What Netflix's 'The Watcher' Got Wrong and Left Out of the True Story

The Law&Crime Network's Jesse Weber and writer Laura Hanrahan discuss how accurate Netflix's "The Watcher" series is compared to the true story behind the show.

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[kallen]

Loved the actors and portrayals but honestly for a 7 hour series I was a bit underwhelmed.

[VC-jbmc]

They didn’t use the actual house because they didn’t want to begin getting letters 😂

[amberlimbaugh]

I find it fascinating that the police have been called almost 60 times to the house in the past 3 years. Mainly the alarm continuing to go off in the basement and nothing is ever found. Also, the last sellers taking a $400k loss is almost unheard of. Of course, the show dramatized the situation, but the original letters are indeed scary. I wouldn't want to live there. 🥴

One of the original letters:

"Dearest new neighbour at 657 Boulevard, allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood.

How did you end up here? Did 657 Boulevard call to you with its force within?

657 Boulevard has been the subject of my family for decades now and as it approaches its 110th birthday, I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming.

My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out."

[tracybroschak]

Jesse, you're not the only one who has not seen The Watcher. And since I found out that they have not found out who the Watcher is, I have lost the desire to see it.

[gwens]

I thought it was based on the case where a women found her dream house and put in an offer but she was out bid buy a couple, so she started an harassment campaign to force them to sell.

[Scorpio]

Haven’t heard anyone saying this yet, but they also combined the John List story into it

[adoredpariah]

It was so over the top and campy that I was just enjoying it as a borderline comedy for the most part. Was a half decent binge watch at the end of the day, but nothing to write home about. It was a lot more fun and less exploitative than the Dahmer series, that's for sure.

[sconni]

The real house is in New Jersey. Not New York.

[patrician.]

The Watcher is a Great suspenseful Series worth watching (no pun intended). The narrative is excellent even if it’s not word by word, scene by scene, character by character accurate! It’s a must see series👍🏼

[R.A.A.]

These two have a .... “je ne sais quoi” chemistry 😂☺️🤦🏼‍♀️

[tbull]

the real-life story seems like this family got pranked and they made into a scary movie. wish my pranks got Netflix money.

[brandonmilanaik]

I’m from Jersey and I remember reading about the story in the news a couple years ago. I just watched the series with my gf over the weekend and told her they definitely took some creative license on what I remember happening 😂

[Roxybella]

OMG Why didn't you say spoiler alert at the beginning? !

[jarrad]

The watcher isn’t scary isn’t just a script that goes around in circles that eventually gets boring

[cattycorner]

I'm pretty sure the real couple did move into the house. The wife talks about the woman/perp actually bringing her daughter to trick or treat their first Halloween there.

[Drollpanther]

Why even acknowledge the true events if they are just going to make everything up.

[MG-doyg]

I'd like to see a series of RL to movie series adaption what they got right/wrong

[andreaaldrich]

Weird to think about the actual watcher maybe watching this show.

[mikesavad]

the people who live in the watcher house, have all sorts of people getting up on their porch, to get selfies. Despite police tape blocking it off. Its a lot of nerve to do that. Its not a movie set, its someone's actual house. As far as the list house goes, that's long gone, they demolished it after the event happened.

[garfjaconsen]

The most likely candidate is the family themselves.