Patrick Macmanus on 'Devil in Disguise,' John Wayne Gacy Show Without Violence

SPOILER ALERT : This story contains spoilers from “ Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy ,” now streaming on Peacock.

When it comes to true crime TV shows, especially ones about serial killers, there’s a common element among most series: violence. While some claim to focus on the victims’ stories, they also feature murder, sometimes ghoulishy rendered, and an extensive backstory for the killer.

When Patrick Macmanus began his journey of creating a series about John Wayne Gacy’s case, that was the opposite of what he wanted to do . In fact, he refused to do the show unless it was strictly about the victims and didn’t show any of the actual murders of Gacy’s 33 known victims.

Below, Macmanus reflects on initially turning the series down, working closely with GLAAD throughout the proc