Friend of the Family, a forthcoming true-crime limited series from Peacock, has just unveiled a disturbing new teaser. The series will take a dramatic look at one of the most astonishing cases of deception, deceit, and terrible brutality in American history. The series will debut on the streaming service this autumn, and this teaser has been released in anticipation. The account of Jan Broberg’s abduction by Robert Berchtold is described in A Friend of the Family. The new trailer gives us a glimpse of the close-knit Broberg family while placing them in an apparently idyllic 1970s suburban area.
Anna Paquin’s Mary Ann and Colin Hanks’s Bob share tender glances as they tend to their suburban home and family. And when the Berchtold’s moved into the area, things improved dramatically. But Robert Berchtold, patriarch of the Berchtold family, is not what he appears (Jake Lacy). As time goes on, he looks to be closing in on the Broberg family, ensnaring both parents. But his true aim is their daughter Jan, whose abduction causes widespread panic. The Broberg family’s account of the ordeal was featured in the 2017 documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, so the narrative may seem familiar.
The footage quickly went viral, and many people have speculated on the Broberg family’s motivations and psychology in letting such a subtle manipulator gain control of their life. Nick Antosca, creator, showrunner, executive producer, and writer for NBC’s Friend of the Family, has stated, “I’d like viewers to go away from the programme feeling like they know the family better and be able to say, “In that era, in that setting, they were like me.” They messed up horribly, yet they cared deeply for their children. And an expert manipulator used them to his own ends.” The new show doesn’t pass judgement on the Brobergs, but rather tries to put them in their time and location.
This is consistent with Antosca’s previous work, Candy, which examined a highly sensationalised murder case from the 1980s with a surprisingly human eye. The series will consist of 6 one-hour episodes and star Paquin, Hanks, Lacy, McKenna Grace, and Hendrix Yancey as Jan Broberg and Jan Broberg, respectively. Jan and Mary Ann Broberg are both executive producers for the show. Both Alex Hedlund and Eliza Hittman worked as executive producers, with Hittman also directing many episodes. The first episode of Friend of the Family will air on October 6, 2022, on Peacock.