TVTV NewsITV'Disturbing' crime drama The Staircase has finally landed on ITVX.Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter09:15, 26 Jul 2026The Staircase is now ready to stream on ITVX with fans questioning its real-life inspiration.‌Eight-part series The Staircase revolves around Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth) who is on trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen after her body is discovered at the foot of the stairs of their North Carolina home.‌Prosecutors believed that he had deliberately attacked his wife while the defence maintained that it was a terrible accident.‌The Staircase was first released on HBO and Sky Atlantic in 2022 with the mini-series now ready to watch on ITV's streaming platform ITVX.Is The Staircase based on a true story?Yes, The Staircase is a true crime drama rooted in an actual 2001 case about the death of Kathleen Peterson.‌Her husband crime writer Michael Peterson alerted the police that she had fallen down the stairs but officers began taking a closer look at his potential involvement.Despite claiming that she has fallen accidentally, a post-mortem showed that she had sustained a severe head injury, leading to Peterson being charged with murder in 2003.He went on to submit a plea of voluntary manslaughter in February 2017 which allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while still accepting that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.‌But because he had already spent longer behind bars than the sentence demanded, Peterson was not required to return to custody.The show draws from the 2004 French documentary The Staircase, with film-makers given access to Peterson's legal team and relatives, reports the Express.‌The drama, which sees Colin Firth and Toni Collette portray Michael and Kathleen Peterson, has garnered glowing reviews from audiences ever since it first landed on screens four years ago.Declaring The Staircase as "brilliant", one IMDb user enthused: "Finished the whole series tonight. It's an Emmy sweep. Take it to the bank."This series was better than the documentary. Wow, just wow."‌Another described it as "haunting, disturbing and beautiful" while a fellow viewer called it a "masterclass in acting".One audience member added: "I had to remind myself to take a breath. The emotion and acting was superb."Colin Firth was brilliant. The writers, producers did a great job. Didn't want to stop watching."Article continues belowThe Staircase is available to stream on ITVXChoose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌ITVThe Staircase