PRODUCTION TO BEGIN AUGUST 12th FOR COURT TV'S SECOND ORIGINAL MOVIE, THE INTERROGATION OF MICHAEL CROWE
Ally Sheedy Stars in Network's Second Original Feature
Based on the True Story of the Interrogation
and Coerced Confession of a Fourteen Year Old California Boy
NEW YORK - August 8, 2002 - Court TV today announced that production for its second original movie, The Interrogation of Michael Crowe, will begin on Monday, August 12th, in Toronto, Canada, and conclude on Thursday, September 5th. The feature television film, which premieres on Wednesday, December 4th, is based on Court TV's documentary of the same name, which won the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award. Ally Sheedy will star as Cheryl Crowe, Michael's mother, who fought tirelessly to prove her son's innocence.
The Interrogation of Michael Crowe will explore the increasingly controversial topic of police interrogation techniques and coerced confessions, and will examine the issue of whether juvenile interrogations should be taped to ensure the authorities follow procedures which are appropriate for juveniles. The film tells the story of the Crowe family, whose 14-year-old son Michael was forced to endure an excruciating police interrogation into the 1998 murder of his 12-year-old sister, Stephanie. Michael repeatedly denied his involvement in her murder, despite hours of intense interrogation without a lawyer or his parents present, but was ultimately coerced into confessing to the crime. The fact that the interrogation was taped proved that the confession was false and kept Michael from going to jail.
"Following on the heels of our highly successful first original movie Guilt by Association, which starred Academy Award-winning actress Mercedes Ruehl, we are excited to once again be working with JB Media and Hearst Entertainment on our second original movie and feel that this story is one of the most powerful testaments to the importance of taping interrogations of minors," said Henry Schleiff, Chairman and CEO of Court TV. "We are pleased to be able to address this topic through a fact-based movie and, in doing so, focus further attention on the issues surrounding juvenile interrogations."
The Interrogation of Michael Crowe is produced in association with JB Media and will be distributed by Hearst Entertainment. Andrea Baynes, who most recently produced Jumping Ship and The Familiar Stranger, is the executive producer. The film, written by Alan Hines, is directed by Don McBrearty. Mary D. Silverman, Rosalie Muskatt and Lynne Kirby are the Court TV executives in charge of original movies.
Court TV (www.Courttv.com or AOL Keyword: Court TV), a basic cable network, provides a window on the American system of justice through distinctive programming that both informs and entertains. As the destination for programming that focuses on the investigative process, Court TV broadcasts trials by day and such brand defining original programs as Forensic Files and popular off-network series as NYPD Blue in the evening. Court TV is 50% owned by AOL Time Warner, and 50% owned by Liberty Media Corp. The network has over 72 million subscribers.
