“I learned so much about myself and about acting, because I had to push myself to places that I hadn’t gone before,” reveals Emmy-nominated actor Mckenna Grace (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) about her role in the nine-episode limited series “A Friend of the Family.” For our recent webchat she adds, “It was really emotionally and sometimes physically exhausting. But I am just so proud to have gotten to tell Jan’s story and gotten to play her and portray her story.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Jake Lacy (‘A Friend of the Family’)
In the Peacock original true crime drama “A Friend of the Family,” which was created by Nick Antosca, Emmy nominee Jake Lacy (“The White Lotus”) portrays Robert “B” Berchtold, a close friend and neighbor of the Brobergs, a close-knit family with strong Christian values that prove to be all too forgiving and naive.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Jake Lacy (‘A Friend of the Family’)
In the Peacock original true crime drama “A Friend of the Family,” which was created by Nick Antosca, Emmy nominee Jake Lacy (“The White Lotus”) portrays Robert “B” Berchtold, a close friend and neighbor of the Brobergs, a close-knit family with strong Christian values that prove to be all too forgiving and naive.
- 12/14/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“The story is essentially one person knocking you off kilter two at a time, until over three years you wind up in a place where you just don’t know how you got there,” declares Emmy nominee Jake Lacy (“The White Lotus) about the core themes explored in the unsettling nine-episode limited series “A Friend of the Family.” For our recent webchat he adds, “You wind up making choices that are against your best interests,” he explains. “How do you wind up in that spot? Berchtold, as a master manipulator, stumbled upon the exact circumstances of innocence, naivete and trust. This faith-based family [had] the forgiveness and compassion and all the elements that he could then twist and pull and manipulate into creating space to get what he wanted, which was a sexual relationship with their daughter.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Nick Antosca (‘A Friend of the Family...
See Exclusive Video Interview: Nick Antosca (‘A Friend of the Family...
- 12/5/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“This is too disturbing, too uncomfortable, too hard to comprehend” admits creator and showrunner Nick Antosca, on his initial hesitation about adapting limited series “A Friend of the Family” for television. For our recent webchat he adds, “I was incredibly fascinated by the story, so I read more about it. I read the book,” he says, “and when I started to hear it in their voice a little bit more and experience the slow burn of the story, because it took place over six years … I started to experience it more the way that they experienced it. I realized it was a story about how people didn’t see something and because of that, there was a psychological and compelling story that hadn’t really been told.” We talked with Antosca as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022/2023 awards contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
- 11/30/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Jan Broberg produced the dramatization of her two-time childhood abduction, A Friend of the Family. But what viewers didn’t know was she would appear in the Peacock limited series’ finale as her own family’s therapist. After Mary Ann (Anna Paquin) and Bob Broberg (Colin Hanks) get their daughter free from Robert “B” Berchtold’s (Jake Lacy) clutches, the healing begins. As Jan actor Mckenna Grace previously told us, coming back together as a family was the Brobergs’ revenge on the predator, played with chilling effect by Lacy. Broberg tells TV Insider the series nailed the essence of her experience and getting to play Dr. Carr was a new addition to her lifelong healing journey. Like in the show, Broberg is an actor. The stage has been a lifelong lifeline as she processed difficult feelings. Broberg says appearing in the series was an if, not when thing. “It goes...
- 11/10/2022
- TV Insider
If you’re watching Peacock’s new limited series “A Friend of the Family,” you’re undoubtedly doing so in disbelief. Following the lives of the Brobergs, an Idaho family whose eldest daughter, Jan, is twice kidnapped by a family friend, the series is heartbreaking and wild. So wild, in fact, that the real-life Jan Broberg introduces the premiere episode, seemingly in part to dispel claims the story is heavily fictionalized. It’s easy to see why if you’re familiar with the 2017 documentary “Abducted in Plain Sight,” which detailed the same story.
“Abducted in Plain Sight” tells the story in a far more matter-of-fact manner than the Peacock series, which ends each episode with a disclaimer that some events are included for dramatic effect (though it’s unclear how the story could become more dramatic). So what has been added? Let’s look at what “A Friend of the...
“Abducted in Plain Sight” tells the story in a far more matter-of-fact manner than the Peacock series, which ends each episode with a disclaimer that some events are included for dramatic effect (though it’s unclear how the story could become more dramatic). So what has been added? Let’s look at what “A Friend of the...
- 10/20/2022
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
True crime series continue to take up a lot of space on networks and streaming services thanks to our unwavering desire to investigate the truly horrendous and dark side of humanity. Sometimes these adaptations are impactful and other times they are underwhelming. But, when they are done well, they can be some of the best programming on the small screen. One such series is the new Peacock drama A Friend of the Family.
Based on the shocking true story of Jan Broberg, A Friend of the Family follows two Mormon families in Idaho who become very close. One of the fathers, Robert Berchtold, becomes infatuated with the eldest daughter of the other family. Over the course of decades, a sinister relationship develops that involves kidnapping, pedophilia, and much more. It is truly shocking to watch unfold and even more alarming as to how it was able to occur in the first place.
Based on the shocking true story of Jan Broberg, A Friend of the Family follows two Mormon families in Idaho who become very close. One of the fathers, Robert Berchtold, becomes infatuated with the eldest daughter of the other family. Over the course of decades, a sinister relationship develops that involves kidnapping, pedophilia, and much more. It is truly shocking to watch unfold and even more alarming as to how it was able to occur in the first place.
- 10/11/2022
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
As someone who “makes documentaries as a side hustle,” Colin Hanks is used to telling true stories. That said, he wasn’t aware of Jan Broberg’s abduction and assault before he received the scripts for Peacock’s “A Friend of the Family.” And when he did, he still wasn’t sold.
“I was just instantly judging a book by its cover, saying, ‘I don’t want to play a super nice Mormon that goes through a bunch of stuff.’ There’s so much about it that just made me, at first, say ‘No, thank you,'” Hanks tells Variety. But after reading the first three scripts, he watched Netflix’s 2017 documentary, “Abducted in Plain Sight.”
“I just could not get their story out of my head — I talked about it with so many people. It ended up dragging me in. And coming out of the pandemic, two years of sitting around,...
“I was just instantly judging a book by its cover, saying, ‘I don’t want to play a super nice Mormon that goes through a bunch of stuff.’ There’s so much about it that just made me, at first, say ‘No, thank you,'” Hanks tells Variety. But after reading the first three scripts, he watched Netflix’s 2017 documentary, “Abducted in Plain Sight.”
“I just could not get their story out of my head — I talked about it with so many people. It ended up dragging me in. And coming out of the pandemic, two years of sitting around,...
- 10/10/2022
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
This opening is usually where a disclaimer goes. For a series like “A Friend of the Family,” one that dramatizes the events behind a story that came to public attention through an acclaimed (or at least widely-seen) documentary, it’s almost second nature now to start off any discussion with a acknowledgment that many of the details are an open matter. Anyone who wants to know the story beforehand (particularly those who might want to avoid certain subject matter the story addresses) can easily find a concise summary with a few clicks.
Creators will go to great lengths to try to preserve a certain kind of viewing experience, one with twists unspoiled and jarring turns hidden. Amidst a sea of real-life stories of manipulation and grief and predation being turned into TV series, “A Friend of the Family” is one that stands out because it’s not constructed in that way.
Creators will go to great lengths to try to preserve a certain kind of viewing experience, one with twists unspoiled and jarring turns hidden. Amidst a sea of real-life stories of manipulation and grief and predation being turned into TV series, “A Friend of the Family” is one that stands out because it’s not constructed in that way.
- 10/6/2022
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
In Peacock’s true-crime drama “A Friend of the Family,” Bob Broberg (Colin Hanks) pleads with his wife Mary Ann (Anna Paquin) to help him understand her egregious lapse in judgment. “Don’t you have better sense? It doesn’t make any sense…why would you do such a thing?” Those also happen to be the questions bandied about on Twitter when “Abducted in Plain Sight,” a 2017 documentary about the Brobergs, went viral after landing on Netflix. According to what passes for consensus on social media, while the Brobergs endured a horrible ordeal, they bear most of the responsibility because of the unconscionable decisions they made.
“A Friend of the Family” is written with an acute awareness of the backlash that met the Brobergs after they shared how they were manipulated and nearly destroyed by a malignant narcissist. It begins with a statement from the Brobergs daughter Jan, the primary victim in the story,...
“A Friend of the Family” is written with an acute awareness of the backlash that met the Brobergs after they shared how they were manipulated and nearly destroyed by a malignant narcissist. It begins with a statement from the Brobergs daughter Jan, the primary victim in the story,...
- 10/5/2022
- by Joshua Alston
- Variety Film + TV
A Friend of the family premieres on Peacock on October 6.
The series is a fictionalized take on a story you may know very well.
Jan Broberg's story was previously told on the Netflix docuseries, Abducted in Plain Sight.
Now, from creator Nick Antosca and with Broberg's help as an executive producer, her story is investigated again, this time without the details.
Instead, Antosca and Broberg try to show viewers how an insidious man made himself a friend of the family, ingratiating himself into their world, breeding a perfect scenario in which Broberg was kidnapped and abused, with her abductor never paying a steep price for his crimes.
Jake Lacey stars as Robert 'B' Berchtold, the man behind the crimes, and Lio Tipton is his wife, Gail.
In our interview, Lacey discusses how he was challenged as an actor to bring B's views to light without needing to understand the man himself.
The series is a fictionalized take on a story you may know very well.
Jan Broberg's story was previously told on the Netflix docuseries, Abducted in Plain Sight.
Now, from creator Nick Antosca and with Broberg's help as an executive producer, her story is investigated again, this time without the details.
Instead, Antosca and Broberg try to show viewers how an insidious man made himself a friend of the family, ingratiating himself into their world, breeding a perfect scenario in which Broberg was kidnapped and abused, with her abductor never paying a steep price for his crimes.
Jake Lacey stars as Robert 'B' Berchtold, the man behind the crimes, and Lio Tipton is his wife, Gail.
In our interview, Lacey discusses how he was challenged as an actor to bring B's views to light without needing to understand the man himself.
- 10/5/2022
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Plot: Inspired by the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of a few years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend”.
Review: There does not seem to be any end in sight for the current wave of true crime event series populating streaming services these days. While some are better than others, there are still some genuinely disturbing stories that have been told recently. Documentaries always have an advantage in the realm of true crime, but a well-made narrative series can chill you as much as entertain. A Friend of the Family, from producer Nick Antosca, is one of the most shocking and disturbing true crime stories I have ever heard and offers a well-made look at a story that is too crazy not to be true. With a great cast and the actual victim of the crime on board as a producer,...
Review: There does not seem to be any end in sight for the current wave of true crime event series populating streaming services these days. While some are better than others, there are still some genuinely disturbing stories that have been told recently. Documentaries always have an advantage in the realm of true crime, but a well-made narrative series can chill you as much as entertain. A Friend of the Family, from producer Nick Antosca, is one of the most shocking and disturbing true crime stories I have ever heard and offers a well-made look at a story that is too crazy not to be true. With a great cast and the actual victim of the crime on board as a producer,...
- 10/4/2022
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Peacock‘s new series A Friend of the Family (premiering October 6 with four episodes) dramatizes the true tale of the evil Robert “B” Berchtold (Jake Lacy) kidnapping, sexually abusing, and eventually marrying the young Jan Broberg right under her parents’ noses. Mary Ann and Bob Broberg knew Berchtold had taken Jan the first time, but to their horror, it happened again a few years later. The mind-boggling story was told in Netflix‘s documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, prompting viewers to express their bewilderment all over social media. With its title alone, A Friend of the Family aims to explain just how the Brobergs could have “let” this happen repeatedly — and to serve as a warning. Berchtold was their close family friend, and with the help of FBI recordings of the criminal, his own audio journals, and firsthand knowledge from Jan and her mother (both producers on the series), the...
- 10/3/2022
- TV Insider
Peacock has released a new trailer for the upcoming limited series "A Friend of the Family." It's based on the true story of the manipulation of the Broberg family in the 1970s and the grooming and multiple kidnappings of Jan Broberg by child predator Robert Berchtold.
If the names sound familiar, there's a reason for that. Not only did the real-life case get a book treatment from Mary Anne Broberg and Jan Broberg entitled "Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story," but it was made into the 2019 true crime documentary "Abducted in Plain Sight" that aired on Netflix.
The series follows the Brobergs through the relationship each of the parents and Jan had with Berchtold, the grooming, the wild stories he told her, and the kidnappings. I'm warning you now; it's hard to watch if you know what's coming.
"A Friend of the Family" stars Academy Award-winner Anna Paquin as Mary Anne Broberg,...
If the names sound familiar, there's a reason for that. Not only did the real-life case get a book treatment from Mary Anne Broberg and Jan Broberg entitled "Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story," but it was made into the 2019 true crime documentary "Abducted in Plain Sight" that aired on Netflix.
The series follows the Brobergs through the relationship each of the parents and Jan had with Berchtold, the grooming, the wild stories he told her, and the kidnappings. I'm warning you now; it's hard to watch if you know what's coming.
"A Friend of the Family" stars Academy Award-winner Anna Paquin as Mary Anne Broberg,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Not everyone is a good person. Some people have darkness lurking in them that drives them to commit unspeakable acts. These people could be your family, co-workers, and friends. People change behind closed doors, but some monsters refuse to remain hidden when an object of desire threatens to escape their grasp. In Peacock’s A Friend of the Family trailer, the Broberg family discovers an unfathomable secret about a friend who feels more like an extended family member.
According to Peacock, A Friend of the Family is “based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of a few years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This...
According to Peacock, A Friend of the Family is “based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of a few years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This...
- 9/13/2022
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Peacock’s debuted an official trailer for the limited true crime series A Friend of the Family starring Colin Hanks and Anna Paquin. The nine-episode drama is based on a bizarre true story, and the trailer introduces the key players including the titular friend of the family who turns out to be a complete psychopath.
The cast also includes Jake Lacy, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace, and Hendrix Yancey. Nick Antosca serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner, with the real kidnap victim at the heart of the story – Jan Broberg – involved as a producer.
Peacock’s official synopsis describes the series as “based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of a few years by a charismatic, obsessed family ‘friend.’ The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities,...
The cast also includes Jake Lacy, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace, and Hendrix Yancey. Nick Antosca serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner, with the real kidnap victim at the heart of the story – Jan Broberg – involved as a producer.
Peacock’s official synopsis describes the series as “based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of a few years by a charismatic, obsessed family ‘friend.’ The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
When Jan Broberg was a child, she was kidnapped by close family friend Robert Berchtold not once, but twice. Her parents, Mary Ann and Bob Broberg, knew what Robert did the first time, and yet it somehow happened again. The mind-boggling true crime story is dramatized in Peacock‘s A Friend of the Family, debuting October 6 on the streaming service. Starring Jake Lacy (The White Lotus), Anna Paquin (True Blood), Colin Hanks (The Offer), Lio Tipton (Why Women Kill), Mckenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Hendrix Yancey (Stranger Things), Peacock debuted the first A Friend of the Family teaser on Thursday, August 18. A Friend of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the...
- 8/18/2022
- TV Insider
Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to A Friend of the Family, a true-crime limited drama about the Jan Broberg kidnapping case, from Nick Antosca and UCP, with Oscar winner Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks and Lio Tipton attached to star. Eliza Hittman (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) is set to direct and executive produce multiple episodes, including the pilot.
UCP won the rights to the stranger-than-fiction story in a competitive situation, and the project has been in development at UCP since 2020.
Antosca will write and serve as showrunner and executive produce via his Eat the Cat banner, as part of his overall deal with UCP.
A Friend of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith,...
UCP won the rights to the stranger-than-fiction story in a competitive situation, and the project has been in development at UCP since 2020.
Antosca will write and serve as showrunner and executive produce via his Eat the Cat banner, as part of his overall deal with UCP.
A Friend of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith,...
- 2/15/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to the true crime series “A Friend of the Family,” which tells the story of the multiple kidnappings of Jan Broberg.
Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton will all star in the series, which hails from “The Act” co-creator Nick Antosca. The show was originally announced as being in development back in May 2020.
“A Friend of the Family” is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered and how they survived.
“Nick Antosca has created a compelling series in...
Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton will all star in the series, which hails from “The Act” co-creator Nick Antosca. The show was originally announced as being in development back in May 2020.
“A Friend of the Family” is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered and how they survived.
“Nick Antosca has created a compelling series in...
- 2/15/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Warning: This piece contains spoilers for Netflix’s Abducted in Plain Sight and HBO’s Leaving Neverland.
****
There’s a moment toward the end of Abducted in Plain Sight, the Netflix documentary about the repeated abduction and rape of the then-12-year-old Jan Broberg, when Bob Broberg, Jan’s father, explains how his family managed to cope with the trauma. “I think we did a few things right among the mistakes,” he says. “We loved Jan, and that made all the difference.”
The moment has a darkly comic feel to it,...
****
There’s a moment toward the end of Abducted in Plain Sight, the Netflix documentary about the repeated abduction and rape of the then-12-year-old Jan Broberg, when Bob Broberg, Jan’s father, explains how his family managed to cope with the trauma. “I think we did a few things right among the mistakes,” he says. “We loved Jan, and that made all the difference.”
The moment has a darkly comic feel to it,...
- 3/4/2019
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.