It is almost the end of the year, but it seems Netflix will not stop developing new projects. This time, the platform is set to release on October 13th, 2022, The Watcher, a series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the same creators of Netflix’s newest TV show Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and writers and producers of Ratched. The limited series based on a terrifying true story which was published in an article in The Cut Magazine from New York City. The Watcher will consist of a total of seven episodes.
The Watcher displays the horrifying story of Nora Brannock (Naomi Watts) and Dean Brannock (Bobby Cannavale), a married couple who recently moved to a dream home located in New Jersey. Eventually, they start to get harassed through letters signed by a certain ‘The Watcher’. The true event happened in 2014 when the Broadduses (Broaddus is the real surname) purchased a $1.3 million valued house at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. A letter by a neighbor was sent to the family, everything seemed normal until it was written “How did you end up here?”. This strange neighbor alleged that his grandfather and father have been watching the house through the years and now it is his time to do so.
The letter sender introduces himself as The Watcher who kept sending letters to the family making it a total of three, in which The Watcher made references to the couple’s children. When things started to get murky, Derek and Maria Broaddus (the real names) hired a detective to investigate the stalker and also reached John and Andrea Woods (who were the previous owners of 657 Boulevard) by sending them an email. The Woodses also received these disturbing letters by The Watcher. Yet, the couple used to throw away the letters without giving it any importance.
The series will feature a wide cast, being the main starrings, Naomi Watts (Nora Brannock), Bobby Cannavale (Dean Brannock), Mia Farrow (Pearl), Noma Dumezweni (Theodora), Richard Kind (Mitch), Terry Kinney (Jasper), Margo Martindale (Mo) and Jennifer Coolidge (Karen Calhoun). Christopher Mcdonald, Michael Nouri, Isabel Gravitt, Henry Hunter Hall and Luke David Blumm as secondary.
Ryan Murphy is well known for its huge series, topping the list is American Horror Story, which started in 2011 and it is still on air after eleven seasons. Murphy also created Glee, Ratched, The Assesination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and its most recent one, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. All of these shows mentioned, despite the reviews, have been successful because most of them have been controversial or spooky topics. In most of these shows, Ian Brennan has been Ryan Murphy’s right hand, the two creators have managed to create, produce and write series that have been a commercial hit and still are.
Since we are in the spookiest month of the year with Halloween right around the corner, The Watcher is the perfect pick for October, with a true story so atypical and creepy. Netflix’s audience is waiting for the series to be released since the public is interested in the story itself. Surely, after watching the TV show, many people will make sure where they should buy a property and who are the neighbors around. The audience is hoping The Watcher meets their expectations and that the creators have also adapted this story in this audiovisual format in the most accurate way, guided by the article published by The Cut Magazine. Once again Netflix will premiere what it seems to be a worldwide hit, and it will be in the eye of public opinion.
Andrea Rich