Sundance Channel Marathons Acclaimed True-Crime Series The Staircase Memorial Day 12:00pm to 7:00pm

Sundance Channel Marathons Acclaimed True-Crime Series The Staircase Memorial Day 12:00pm to 7:00pm

Inside the Michael Peterson Murder Trial

'My verdict: The Staircase is one of the best TV programs I have ever seen.' Frazier Moore, The Associated Press, March 29, 2005

'The whole film is also so brilliantly conceived, reported, filmed and paced that you may come to wish it were twice as long ... The Staircase is a masterpiece.' Virginia Heffernan, The New York Times, April 4, 2005

NEW YORK, May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundance Channel marathons the critically acclaimed true-crime documentary series The Staircase, from 12:00pm to 7:00pm ET/PT on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30. The Staircase is an inside look at the thrilling twists and turns of the trial of Michael Peterson, accused of murdering his wife, Durham, NC resident and Nortel executive Kathleen Peterson.

This eight-part series was directed by Oscar(R)-winning director Jean- Xavier de Lestrade (Murder on a Sunday Morning) and takes viewers inside the mystery surrounding the death of Kathleen Peterson. On the night of December 9, 2001, an agitated Michael Peterson called 911 and told the operator that he had found his wife, unconscious but still breathing, at the bottom of the stairs. When the police arrived, they found Kathleen lying dead in a pool of blood and began treating the home as a crime scene. One week later, Michael Peterson was charged with first-degree murder.

The Staircase follows the unpredictable real-life drama, as Peterson's sons and adopted daughters rally to his defense and his legal team prepares to battle the prosecution. Meanwhile, Durham's district attorney and his assistant build a case that will put the Peterson marriage -- and Michael Peterson's private life -- at the center of the trial.

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel brings television viewers daring and engaging feature films, shorts, documentaries, world cinema and animation, shown uncut and with no commercials. Through its original programs, Sundance Channel connects viewers with filmmakers, the creative process, and the world of independent film. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture between NBC Universal, Robert Redford, and Showtime Networks Inc. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non- profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of supporting independent artists and providing them with wider opportunities to present their work to audiences.

Source: Sundance Channel

CONTACT: Sarah Eaton, +1-212-654-1613, sarah.eaton@sundancechannel.com,
or Katie Lanegran, +1-212-654-3398, katie.lanegran@sundancechannel.com, both
for the Sundance Channel

Web site: http://www.sundancechannel.com/

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