Everything you need to know about The Staircase
The Staircase is a dramatised version of the real story of the death of Kathleen Peterson.
Her husband, crime novelist Michael Peterson, took centre stage in the story after finding Kathleen dead at the bottom of their North Carolina home’s staircase.
The death triggers a 16-year horror story for the family, with Michael being accused of murdering Kathleen, though he adamantly maintains his innocence.
As secrets to his private life come into public light, the Peterson family’s lives gain international attention when Jean-Xavier Lestrade, a French filmmaker, decides to pick up the case as a central story for a new documentary.
The resulting series is also called The Staircase, and has been released in two parts. Multiple theories behind what happened come to light, each with their own plausible reasoning to complicate the matter further.
The Staircase dramatisation delves into each theory, depicting how Kathleen’s final hour of life could have played out.
As the years drag on, Michael and his children fight for justice – and each other – as doubts begin creeping into this once picture-perfect family.
Watch the trailer
What happened to the real Kathleen?
In real life, there is still no definitive theory about what happened to the real Kathleen Peterson, though there are plenty of theories.
Prior to her death, Kathleen was a successful business executive. She first started a relationship with Michael in 1989, though they didn’t marry until 1997.
Together they had five children – Kathleen’s daughter Caitlin from her first marriage, Michael’s children Clayton and Todd from his previous marriage, as well as Margaret and Martha Ratcliff, whom Michael was guardian of following the death of their parents.
To many, they were considered a well-off, blended family.
On December 9, 2001, at their home in North Carolina, Kathleen was found sprawled at the bottom of the staircase in a pool of blood.
Michael dialled 911 after discovering Kathleen’s body, with the now famed recording of the call hearing him frantic as he answered questions.
He claimed the pair had been drinking by their pool together, and she had gone in about an hour before he retired for the evening.
It was ruled her death was from blood loss, with injuries including multiple head lacerations.
A debate soon ensued around the blood spatter and whether it was consistent with a fall and an attack, with experts arguing each side.
What happened to Michael Peterson?
Michael Peterson was eventually arrested for the murder of Kathleen, with prosecutors hinging a lot of their argument on Peterson’s hidden bisexuality, which he explored in secret away from his marriage.
The ensuing court trial was the longest in North Carolina history, with the theory being Kathleen found out about Peterson’s sexual preferences and threatened to leave him.
Peterson insists that Kathleen was aware of his adultery, but had requested they keep it under wraps and away from the family unit.
In October 2003, he was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole.
However, his legal team immediately started fighting the verdict, with a string of appeals being denied.
In December 2011, Peterson was released after major issues with regards to evidence in the initial trial. This included an analyst of the state’s bureau of investigation, who was a key witness at the Peterson trial, being suspended after it was discovered he had falsely reported evidence in over two dozen cases.
It was ruled the analyst had given “misleading” and “deliberately false” testimony about the blood spatter at the crime scene, and had exaggerated his expertise.
With the conviction overturned, Peterson was placed under house arrest with an ankle monitor, and work began on the second trial.
Peterson’s lawyers continued to attempt to have the case thrown out but were refused.
In February 2017, four months before the second trial was due to begin, Peterson entered an Alford plea – which allows someone to state their innocence, but officially accepting to plead guilty – to manslaughter. He was released, having already served out the 85 months of prison time he was sentenced to.
To date, he continues to maintain his innocence.
Who stars in The Staircase?
The cast is a star-studded ensemble, comprised of:
- Colin Firth (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Pride and Prejudice) as Michael Peterson
- Toni Collette (Hereditary, Little Miss Sunshine) as Kathleen Peterson
- Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name, Boardwalk Empire) as David Rudolf
- Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V, The Terminal List) as Todd Peterson
- Sophie Turner (Game Of Thrones, Do Revenge) as Margaret Ratliff
- Odessa Young (Assassination Nation, The Stand) as Martha Ratliff
- Dane DeHaan (Kill Your Darlings, The Stranger) as Clayton Peterson
- Tim Guinee (Inventing Anna, Homeland) as Bill Peterson
- Vincent Vermignon (Chronicles of The Sun, Drift) as Jean-Xavier de Lestrade
- Juliette Binoche (The English Patient, The New Look) as Sophie Brunet
- Olivia DeJonge (The Visit, The Society) as Caitlin Atwater
- Rosemarie DeWitt (Little Fires Everywhere, La La Land) as Candace Hunt Zamperini
- Parker Posey (Lost In Space, Scream 3) as Freda Black
How successful was The Staircase and what awards did it win?
The Staircase received critical acclaim upon its release, and received 38 awards nominations.
This included Primetime Emmy nods for both Colin Firth and Toni Collette as the central couple to the story, Michael and Kathleen Peterson.
Firth was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal, with Collette winning a TV Scholar award for playing Kathleen.
What is the age rating of The Staircase?
The Staircase’s official rating in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 18 for the complete run.
This means the show has been deemed suitable for adult audiences only.
Reasons for the rating include:
- Graphic depictions of violence and death
- Multiple portrayals of a dead body
- Blood and gore essential to the plot including scenes of a murder as they take place, and subsequent autopsy scenes
- Distressing imagery and sounds related to the murder
- Nudity including full frontal female nudity
- Graphic sex scenes and depictions of sex acts
How to watch The Staircase in the UK
The Staircase limited series is available in full on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
Sky is the exclusive home of The Staircase in the United Kingdom, with HBO distributing the show in the United States.
The documentary series is available on Netflix, which you can purchase with a joint subscription with Sky so will come under one, bundled price.
Find out more information on the deal here.