Tiny true crime scenes? Dollhouses from a New Bedford shop will be featured on TV series

Seth Chitwood, Standard-Times
·3 min read

NEW BEDFORD — HBOMax one minute, ABC the next. Kilburn Mill's Flip This Dollhouse will be featured on another television series, this time starring four of its miniature houses as crimes scenes.

Starting July 7 at 10 p.m., ABC's new series "The Fatal Flaw" will feature each of the New Bedford bought dollhouses in its first four episodes.

"It's really exciting," said Nathaniel Ellis,owner of the dollhouse shop located on the second floor of the mill on West Rodney French Boulevard.

In February, Ellis had one of his dollhouses featured on HBOMax's "The Gilded Age" in one of the scenes at the Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport.

One of the dollhouses to be featured on ABC's "The Fatal Flaw" from New Bedford's Flip This Dollhouse at the Kilburn Mill.
One of the dollhouses to be featured on ABC's "The Fatal Flaw" from New Bedford's Flip This Dollhouse at the Kilburn Mill.

"When it happened the first time on 'The Gilded Age,' I was super excited. I said, this is it. I've peaked," he admitted. "But, this is so much bigger than that. This time the dollhouses aren't just a backdrop item. It's literally the entire show."

Four dollhouses to be featured

"The Fatal Flaw," a special edition of "20/20," will present gripping all-new true crime stories hosted by David Muir and Amy Robach. Each dollhouse will be used to recreate crime scenes for the investigations.

According to Ellis, the shop supplied the dollhouses, furniture and accessories as well as helped stage some of the rooms based on provided crime scene photos by the producer.

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"I am like embarrassed to admit this, but I never thought I'd have so much fun recreating murder scenes," Ellis said, adding that he was honored to have the opportunity to be part of a show that could prevent future crimes.

In April 2022, Ellis said the mother of the show's set designer visited his shop and took photos of his houses to be considered for the first season.

A month later, he received the news that he was chosen and hopes to use more houses, if renewed for a second season. "This could be an unbelievable business relationship, especially if the show keeps going and going for seasons and seasons," he said.

A reality series in the works

Since opening the business 11 years ago, Ellis never thought his houses would be used on television. "When I opened this shop, I just thought this is crazy. What am I doing? I'm going to be committed," he said.

"It was going to be like a giant playroom for me."

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Since then, he's also rented out dollhouses to other productions such as a music video that was shot in Boston, and two dollhouse were featured in a stage production at the Formerly Stoneham Theatre, titled 'Becoming Dr. Ruth,"  based on famed sex therapist (her hobby was dollhouses).

Nathaniel Ellis, owner of Flip this Dollhouse in New Bedford, also stages some of the houses for the upcoming ABC series "The Fatal Flaw."
Nathaniel Ellis, owner of Flip this Dollhouse in New Bedford, also stages some of the houses for the upcoming ABC series "The Fatal Flaw."

Earlier this year, Ellis also got a call from a production company that produces shows for cable and streaming platforms such as Netflix, interested in doing a reality series on him and his shop.

"It's unexpected, it's shocking to me," he said. "I just can't wrap my head around it. All I know is that I'm really excited for it all

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: ABC 'The Fatal Flaw' to feature New Bedford Flip This Dollhouse items