Here’s how network TV would treat a Ted Bundy series

Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy has been all over TV and the movies for the past year — giving Charles Manson a run for his money as America’s favorite psychopath.

There was the chilling four-part Netflix documentary, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes,” as well as “Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile,” the feature film starring Zac Efron as Bundy. Then ID joined the party with “Mind of a Monster.”

Now Amazon’s getting into the act with the upcoming five-part series “Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer,” featuring interviews with Bundy’s longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall, who, along with her daughter Molly, shares her memories of living with Bundy in the 1980s, along with exclusive family photos. And, if you reach into the way back machine, you’ll find a 1986 TV movie starring “NCIS” hero Mark Harmon as Bundy called “The Deliberate Stranger.”

This got us wondering: how long will it be before the broadcast networks, cable channels and remaining streaming services find a way to make a show about dear, dead Ted — who died in the electric chair in 1989 at the age of 42?

Get ready to tune in for:

The CBS version

“That Darn Ted”

Ted Bundy is “boldly reimagined” as a TV dad who ducks out of his living room to kill sorority girls and hitchhikers. His wife is played by Nancy Travis or Markie Post or Patricia Heaton. She comes into the living room midway through each episode, sees the empty couch and says, “He was here just a minute ago. That darn Ted!” Cue the laugh track.

The NBC version

“This Is Ted”

Ted’s problem — this addictive serial killing thing he keeps doing — will be seriously discussed, ad nauseam, with flashbacks, by members of his family and people at the courthouses, prisons and police precincts who hunted him down. “He was in such pain. No one knew.”

The ABC version

“Ted’s Sorority House”

The residents of a Florida sorority house are the stars here and they are flawlessly made up with “Bachelor”-like wardrobes (translation: skimpy) and giggle a lot but can also miraculously cry on cue. Ted appears at the end of each episode to give a sorority sister a rose — then finishes her off (off-camera).

More On:

Ted Bundy

Hollywood needs to stop glamorizing horrific serial killers

Trump is right to warn Dems against socialism

Ted Bundy survivor’s harrowing escape from ‘creepy’ serial killer

Ted Bundy’s living victim didn’t let traumatic attack ruin her life

The PBS version

“American Masters: Ted Bundy”

Treating serial murders as a high form of art, Ted Bundy’s brilliant career is recalled in hagiographic terms — complete with pretentious voiceover narration — by the law enforcement agents who couldn’t catch him, the prison guards who found his empty cells and the one or two survivors who praise his skill in nearly killing them.

The FX version

“American Crime Story: Ted Bundy”

Ryan Murphy’s go-to guys Finn Wittrock or Matt Bomer play the conventionally handsome, preppy-faced Bundy in this 8-part limited series. Jessica Lange hams it up (again) as Ted’s mother. “American Horror Story” stalwarts Emma Roberts and Taissa Farmiga die especially well.

The Hulu version

“The Sorority Sister’s Tale”

Elisabeth Moss plays Ofted, an avenging sorority sister who sees Ted as the ultimate male oppressor and runs him out of Florida with help from guest stars Jane Fonda, Camille Paglia and Elizabeth Warren.

Source: Read Full Article