Parents' Guide to

Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Disturbing, insightful true crime docu points lens at media.

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Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story TV show poster.

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What's the Story?

CAPTIVE AUDIENCE: A REAL AMERICAN HORROR STORY is a three-part true crime documentary that examines the impact of the intense media coverage of a kidnapped young boy's return home. It revisits the case of seven-year-old Steven Stayner, who in 1972 was abducted in Merced, California, by convicted sex offender Kenneth Eugene Parnell. Seven years later, after escaping with 5-year-old Timmy White, he returned to his family and was thrust into the media spotlight. The series looks at how the subsequent media focus on Steven affected him and his family, including his older brother Cary, who years later became the serial murderer known as The Yosemite Killer. Interviews with members of the Stayner family, many of whom have never spoken publicly before, share what they endured in the years after Steven's kidnapping; when he tragically died in 1989; and when Cary was arrested and convicted. Acquaintances, investigators, and journalists also share their interpretation of events, and archive media give additional details while highlighting the extensive, and sometimes aggressive, way they pursued the separate stories. It also showcases the efforts the entertainment industry made to retell Steven's story, and the creative license taken in order to appeal to TV audiences, despite the fact that the Stayners' experience did not have a Hollywood ending.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
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Kids say: Not yet rated

The disturbing docuseries raises questions about how media chose to cover Stayner's kidnapping, and the long-lasting impact it had on him, his family, and the public's perception of what transpired. Captive Audience offers the opportunity for members of the Stayner family, including Steven and Cary's mother, their sister, and Steven's two adult children, to tell their stories. These journalistic elements are combined with scenes from the 1989 Emmy Award-nominated series I Know My Name is Steven, which are accompanied by audio recordings of writer J.P. Miller discussing how he adapted Steven Stayner's story for TV audiences. It also features Corin Nemec and Todd Eric Andrews, the actors who portrayed Steven and Cory on TV, performing on-camera readings of interviews with the two men before the series went into production. It's a unique way of deconstructing the sensational, and sometimes fictional, stories about Steven's life that continue to be perpetuated by media today. But as artistic and insightful as Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story is, you can't help but think about the fact that it is contributing to the very phenomena it is criticizing. Nonetheless, it's a robust true crime story that will draw in viewers who like the genre.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why and how media covered the Steven Stayner story, and the narratives they present about Cary Stayner's criminal behavior. Should media be blamed for covering stories the public is interested in?

  • Why have true crime stories become so popular? How can TV series and documentaries about true crimes potentially misrepresent the real facts surrounding each incident? Does Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story avoid distorting the details about the Stayner cases?

TV Details

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