A Friend of the Family | |
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Created by | Nick Antosca |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 9 |
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Running time | 51–56 minutes |
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Original release | |
Network | Peacock |
Release | October 6 November 10, 2022 | –
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A Friend of the Family is an American true crime drama television miniseries. Based on true events, it focuses on Robert Berchtold, who in the 1970s sexually abused and twice kidnapped Jan Broberg. The show stars Jake Lacy as Berchtold, and Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace as Broberg at different ages. Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, and Anna Paquin complete the cast.
Nick Antosca created A Friend of a Family after reading Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story (2003) and watching Abducted in Plain Sight (2017), both of which discuss Broberg's kidnappings. Antosca thought Broberg's story was too intricate for Abducted in Plain Sight's 90-minute runtime and sought to retell the events with more context and depth. Broberg and her mother Mary Ann served as producers on the show; Jan Broberg was often invited to give the writers suggestions. Episodes were recorded between February and August 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia; and Los Angeles, California. The series was released between October 6 and November 10, 2022, on the streaming service Peacock. Critics gave A Friend of the Family positive reviews, and praised Eliza Hittman's direction and Lacy's performance.