Study Guide for True Crime Oxygen Network Programming and Content

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Oxygen Network True Crime Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each, based on the provided source material.

1. What is the primary theme or genre of programming featured on the Oxygen channel, as indicated by its schedule?

2. Describe the central focus of the new documentary, "The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession." What new evidence does it present?

3. Who is Albert DeSalvo, and what is the central controversy surrounding his connection to the Boston Strangler case?

4. Identify two new series, besides "The Boston Strangler" special, announced for the Oxygen True Crime 2025-26 programming slate.

5. What is the premise of the new series "The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher"?

6. According to the USTVDB ratings data for the week ending October 19, 2025, how many people watched Oxygen during primetime, and what was the channel's popularity rank?

7. What were the two highest-rated scheduled programs on Oxygen by total viewership as of October 18, 2025?

8. Besides confessions, what other types of evidence or investigative techniques are highlighted in the titles and descriptions of shows like Forensic Files and Cold Justice?

9. What is the subject matter of the new series "Killer Grannies," which is scheduled to premiere in Fall 2025?

10. Who is Casey Sherman, and what is his connection to the Boston Strangler case as detailed in the documentary?

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Answer Key

1. The Oxygen channel's programming is overwhelmingly focused on the true-crime genre. The schedule is dominated by series such as Snapped, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, Forensic Files, Cold Justice, and Killer Couples, all of which investigate real-life murders, disappearances, and criminal confessions.

2. "The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession" centers on the long-lost, 16-hour audio confession tapes of Albert DeSalvo. The documentary presents this new evidence to viewers for the first time, revealing an account that contradicts the official story, shows DeSalvo getting key details wrong, and raises new questions about the true identity of the killer.

3. Albert DeSalvo is the man who confessed to being the Boston Strangler, a serial killer responsible for the murders of 13 women in the 1960s. The controversy is that despite his confession, DNA evidence only linked him to one victim, and many experts and law enforcement figures have expressed skepticism, believing the murders may not have been committed by a single person.

4. Two new series announced for the 2025-26 slate are "The Killer Among Us," hosted by Alan Cumming, which investigates murders within tight-knit communities, and "Killer Grannies," which chronicles cases where grandmothers are the unexpected perpetrators of murder. Other new shows include "The Death Row Informant" and "The Silent Serial Killer: Gretzler."

5. "The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher" is a true-crime series told from the perspective of Barbara Butcher, a seasoned death investigator from New York. In the series, she unpacks compelling murder cases, demonstrating how the keys to solving them are often found within the crime scene and the victim's body.

6. For the week ending October 19, 2025, Oxygen was watched by a total of 168,000 people during primetime. This viewership made it the 39th most popular channel on TV for that period.

7. As of October 18, 2025, the two highest-rated programs on Oxygen by total viewership were Cold Justice with 332,000 viewers and Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher with 244,000 viewers.

8. Shows like Forensic Files emphasize the use of forensic science, with episode descriptions mentioning elemental clues, blood splatter, shoe impressions, and fibers as key evidence. Cold Justice highlights investigative techniques by showing its team joining local police departments to untangle mysteries, search for new clues, and solve cold cases.

9. "Killer Grannies" is a true-crime series that focuses on shocking cases where grandmothers become cold-blooded killers. Each episode details an investigation that uncovers sinister plots and evil deeds, revealing how these maternal figures turned deadly.

10. Casey Sherman is the nephew of Mary Sullivan, the final and youngest victim of the Boston Strangler. He has dedicated his career to revealing the truth behind the case and is featured in exclusive interviews in the documentary.

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Essay Questions

The following questions are designed for longer, more detailed analysis. Answers are not provided.

1. Analyze the programming strategy of Oxygen as presented in the schedule and the VERSANT press release. How does the channel appeal to its target audience through both long-running series and new, event-style documentaries?

2. Using the information provided on "The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession" and "The Boston Stranglers," discuss how Oxygen leverages historical, high-profile "cold cases" to generate new content. What ethical considerations might arise from re-examining cases with unreleased or controversial evidence?

3. Examine the viewership data provided by USTVDB. What trends can be observed in Oxygen's quarterly and yearly ratings from 2022 to 2025, and how might the launch of new series like "The Death Investigator" and "Killer Grannies" be intended to impact these trends?

4. The source material describes numerous shows centered on female perpetrators (Snapped, Killer Grannies) and victims. Based on the show titles and descriptions, discuss the narrative framing of women in the true-crime genre as portrayed by Oxygen's programming.

5. Compare and contrast the different investigative approaches showcased in Oxygen's series. How do shows like Forensic Files, The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher, and Cold Justice differ in their focus, from scientific evidence to the personal experiences of investigators and the re-examination of police work?

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Glossary

Term	Definition
Accident, Suicide, or Murder	An Oxygen series that investigates suspicious deaths to determine the true cause, such as a case where a fiancée's reported suicide is questioned.
Albert DeSalvo	The man who confessed to being the Boston Strangler. Despite his confession to 13 murders, his guilt remains controversial, and he was murdered in prison in 1973 before he could reportedly recant.
Barbara Butcher	A seasoned and respected Death Investigator from New York. She is the host of the new Oxygen series The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher.
Boston Strangler, The	The moniker for a serial killer (or killers) who sexually assaulted and strangled at least 11, and up to 13, women in the Boston area between 1962 and 1964.
Casey Sherman	Nephew of Mary Sullivan, the final victim of the Boston Strangler. He is featured in the documentary The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession and has dedicated his career to investigating the case.
Cold Justice	An Oxygen series featuring investigators Kelly Siegler, Steve Spingola, and Yolanda McClary, who team up with local law enforcement to solve cold cases. It was one of Oxygen's two highest-rated shows as of October 2025.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered	A long-running true-crime series on the Oxygen schedule that investigates complex murder cases, disappearances, and criminal plots.
Forensic Files	A true-crime series on the Oxygen schedule that focuses on how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, examining evidence like fingerprints, fibers, and DNA.
Killer Grannies	A new Oxygen series premiering in Fall 2025 that chronicles true-crime cases where grandmothers are revealed to be killers.
Oxygen	A U.S. television channel launched on February 1, 2000, that specializes in high-quality, true-crime programming. It was ranked as the 39th most popular channel as of October 2025.
P2+ (Ratings Demo)	A ratings demographic term meaning "Persons aged 2 and over," used to measure the total audience viewership of a program or channel.
P25-54 (Ratings Demo)	A ratings demographic term meaning "Persons aged 25 to 54," a key demographic group often targeted by advertisers.
Primetime (PT)	A block of television viewing hours in the evening that is considered peak watching time. For Oxygen's ratings, this is when the channel draws its largest audience.
Snapped	A flagship Oxygen series, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, that profiles women accused of murder.
Snapped: Behind Bars	A spin-off series of Snapped featuring interviews with convicted women from prison, who tell their side of the story.
The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession	A two-hour Oxygen documentary special that premiered on October 26, 2025. It features, for the first time, the long-lost 16-hour confession tapes of Albert DeSalvo.
VERSANT	The media company, a planned spin-off from Comcast, that owns and operates Oxygen True Crime along with other cable networks like USA Network, SYFY, and E!.