"The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park" (AMC/SundanceTV Nov. 13 - 15)

Crime was not a foreign concept in New York City in 1986 – murder and mayhem ravaged the city but usually didn’t touch the young and privileged Upper East Siders.  The Preppy Murder was an epic scandal, one in which handsome, former prep -school student Robert Chambers was charged with taking the life of his friend Jennifer Levin.  Chambers’ lawyer mounted a defense meant to damage Jennifer’s character -- one that made her more criminal than the accused himself. The press took the defense's bait, and Levin was depicted as promiscuous, reckless and responsible for her own demise.  In the end, she was also a victim of sexism, elitism and an all-out tabloid media war that rocked our collective consciousness.

In producing The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park, we wanted to see this case through a new lens - through the eyes of Jennifer Levin and those who knew her best.  We saw the chance to give her a voice and share first-hand narratives before that opportunity was lost forever. One of our main subjects, veteran New York City detective-turned-reporter Mike Sheehan, personally arrested Robert Chambers.  Sadly, Sheehan passed away shortly after filming his interviews for the docuseries, but we are so grateful we were able to tell his story, along with so many others including Jennifer’s mother, Ellen Levin and for the first time Jennifer’s sister, Danielle.  We also had the privilege of speaking with close friends who knew Jennifer well but had chosen not to go on the record until our cameras rolled.

The Preppy Murder took place 33 years ago. But has the media's coverage of these kind of cases really changed?  Does gender, race and socio-economic status continue to drive the narrative or do the facts matter when a verdict of innocent or guilty is at stake? What role does journalism play in the ultimate outcome of trials like these?  If social media existed in 1986, would things have turned out differently for Jennifer Levin or Robert Chambers? These are just a few questions we invite you to consider while revisiting the life and death of Jennifer Levin.

The docuseries will air over three consecutive nights on Wednesday, November 13^th - Friday, November 15^th at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Video: AMC and SundanceTV Release Haunting New Trailer for "The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park"

Video: AMC and SundanceTV Release Haunting New Trailer for "The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park"
The five-part series simulcast over three consecutive nights, Wednesday, November 13 - Friday, November 15, reexamines one of the most infamous crimes in recent American history - the 1986 killing of Jennifer Levin at the hands of Robert Chambers.

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[via press release from AMC] AMC AND SUNDANCETV RELEASE HAUNTING NEW TRAILER FOR "THE PREPPY MURDER: DEATH IN CENTRAL PARK," THE FIVE-PART DOCUSERIES THAT REVISITS THE INFAMOUS 1986 MURDER OF JENNIFER LEVIN
His Crime - Her Story

AMC and SundanceTV released today the haunting new trailer for upcoming true crime docuseries The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park. The five-part series simulcast over three consecutive nights, Wednesday, November 13th- Friday, November 15th at 9:00pm ET, reexamines one of the most infamous crimes in recent American history - the 1986 killing of Jennifer Levin at the hands of Robert Chambers.

The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park will expose evidence that was inadmissible in the trial and also examine the circumstances that made the story unfold the way it did: America's untamed ambition in the mid-1980s, the rarified lifestyle of New York's privileged prep school kids, sexism, elitism, an all-out tabloid media war that blamed the victim and an imperfect justice system.
The series is produced by Emmy(R) Award-winner Robert Friedman's Bungalow Media + Entertainment (Give, The Panama Papers) and directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (directors of Reversing Roe, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work). 

AMC AND SUNDANCE TV TO SIMULCAST THE PREPPY MURDER: DEATH IN CENTRAL PARK OVER THREE NIGHTS FROM NOVEMBER 13th-15th AT 9 PM ET

AMC AND SUNDANCE TV TO SIMULCAST THE PREPPY MURDER: DEATH IN CENTRAL PARK OVER THREE NIGHTS FROM NOVEMBER 13th-15th AT 9 PM ET FIVE-PART DOCUSERIES FROM BUNGALOW MEDIA + ENTERTAINMENT REVISITS THE INFAMOUS 1986 MURDER OF JENNIFER LEVIN

“Before O.J. Simpson, the Preppy Killer was the trial of the century”

– Steve Dunleavy – Prominent NY Post Columnist

Beverly Hills, CA – July 25, 2019 – AMC and SundanceTV announced today from the Television Critics Association (TCA) Press Tour a simulcast of the upcoming true crime docuseries The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park. The five-part series, which reexamines one of the most infamous crimes in recent American history – the 1986 killing of Jennifer Levin at the hands of Robert Chambers– will air over three consecutive nights, Wednesday, November 13th- Friday, November 15th at 9:00pm ET.

“In the mid to late 1980s, two epic crimes rocked New York and the broader country — the Central Park Five case and the murder of Jennifer Levin.  These events have a few things in common: they both took place in Central Park and the prosecutor who tried both cases was Linda Fairstein. What’s more, together they shine a startling light on how race, gender and socioeconomics profoundly influenced the course of justice,” said Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks’ Entertainment Group. “Preppy Murder, made with the participation of Fairstein, the Levin family and friends of Jennifer Levin and Robert Chambers, examines the circumstances that made Jennifer’s case play out the way it did – as a victim-blaming led narrative that fueled a tabloid media war.    This story of sexism, elitism and an imperfect justice system both illuminates the past and has relevance to a vital conversation today.”

Produced by Emmy^® Award-winner Robert Friedman’s Bungalow Media + Entertainment (Give, The Panama Papers) and directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (directors of Reversing Roe, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work), The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park will expose evidence that was inadmissible in the trial and also examine the circumstances that made the story unfold the way it did: America’s untamed ambition in the mid-1980s, the rarified lifestyle of New York’s privileged prep school kids, sexism, elitism, an all-out tabloid media war that blamed the victim and an imperfect justice system.

About AMC

AMC is home to some of the most popular and acclaimed programs on television. AMC was the first basic cable network to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series with Mad Men in 2008, which then went on to win the coveted award four years in a row, before Breaking Bad won it in 2013 and 2014. The network’s series The Walking Dead is the highest-rated series in cable history. AMC’s other current original drama series include Better Call Saul, Fear the Walking Dead, The Terror, Into the Badlands, Humans, Preacher, The Son, McMafia, Lodge 49, The Little Drummer Girl, NOS4A2 and the forthcoming Dispatches from Elsewhere and For Life (wt). AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like Talking Dead, AMC Visionaries and Ride with Norman Reedus. AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile.

About SundanceTV

Since its launch in 1996, SundanceTV has remained true to founder Robert Redford’s mission to celebrate creativity and distinctive storytelling through unique voices and narratives found in the best independent films. From delivering critically acclaimed Emmy®, Golden Globe® and Peabody Award-winning television featuring some of the world’s most talented creators and performers, to showcasing some of the most compelling and iconic films across genres and generations, SundanceTV is a smart and thought-provoking entertainment destination.  SundanceTV is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.; its sister networks include AMC, IFC, BBC America and WE tv. SundanceTV is available across all platforms, including on-air, online at www.sundancetv.com, on demand and mobile.

About Bungalow Media + Entertainment, LLC:

Founded in 2013 by Producer Robert Friedman, a thirty-year veteran of the entertainment business having held senior roles as Co-Chairman of New Line Cinema (Lord Of The Rings, Austin Powers, Dumb and Dumber, Hoop Dreams), President of AOL and Radical Media (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful, Iconoclasts, Paul Simon’s Under African Skies, Oprah’s Master Class) and member of the startup team at MTV.

Bungalow Media + Entertainment has produced documentary content for both film and television, most recently including The Panama Papers for EPIX with director Alex Winter, Alex Gibney’s Spring Broke for Showtime and We the People: The Market Basket Effect.