Channel 4 to tell inside story of notorious Hollywood heist in ‘The Bling Ring’ (w/t)

13 July 2021

Channel 4 is to lift the lid on one of the most infamous crime sprees of the internet age in a new 3-part series. Between October 2008 and August 2009 a wave of burglaries  took place in some of the richest suburbs of LA, rocking Hollywood to its core. Dubbed the ‘Bling Ring’ by reporters, the thieves raked in over $3m worth of cash, art, designer goods and jewellery from A-List celebrities including Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom and Lindsay Lohan. The culprits were eventually revealed to be a group of middle class suburban teenagers who planned their heists based on paparazzi sites and social media posts which revealed when their famous victims would be away from their homes.

Made by Double Act Productions, the series will see original gang members explain what drew them to commit their crimes - and reveal where they are now and how their lives have changed. There will also be interviews with law enforcement and other experts to tell the definitive story of the first major crime spree of the social media age.

Larry Walford, Creative Director at Double Act Productions says:  “This series will also have a tantalising take on popular culture at a time when reality tv, the paparazzi and social media conspired to create a new type of celebrity”.

Jonah Weston, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 says: “This is a classic ‘only in Hollywood’ tale, and I think audiences will love the mix of celebrity and social media that led to one of the most notorious crime stories ever.”

 

Credits

Production company: Double Act Productions

Executive Producers: Larry Walford / Rob Davis

Commissioning Editor Jonah Weston