Trend Details

Nat Geo Orders New Stanford Prison Experiment Docuseries

Another project of the highly criticised Stanford Prison Experiment, with a working title The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth, has been ordered by National Geographic. By Ching Wai.

US - American pay television network and flagship channel National Geographic has ordered documentary series The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth, produced by Muck Media. The docuseries sees Juliette Eisner as director and Alex Braverman as executive producer, and will have three parts.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a psychological experiment conducted in August 1971 to study the effects of situational variables on human reactions and behaviours. The experiment was planned to last two weeks, with Stanford University psychology professor Philip Zimbardo and a team of researchers administering the study with willing male student participants. The participants took psychological stability assessments before being randomly assigned the role of prisoners or guards. The experiment ended after six days due to the horrible degrees of abuse the ‘guards’ were exhibiting on the ‘prisoners’.

The study has since been largely referenced and heavily criticised for being unethical. The upcoming docuseries will dive into these layers of intrigue and controversies. An American docudrama thriller film had also been made of the experiment, which was released in 2015.

Tom McDonald, executive VP of global factual and unscripted content for National Geographic, said, “The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth is an unprecedented documentary series that pushes the boundaries of storytelling while shedding new light on a pivotal moment in psychological history. Through the voices of those who lived it, we, along with our longtime partners at Muck Media, invite audiences to reexamine the Stanford Prison Experiment and confront the truths that lie beneath the surface.”

To never miss a story — sign up for Viral Weekly free newsletter to stay up-to-date with compelling TV and Film news and views.

Back to Listing