While Australia continues to wait for the jury to come back with a verdict in the murder trial of Erin Patterson, the ABC is working on a TV drama about the Melbourne woman accused of murdering her guests with poisoned mushrooms.
ABC drama Toxic is described as as “intricate series that explores the events and characters of this true-life story without judgement.” The show is created by Elise McCredie (Jack Irish) and Tony Ayres (The Survivors), with support from ABC journalist and podcaster Rachael Brown.
Tony Ayres Productions, which is backed by Matchbox Pictures and Universal International Studios, will develop the series for the ABC.
About the new series, Ayres said: “True stories ask storytellers to probe the complexities of human behaviour. What really lies beneath the headlines? It’s both a challenge and a responsibility to go beyond the surface – to reveal, not just sensationalise.”
McCredie added that it is a “tangled, heart-breaking story” and that “Sitting in on the trial, watching evidence unfurl, change direction, and reposition itself has been an exercise in the subjectivity of ‘truth’ and a blueprint for a dramatic retelling that explores multiple perspectives in an honest and compelling way.”
Rachel Okine, Head of Scripted, ABC commented: “We’re excited to be partnering once again with our long-time collaborators, Tony Ayres Productions, on this powerful new project. This investigation has already captivated audiences across Australia and we’re eager to dive deeper into the complexities behind the headlines to bring this story to life with the team”.
There is no suggestion of who will be cast in the show just yet.
Toxic will be the first scripted drama to focus on the event, however Australian streamer Stan has announced a quick turnaround documentary series titled Death Cap. Stan’s synopsis for the series: “With exclusive access into the trial of Erin Patterson, the documentary series Death Cap explores how one tragic lunch has the means to shatter a small-town community, while examining the fairness of a trial amidst a global media frenzy.”
A small industry of widely-listened to audio podcasts has built up in recent months, feeding Australia’s obsession with the Patterson story. The ABC has its own Mushroom Case Daily podcast, hosted by ABC court reporter Kristian Silva and ABC producer- journalist Stephen Stockwell.
News Corp Australia’s The Mushroom Cook podcast host, Brooke Grebert-Craig, recently spoke with Mediaweek about the interest in the case, reporting that at the courthouse “people are arriving at 6am to line up, even though the doors don’t open until 9am.” This level of interest is impressive considering, as Grebert-Craig says: “They’re waiting up to three hours in the cold. And it is cold in Victoria right now, freezing, actually, like five degrees in the morning.”
Since launching, The Mushroom Cook podcast has seen 2.3 million downloads in Australia, 450,000 in the UK, 240,000 in New Zealand, and 135,000 in the US.