Oxygen will be releasing “Uncovered: The McMartin Family Trials”

Oxygen Media, the destination for high-quality crime programming, debuts a gripping two-hour special, “Uncovered: The McMartin Family Trials” on Saturday, July 27 at 7 pm ET/PT. This installation of “Uncovered” takes a special look at how a case that engulfed a community became a modern-day witch hunt, igniting a nation. 

“Uncovered: The McMartin Family Trials” turns the lens to 1983, when a small South Bay community of Manhattan Beach was rocked to its core when a child from a prestigious school, the McMartin Preschool, accused a teacher of molestation. What started out as one allegation soon became a media frenzy, with no shortage of children coming forward claiming to corroborate the story and add to the accusations. This led to seven teachers getting charged and two of them standing trial for heinous crimes, ensuing in a seven-year trial costing taxpayers $15 million (the most expensive trial in history) that yielded zero convictions. The claims were unsupported, many people believed the children’s testimonies were coerced and the lives of the families involved were shattered. 

The two-hour special reveals first-hand accounts from many key players that were involved in the case including alleged victim Elizabeth Cioffi and her parents, lawyers for the defense and prosecution, and Kevin Cody, Publisher of The Easy Reader, which featured extensive coverage of the case as it unfolded.

“Uncovered: The McMartin Family Trials” is produced by Renegade 83, LLC, an Entertainment One (eOne) company with David Garfinkle, Jay Renfroe, Bob Kusbit and Vincent DiPersio serving as Executive Producers. 

About Oxygen Media:

Oxygen Media is a multiplatform crime destination brand for women. Having announced the full-time shift to true crime programming in 2017, Oxygen remains one of the fastest growing cable entertainment networks with popular unscripted original programming that includes the flagship “Snapped” franchise, “Cold Justice,” “Killer Couples,” “Criminal Confessions,” and breakout hit event series such as “The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway,” “Dahmer on Dahmer: A Killer Speaks,” and “Aaron Hernandez Uncovered.” Available in more than 77 million homes, Oxygen is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Watch Oxygen anywhere: On Demand, online, or across mobile and connected TVs.