Every popular modern docuseries owes a huge debt to the international success of "The Staircase," Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's Peabody award-winning sensation that fascinated millions with the strange case of Michael Peterson, a successful novelist accused of murdering his second wife Kathleen. The case has all the ingredients necessary to lure and capture true crime fans – a victim who died under unclear circumstances, a wealthy, somewhat famous suspect leading a double life, and a fallout that painfully divides a formerly close-knit family.
Today, viewers can avail themselves of two boons Lestrade did not have working in his favor when the series first premiered. The first is obvious. In 2005, when the first 10 episodes premiered domestically on the Sundance Channel, there were no major streaming services.
