[3] An abbreviated version was broadcast as a special two-hour presentation of American news show Primetime Thursday on July 22, 2004.

[4] The miniseries was completed in September 2004,[5] and premiered in October on Canal+,[6] from January 10–14, 2005, on BBC Four (as part of its Storyville documentary series),[7] and from April 4–25 on Sundance Channel.

In December 2001, war novelist Michael Peterson called emergency services to report that his wife Kathleen had fallen down a set of stairs in their Forest Hills mansion and died.

The documentary series detailed the ensuing case from the point of view of Peterson and his legal-defense team, led by attorney David Rudolf.

Peterson claimed that his wife knew intuitively about his sexuality, frequently teased him indirectly about it, understood that was part of who he was, and would have been fine with his arranging to have sex with anonymous men.

[13] In April 2012, it was announced that Lestrade was working on a two-hour follow-up film to The Staircase for French broadcaster Canal+,[14] after Michael Peterson was released from jail, pending a retrial.

[20] Originally announced as Staircase III, the film documents the story of Peterson's final trial, set for early 2016.

[25] A dramatic limited series adaptation of the docuseries, co-produced by Annapurna Television and HBO Max, was announced in March 2021.