First Look: Chilling New Docuseries Explores How Fringe Conspiracy Theories Creep into Mainstream America
Samuel Corum/Getty Rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021
A deep-dive into America's conspiracy theories will be coming to the small screen.
Inspired by reporting in The Atlantic, Peacock's original docuseries Shadowland will explore the allure of fringe conspiracies and how some are able to enter the mainstream.
Executive produced by filmmaker Joe Berlinger, 60, the six-part documentary will show different stories along the conspiracy spectrum, from a "beloved rural Pennsylvania pizza shop owner facing twenty years in prison for her role in the January 6th riots, to an anti-vaccine activist pushing a dangerous fake cure for COVID-19 and a mother divorcing her husband because she fears his beliefs put their children's lives in danger."
"A conspiracy theory is a theory that there is someone bigger that is pulling the strings," explains one of the interviewees in the show's first trailer, obtained exclusively by PEOPLE and shown below.
"The best way to understand people is to listen to their stories," said Berlinger in a news release. "With Shadowland, I wanted to create an immersive experience for our audience, giving 'both sides' the opportunity to express their views and, hopefully, to create a dialogue that extends beyond viewers' television screens."
Berlinger continued, "These days, it is easy to agree that the tenor of our political and social discourse has become incredibly divisive, but if we fail to recognize the humanity in one another, we may never agree on a constructive path forward."
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The series aims to reveal how conspiracy theories move from "margins to the mainstream," by focusing on intimate and immersive storytelling.
"The series is a shocking wake-up call about the dangerous influence of conspiracy thinking on the functioning of our democracy, as families, friends, and the nation are increasingly being torn apart," the release detailed.
Courtesy NBC Universal
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Alongside Berlinger, the docuseries is executive produced by Craig D'Entrone, RadicalMedia's Jon Kamen, Jen Isaacson, Jon Doran, The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, Adrienne LaFrance and Linzee Troubh. It is directed by Stephen Bailey, Alex Braverman and Eve Van Dyke. The show is produced by RadicalMedia in association with Third Eye Motion Picture Co.
The new docuseries is a part of Peacock's first-ever DocFest, a six-week virtual festival that will highlight the platform's documentary productions. Between Sept. 14 and Oct. 19, one new title will drop every Wednesday, from feature-length films to multipart series.
Shadowland will begin streaming on Peacock on Sept. 21.
