The CW orders first true crime series from James Goldston-led Candle True Stories

Heather Olander

The CW Network in the US has ordered Crime Nation, its first-ever true crime series, to be produced by former ABC News president James Goldston.

Hailing from the Goldston-led Candle True Stories, the non-fiction arm of Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Blackstone-backed Candle Media, the anthology series will debut in early 2024.

Each two-hour episode will feature “ripped-from-the-headlines” stories, shocking new details and exclusive on-camera interviews with those at the center of each of these cases.

“As the first true crime series in the history of The CW, Crime Nation will provide a fresh new spin on the genre, giving viewers a deeper look into a variety of thrilling and compelling cases,” said Heather Olander, head of unscripted programming, The CW Network.

“The social media conversation around true crime is bigger than ever, and the Crime Nation team will explore the relationship between the public narrative and official investigations for each case.”

Goldston will exec produce the series alongside Steven Baker and Mike Sheridan, with the show tackling cases including the Delphi murders, the Lori Vallow Daybell case, the Gabby Petito murder and the Gilgo Beach murders.

The CW was acquired by Nexstar Media Group in October and has previously talked up plans to populate The CW with “broader and cheaper programming”, signalling a push into more unscripted programming.