“A true-crime series about true crime” is how National Geographic describes its newly announced docuseries, Pathological: Chasing a True-Crime Con Man.
(National Geographic/Ben Selkow)
What’s Happening:
- Among Nat Geo’s announcements at the TCA Winter Press Tour is the documentary series Pathological: Chasing a True-Crime Con Man.
- The series follows the rise and fall of bestselling French author and serial killer expert Stéphane Bourgoin, whose remarkable career was built on a foundation of morbid lies that are finally being unveiled in full.
- “A meta-commentary on the global, cultural phenomenon of true-crime entertainment, Pathological takes viewers through the dramatic twists and turns of Bourgoin’s life in front of and behind the camera and tracks his pursuit by a group of true-crime enthusiasts, whose passion for the genre turned them into amateur sleuths and seekers of truth.”
- The series features the first on-camera interviews with members of the 4ème Oeil Corporation (aka the “4th Eye”), an anonymous collective of five true-crime aficionados working across three countries, whose unfolding investigation unearthed the mysteries of Bourgoin’s past.
- This new probe includes Bourgoin’s first on-the-record interview with an English-language production and interviews with previously anonymous members of the 4th Eye, Bourgoin’s former colleagues, and even members of his family.
- The three-episode series is based on journalist Lauren Collins’ 2022 article and follows her as she works to answer the last lingering question of Bourgoin’s origin story.
- In countless media appearances, Bourgoin claimed that he had interviewed 77 serial killers and was trained by the FBI. He presented himself as a grieving widow whose lover was murdered by a serial killer in the 1970s, a trauma that sparked his lifelong pursuit to understand the mind of murderers. The 4th Eye’s shocking findings refuted many of Bourgoin’s claims, exposing the hard truths of a man who exploited the true-crime industry to enrich himself on the backs of victims.
- The docu-series raises uncomfortable questions about the thin line between Bourgoin’s macabre predilections, the obsessive fans who took him down, and the viewers at home.
- Pathological is created in partnership with The New Yorker Studios and Left/Right, the production company behind the acclaimed documentary The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears.
- Directed and executive produced by Ben Selkow. For The New Yorker Studios, Helen Estabrook, Sarah Amos, Lexy Altman and Lauren Collins are executive producers. For Left/Right, Banks Tarver, Ken Druckerman, and Anneka Jones are executive producers. For National Geographic, Betsy Forhan is executive producer.
What They’re Saying:
- Tom McDonald, EVP of Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic: “True crime, a massive industry with a dedicated fandom and murky ethical lines, is put under the microscope in PATHOLOGICAL. National Geographic seeks to expose the truth behind the lies and deceit of this fascinating story. Using new access coupled with Left/Right’s dedication to groundbreaking storytelling and The New Yorker’s reporting prowess, this is a compelling, entertaining story that we hope sparks commentary on the ethics of true crime.”