ABC Family drama apes Amanda Knox story

Disney-ABC Television Group-owned ABC Family has greenlit pilot production of a drama clearly based on the recent case of American murder suspect Amanda Knox.

Guilt will be a one-hour soap billed as a “sophisticated, sexy and suspenseful crime epic” in which a female American student in London becomes the prime suspect in the savage murder of her roommate.

This apes the case of Knox, who along with former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito was convicted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Italy, though her conviction was later overturned.

Moving the action to London, Guilt will explore if the American student is a naïve girl caught up in a media frenzy, or if she is a ruthless, sociopathic killer.

Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard (both The Game Plan) created the series and will write and executive produce it, with Steve McPherson also an EP.

Lionsgate Television and Thunderbird Films joint venture Sea to Sky Entertainment and BV Family Productions will coproduce Guilt in association with ABC Family, the US cable channel.

The show goes into development alongside drama Stay, supernatural scripted series Beyond and scripted comedy Gorgeous Morons.

This comes as ABC Family aims to double its original programming output over the next four years.