| Genre: | Documentary |
| Director: |
|
| Theme Music Composer: | John Congleton |
| Composer: | John Congleton |
| Opentheme: | "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by The Paper Chase |
| Country: | United States |
| Num Seasons: | 16 |
| Num Episodes: | 146 |
| Runtime: | 42 minutes |
| Network: | Investigation Discovery |
| Company: | Red Marble Media |
Evil Lives Here is an American documentary television series on Investigation Discovery that debuted on January 17, 2016. This 60-minute true crime show spends each episode interviewing a family member of the highlighted criminal.
On August 23, 2020, Season 8 kicked off with a 90-minute episode called "I Killed Dirty John", on which Debra and Terra Newell recount their experiences with "Dirty" John Meehan. The format is featured on the sequel series, Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death, in which both investigators and families of victims discuss the impacts murders had on their lives. Unlike its predecessor, the culprit isn't revealed right away in some episodes.
On October 1, 2023, another spinoff, Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks will premiere. This series will be about murders told from the perspectives of the killers and at least one surviving family member. The premiere episode is "The Body In The Barrel".
On February 18, 2024, the series` first two-hour episode “The Butcher And The Box” aired in Season 15, in which the ex-wife of murderer Gary Simmons meets Brooke, another woman victimized by him.
The premise of the show depicts the stories of people who shared a home and a life with a loved one who would become a killer whether it be a parent, sibling, extended family member, or even an offspring. Reenactments blended with police footage, family photographs, videos and interviews give the audience a view of the murderer as told through the eyes of someone close to them.[1]
Most episodes are done solo with only one close person to the suspect who committed heinous acts telling the story, though there are a few with two people featured. The producers are sometimes heard in the background asking questions to the person or persons being interviewed. Every episode depicts the person looking at pictures of themselves and or the suspect to reminisce on certain moments in their lives whether it be good or bad.
The 6-7 minute extras were released with interviews of people who told their heart-stopping stories on the program after some time.
| Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death | |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Director: |
|
| Theme Music Composer: | John Congleton |
| Composer: | John Congleton |
| Country: | United States |
| Num Seasons: | 6 |
| Num Episodes: | 38 |
| Runtime: | 42 minutes |
| Network: | Investigation Discovery |
| Company: | Red Marble Media |
A spinoff series titled Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death debuted on October 29, 2020.
As of 2021, the actors of the show must be vaccinated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] [3] [4]
Whereas the parent show Evil Lives Here showcases a person being interviewed on a family member who is a murderer and how the situation has affected them, this show features mostly the associates of the victims and law enforcement themselves being interviewed on how they were affected by the culprit's actions or culprits if there was more than one.[5]
Some episodes do favor the original show's format featuring family member culprits, but the stories are told by two or more people of the family (often joined by a police officer assigned to the case), as opposed to just one person the whole way through which is a main element of the original show for most of the episodes. With Shadows of Death, it is the reversal where solo interview storytelling is rare.
A spinoff series titled Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks debuted on October 1, 2023.