The Thing About Pam is an American true crime comedy-drama television miniseries detailing the involvement of Pam Hupp in the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. It stars Renée Zellweger, Josh Duhamel, Judy Greer, Gideon Adlon, Sean Bridgers, Suanne Spoke, Mac Brandt, Katy Mixon, and Glenn Fleshler. Jenny Klein serves as showrunner for the series.
After Peacock Productions was shut down, NBC News Studios was launched with the intention of creating documentary-style content. The series was announced in May 2020 when the company revealed a partnership with Blumhouse Television. It is based on coverage from Dateline NBC and is titled after a Dateline podcast of the same name. In February 2021, the series was given a six-episode order with Zellweger joining the cast and the production as an executive producer. Filming took place in New Orleans.
The Thing About Pam premiered on NBC on March 8, 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics. Though some praised Zellweger's performance as Hupp in her network television debut, others criticized the comedic tone used to convey the story of a real murder.
Premise
The Thing About Pam details the murder of Betsy Faria, a cancer-stricken woman found dead in her home in Troy, Missouri, in December 2011. Betsy's friend, house-flipper Pam Hupp, told the police she was the last person to see her on the night of her death after insisting on driving her home. The police suspected Betsy's husband, Russ, as the culprit and arrested him, but when his conviction was overturned, holes appeared in Pam's testimony, revealing a diabolical scheme. Meanwhile, television producers sought to devote several episodes from Dateline NBC to Betsy's story, which uncovers Pam's past and makes her a suspect in the case.
Cast
Main
Renée Zellweger as Pam Hupp, a self-appointed "businesswoman" arrested for the murder of Betsy Faria. Josh Duhamel as Joel Schwartz, the defense attorney for Russ Faria. Judy Greer as Leah Askey, the Lincoln County prosecutor who tried Russ Faria twice for his wife's murder. Gideon Adlon as Mariah Day, Betsy and Russ's 17-year-old daughter. Sean Bridgers as Mark Hupp, Pam Hupp's husband. Suanne Spoke as Janet, Betsy's mother and Mariah's grandmother. Mac Brandt as Detective McCarrick, a detective assigned to Betsy's murder case. Katy Mixon as Betsy Faria, Russ's wife, Mariah Day's mother, and the murder victim. Glenn Fleshler as Russ Faria, Betsy's husband and Mariah's father. Olivia Luccardi as Lily Day, Betsy and Russ's daughter and Mariah's sister.
Guest
Patricia French as Minnie, Pam's neighbor. Ben Chase as Nate Swanson, a defense attorney working with Joel. Drew Scheid as Travis Hupp, the son of Pam and Mark. Celia Weston as Shirley Neumann, Pam's mother. Heather Magee as Chris Mennemeyer, the judge in Russ's trial. Alice Barrett-Mitchell as Cathy Singer, a journalist and producer at Dateline. Dane Davenport as Mike Wood, a candidate for Lincoln County prosecutor and Joel's friend. Jeff Ryan Baker as Louis Gumpenberger, a Missouri resident who is shot and killed by Pam.
Dateline journalist Keith Morrison provides the show's narration.
Episodes
Production
Development
On January 10, 2020, NBC announced its plans to shut down the unscripted production unit Peacock Productions. Variety reported that the decision was sparked by the rise of streaming services and a necessity for "higher-quality productions". In a statement, NBC said the company was "shifting its documentary strategy to an entirely new model" that would be "consistent with industry trends". Two weeks later, on January 23, NBC News Studios was launched. Liz Cole, executive producer of Dateline NBC and the then-president of Peacock Productions, announced she would also serve as president of the new company. The studio's intent is to produce content for emerging platforms, documentaries, docu-series, and select scripted programming. At the time of its announcement, NBC News Studios had already attained partnerships with Blumhouse Television and Focus Features, with the former revealing they were in negotiations to develop and produce scripted programs based on stories told on Dateline. In a statement, Cole said "the documentary business is certainly more robust than it ever has been. More and more people are seeking out that content".