Netflix released its new mystery series The Watcher last week, injecting a bit more variety into the true crime genre by focusing on a real incident of stalking.
Based on a 2018 article published on The Cut, The Watcherfollows the Brannock family — couple Nora (Naomi Watts) and Dean (Bobby Cannavale) and their adolescent children Ellie (Isabel Gravitt) and Carter (Luke David Blumm) — after they purchase their dream home in Westfield, New Jersey. Unfortunately, the family's excitement soon turns to fear when they begin receiving disturbing letters from a stalker known only as "The Watcher."
While the seven-episode thriller is based on a real case, it does take some liberties with the facts in order to dramatise events, a practice that is not uncommon in true crime entertainment media. However, in the case of The Watcher, only two of these changes were specifically requested by the family that actually lived through it.
SEE ALSO:Why Netflix's 'Dahmer' series has sparked a backlash onlineThe real stalking matter upon which The Watcheris based began in 2014, and involved Derek and Maria Broaddus and their three young children, all of whom were under 10 at the time.
The Netflix series does adhere to some facts, focusing on a grand home located at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey (though the house used for filming is in New York). The production's menacing correspondence also lifted text straight from the real Watcher's letters.
But unlike their fictional counterparts, the Broaddus family never moved into their new home, and weren't subject to escalating hostilities such as break-ins and harassing phone calls. The former owners also only received one letter from The Watcher, which they hadn't considered ominous.
Mercifully, the Broadduses only had to deal with threatening letters and disbelieving neighbours, if that can be called a mercy. Even so, it was still a highly upsetting and traumatising incident in the family's lives, and one they aren't eager to relive.
As reported by The Cut, the Broaddus family did not want to be involved in The Watcher's production despite selling Netflix the rights to their story. Like many other subjects of true crime entertainment, it's highly probable they'd prefer the series wasn't made at all.
Rather, their decision to sell the rights was so they'd have at least some say in how it was told. This was after Lifetime released a 2016 film also called The Watcher, which was similarly based on the Broadduses' story but which they couldn't stop and had no control over.
In keeping with their hands-off approach, the Broadduses had just two requests for the Netflix production. These were that the series would not use their real names, and that The Watcher's fictional family did not look like theirs.
As such, the production gave the series' family members different names, and changed their family name from Broaddus to Brannock. The Watcheralso changed the family's configuration to have two older children rather than three kids in elementary school.
While more of a suggestion than a request, the real Broadduses also noted that they wouldn't be opposed if the show's rendition of the house was burnt to ashes. From the sounds of it, they probably wouldn't mind if the real house was razed to the ground either.
I don't think anyone could blame them.
The Watcheris currently available to stream on Netflix.
TopicsNetflixStreaming
(责任编辑：時尚)
Daughter gives her 100
Will the U.S. help Mexico after a massive earthquake killed dozens?
Hillary Clinton may have found the one person more annoying than Ted Cruz
The Miami Airport is showing us how to use Twitter during a disasterTourist survives for month in frozen New Zealand wilderness after partner dies
The group behind a growing list of celebrity social media breaches has struck again, this time takin
...[详细]Denny's craptastic new mascot has inspired some pretty good poop jokes
Denny’s is best known for their signature Grand Slam breakfasts, but that may have just change
...[详细]Sustainable company is turning cigarette butts and smartphones into furniture
Upcycling trash into treasure isn't a new concept, with backpacks made from old cars, coffee cups ma
...[详细]Kickstarter addict reflects on backing $16,000 worth of board games, regrets everything
Over the past two-and-a-half years, Reddit user Ranker2 has spent more than $16,000 backing more tha
...[详细]Mom discovers security cameras hacked, kids' bedroom livestreamed
A mother in Houston, Texas woke up one morning to pretty much every parent's worst-case scenario. 。 "
...[详细]China may ban Bitcoin trading, but the market doesn't seem to care
Late last week, a report from Caixinshook the Bitcoin world. According to the state-owned media outl
...[详细]Apple iOS 11 leak reveals iPhone's new Face ID set
The epic leak of the Golden Master version of iOS 11 on Saturday continues to deliver surprises, and
...[详细]Will the U.S. help Mexico after a massive earthquake killed dozens?
In the short time between the immense flooding in Texas wrought by Hurricane Harvey and the destruct
...[详细]Give your kitchen sponge a rest on this adorable bed
Our kitchen sponges do a lot of work. Don't they deserve a good night's rest?"Sure," said design stu
...[详细]Even Senator Al Franken is worried about iPhone X's Face ID
The iPhone X is finally here, and with it comes a host of new features that Apple promises herald th
...[详细]Michael Phelps says goodbye to the pool with Olympic gold
The new Apple Watch Series 3 is trying to look out for your heart