NEW YORK (AP) – Conscious of the success of long-form crime mysteries like “Serial” on NPR and HBO’s “The Jinx,” the Investigation Discovery network says it will air its first-ever serialized drama later this spring.
The six-part docu-series, “The Vanishing Women,” will focus on six women who have gone missing or have been found dead in Chillicothe, Ohio, over the past few years. It will debut June 6, ID announced Thursday.
ID’s focus on crime and mystery stories made the network a nearly instant success upon its launch in 2008, particularly among older women. Lately the HBO and NPR projects, as well as Netflix’s “Making a Murderer,” have attracted followers to the genre with innovative storytelling techniques.
“All of this has shone a klieg light on the world of mystery and suspense and true stories and crime,” said Henry Schleiff, network president. “There’s never been a better time to be a leader of this business.”
ID shows are traditionally closed-ended – the mysteries are solved at the end – so “The Vanishing Women” will be something new.