Lifetime Announces ‘Surviving Jeffrey Epstein’ Series and College Admission Scandal Film

Steve Greene

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After garnering an Emmy nomination with “Surviving R. Kelly,” Lifetime is developing another series designed to share the stories of those who have experienced sexual violence.

A+E Networks programming chief Rob Sharenow announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Tuesday that Lifetime is currently working on “Surviving Jeffrey Epstein.” The docuseries will investigate crimes allegedly committed by Epstein even as he moved through the upper echelons of the financial, political, and social world. Epstein was arrested earlier this month on charges that he took part in a trafficking ring that involved underage minors.

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The six-part series “Surviving R. Kelly” premiered in January, featuring allegations against the R&B star. Following the series airing on the network, Kelly was dropped from radio station airplay around the country. Epstein’s alleged history has already had repercussions for his former associates in the entertainment industry, with studios cutting ties to longtime awards season mainstay Peggy Siegal.

In addition to the new docuseries, Lifetime is also planning a film based on the recent college admissions scandal that surfaced back in March. Sharenow commented that “Operation Varsity Blues” had led to more calls to the network demanding that Lifetime adapt the story than any other in recent memory.

The show comes after an FBI investigation that allegedly uncovered multiple college test-taking schemes that benefited children of notable figures including Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. In April, following her indictment, Loughlin plead not guilty to the charges that she and over two dozen other individuals are facing as a result of taking part in the scheme.

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