A Friend of the Family (TV series)

A Friend of the Family is an American drama miniseries. Based on true events, it follows Robert Berchtold, a close friend of the Broberg family, who kidnaps Jan Broberg twice over a period of two years. It consists of nine episodes and premiered on Peacock on October 6, 2022.[1] The events depicted in the series were previously covered in the 2017 documentary Abducted in Plain Sight.

A Friend of the Family
GenreDrama
Created byNick Antosca
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes9
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Jan Broberg
  • Mary Ann Broberg
Running time51–56 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkPeacock
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
Original releaseOctober 6 (2022-10-06) –
November 10, 2022 (2022-11-10)

Plot

In 1974, Robert Berchtold, a close friend of the Broberg family-turned-serial child abductor, kidnaps Jan Broberg, age twelve. After she was returned to her parents, he abducts her again at age fourteen in 1976.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring
  • Austin Stowell as FBI Agent Peter Walsh
  • Patrick Fischler as Garth Pincock
  • Philip Ettinger as Joe Berchtold
  • Maggie Sonnier as Karen Broberg
    • Mila Harris portrays young Karen Broberg
  • Norah Murphy as Susan Broberg
    • Elle Lisic portrays young Susan Broberg
  • Tyler Wojton as Joel Berchtold
  • Bree Elrod as Jennifer Ferguson
  • Ella Jay Basco as Sofia
  • Callie Johnson as Cop #4
  • Kate Adams as Eileen
  • Keilah Davies as Young Caroline Hansen
  • Jan Broberg as Jan's psychologist

Episodes
No.Title [2]Directed byWritten by [3]Original air date [4]
1"Horseback Riding in American Falls"Eliza HittmanNick AntoscaOctober 6, 2022 (2022-10-06)
2"The Mission"Rachel GoldbergTeleplay by : Brian Chamberlayne
Story by : Brian Chamberlayne & Rachael Paradis		October 6, 2022 (2022-10-06)
3"The Gift of Tongues"Eliza HittmanTeleplay by : Lucy Teitler
Story by : Lucy Teitler & Julia Batavia		October 6, 2022 (2022-10-06)
4"Articles of Faith"Rachel GoldbergMarie Hanhnhon NguyenOctober 6, 2022 (2022-10-06)
5"The Bitter Cup"Steven PietBrian EvensonOctober 13, 2022 (2022-10-13)
6"Son of Perdition"Steven PietAlana B. LytleOctober 20, 2022 (2022-10-20)
7"The Great Deceiver"Jamie TravisBrian ChamberlayneOctober 27, 2022 (2022-10-27)
8"Outer Darkness"Jamie TravisTeleplay by : Lucy Teitler
Story by : Lucy Teitler & Diana Pawell		November 3, 2022 (2022-11-03)
9"Revelation"Lauren WolksteinNick Antosca & Brian Evenson & Alana B. LytleNovember 10, 2022 (2022-11-10)

Production

Development

In May 2020, it was announced Universal Content Productions was developing a series revolving around Jan Broberg's kidnappings, with Nick Antosca set to write and executive produce the series under his Eat the Cat banner, with Broberg and Mary Ann Broberg set to serve as producers.[5] In February 2022, Peacock gave the series a straight-to-series order, with Eliza Hittman set to direct episodes and executive produce.[6]

Casting

In February 2022, Jake Lacy, Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton joined the cast,[7] followed by Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace the following month.[8][9] Austin Stowell, Patrick Fischler, Bree Elrod, and Philip Ettinger joined the month after that.[10] Finally, Ella Jay Basco joined the cast that July.[11]

Filming

Principal photography commenced by February 2022.[12]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 91% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8/10, based on 23 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Unspooling like a slow-motion nightmare, A Friend of the Family benefits immeasurably from Eliza Hittman's deft direction and Jake Lacy's unflinching portrayal of insidious evil."[2] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

References
  1. "A Friend of The Family Official Teaser Peacock Original". YouTube. August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  2. "A Friend of the Family: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  3. "A Friend of the Family". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  4. "Shows A-Z - friend of the family, a on peacock". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  5. Thorne, Will (May 7, 2020). "'The Act' Creator Developing Jan Broberg Kidnap Series at UCP". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  6. Otterson, Joe (February 15, 2022). "Peacock Orders True Crime Series 'Friend of the Family' With Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  7. Petski, Denise (February 15, 2022). "Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks & Lio Tipton To Star In Jan Broberg True-Crime Limited Series From Nick Antosca At Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  8. Otterson, Joe (March 25, 2022). "Peacock True Crime Series 'Friend of the Family' Casts Hendrix Yancey as Young Jan Broberg". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  9. Andreeva, Nellie (March 25, 2022). "Hendrix Yancey Joins Mckenna Grace In 'A Friend Of The Family' True-Crime Limited Series At Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  10. Del Rosario, Alexandra (April 6, 2022). "'A Friend Of The Family': Austin Stowell, Patrick Fischler, Bree Elrod & Philip Ettinger Join Peacock Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  11. Hailu, Selome (July 7, 2022). "'Birds of Prey' Star Ella Jay Basco Cast in Nick Antosca's True Crime Series 'A Friend of the Family' at Peacock (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  12. Hittman, Eliza (February 24, 2022). "Who has time to sit?". Instagram. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  13. "A Friend of the Family: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
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