54th Annual ICG Publicists Awards - Inside
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Actress/presenter Renee Zellweger speaks onstage at the 54th Annual ICG Publicists Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 24, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Mathew Imaging/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Renee Zellweger

With a straight-to-series pickup from NBC, two-time Oscar-winning actress Renee Zellweger is on board to make her broadcast TV debut as both star and executive producer of “The Thing About Pam,” the hard-to-believe, real-life story that became a worldwide true-crime phenomenon.

A collaboration between Blumhouse Television, NBC News Studios and Zellweger’s Big Picture Co., the series marks the first major scripted project under the purview of Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, as well as the first project between Blumhouse Television and NBC News Studios, whose partnership was announced last year.

“When you think about what qualifies something as a ‘must watch,’ I’m not sure you could do any better than the undeniable trifecta of Renee Zellweger, Blumhouse and ‘Dateline,’” said Rovner. “The twists and turns of this saga are truly stranger than fiction, and in the hands of this incredibly talented artistic team, this series will bring a completely new perspective to a story that has already captivated millions.”

The six-episode straight-to-series order is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in her husband Russ’s conviction, but he insisted he did not kill her. His conviction was later overturned. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp, played by Zellweger.