EXCLUSIVE: Channel 4 has bought a documentary on the shocking eBay scandal, which was due to go to civil trial today.
Channel 4 is one of a number of buyers of Whatever It Takes: Inside the eBay Scandal from Fremantle, a doc about stalking and corporate espionage.
The feature follows David and Ina Steiner, a married couple running an e-commerce blog to help small sellers on eBay, who found themselves under siege. Following a nightmarish campaign of intimidation and cyberstalking, which included deliveries of a bloody pig mask, live cockroaches and funeral wreaths, the FBI eventually traced the harassment back to an unbelievable source: eBay itself.
The doc is topical as a civil trial, Steiner v eBay et al, was due to start today. Instead, days ahead of the scheduled trial, the parties reached a settlement.
Fremantle has also sold the doc to ZDF in Germany, ORF in Austria,Al Jazeera for the MENA region, and NRK in Norway, and has already launched successfully in Australia (ABC), Canada (Paramount Streaming, Bell Media), Belgium (VRT), Greece (Vodafone), Israel (Slutzky, Yes TV), Turkey (Turkcell), and Hong Kong & Macao (Now True).
Jamie Lynn, EVP Co-Production & Distribution, EMEA, Commercial and International, Fremantle, said: “Whatever It Takes: Inside the eBay Scandal is a remarkable story that shines a light on the real power dynamics inside major corporations and how they can infiltrate our digital lives. Jenny Carchman and her team have crafted a gripping investigation that uncovers a shocking corporate scandal while never losing sight of the human cost behind the headlines.”
The documentary is directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Jenny Carchman (Gossip, The Fourth Estate, Enlighten Us), produced by Allyson Luchak (15 Minutes of Shame, Trial 4, The Staircase) for Big Pond Films and producer Ben Travers. Executive producers are Mandy Chang (The Mole, Welcome to Chechnya, Writing with Fire) for Fremantle label Undeniable, Jonathan Silberberg, Nicole Stott, and Concordia Studio’s Lizzie Fox and Casey Meurer. Fremantle handles global sales.
