news anchor. While at CTV, Morrison won awards for his coverage of national politics, a middle-east war, and the Boat People refugee saga in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. In the early 1980s, Morrison was a co-host and political correspondent for the CBC Network's The Journal, a nightly news and current affairs program. At The Journal, he interviewed key newsmakers, both in Canada and worldwide, and contributed documentaries on Canadian political life. Morrison joined NBC in January 1986 as co-anchor of the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. news on KNBC-TV, Los Angeles. Two years later, he joined NBC News as a West Coast correspondent for NBC Nightly News and Today, among other NBC News programs. In 1989, Morrison was a key contributor to NBC's coverage of the student rebellion in Beijing and the resulting massacre in Tiananmen Square. In the following years he contributed award-winning NBC News hour-long documentaries, shorter pieces for various magazine programs, and many stories on Nightly News and TODAY. In 1992, he returned to Canada to become host of CTV's morning program, Canada-AM. In addition, he was host of the syndicated program Down the Road Again with Keith Morrison, moderated several panel discussion programs for selected stations of the PBS network, and contributed occasional pieces to NBC News programs. Morrison returned to NBC in 1995. His work has garnered Emmy, Christopher, Sigma Delta Chi and Edward R. Murrow awards among others. He is married to Suzanne Perry Morrison, a writer and artist.
