David Farnor | On 12, Dec 2015

Netflix has released the trailer for Making a Murderer – just as Serial Season 2 arrives.

The two events might seem unconnected, but in the modern streaming age, the sheer volume of TV, movies and podcasts available mean that all forms of digital media are competing with each other for audiences’ time.

True crime podcast Serial was one of the winners of 2014 – it was the fastest podcast to reach 5 million downloads through Apple’s iTunes – and that success didn’t go unnoticed, with a wave of investigative docu-series arriving in the last 12 months. Netflix is getting in on the game too, with its new original show, Making a Murderer.

Set in America’’s Heartland, the 10-episode series follows the harrowing story of Steven Avery, an outsider from the wrong side of the tracks, convicted but later exonerated of a brutal assault. His release triggered major criminal justice reform legislation, and he filed a lawsuit that threatened to expose corruption in local law enforcement and award him millions of dollars.

But in the midst of his very public civil case, he found himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime. Inspired by a newspaper article from 2005, directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos have spent the last decade documenting the tale that spans more than 30 years, examining allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct, evidence tampering and witness coercion.

“The truth always comes out,” promises the video, which aims to cash in on the buzz surrounding Serial with such extravagant questions as “Where will you stand…” – cut to a shot of people standing on trial – “…when the truth begins unravelling?”

All 10 episodes of Making a Murderer will be released worldwide on Netflix on Friday 18th December.

Here’s the trailer:

Photo: Netflix, Inc.

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