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Season 1 – TIME: The Kalief Browder Story

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – TIME: The Kalief Browder Story Mar 2017 Documentary Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
The criminal justice system tragically failed 16-year-old Kalief Browder, who spent three years in Rikers Island jail awaiting trial -- two of those years in solitary confinement -- after being arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. The case was never prosecuted, the charges were ultimately dropped, and Browder committed suicide after his release. His story and the challenges it poses to a basic understanding of American liberties are central to this six-part documentary. It's a comprehensive review of the case, using first-person accounts, archival footage, and cinematic re-creations of key scenes from Browder's life. Exclusive interviews with a wide range of people connected to the story, from politicians to close friends and family members to social reformers, are also featured.
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TIME: The Kalief Browder Story — Season 1

Critics Reviews

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Olivia B. Waxman TIME Magazine 09/19/2024
The docuseries aims to raise awareness about the injustice of the profitable bail bond industry. Go to Full Review Aramide Tinubu Shadow and Act 04/12/2017
TIME: The Kalief Browder Story desperately needs to be told. It's a damning series that outlines where we will continue to head, and what we will go on seeing if something drastic does not happen to turn things in a new direction. Go to Full Review Maureen Ryan Variety 03/16/2017
Time is an important contribution to the true-crime documentary genre, one that sheds light on a whole host of issues. Go to Full Review Andy Dehnart Reality Blurred 02/26/2020
By the end of the first episode, I was hooked, and was convinced that this is a story that's both compelling and important. Go to Full Review Sesali Bowen Refinery29 09/25/2017
Time is a brave moment of truth-telling that rips the band-aid of fiction off contemporary television retellings of corruption, injustice, and systemic racism in this country. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Keith K @Peacemaker17 09/02/2024 Absolute must see for anyone interested in justice. Even hardcore “lock ‘em up” conservative types couldn’t come away from an open hearted viewing of this series without wishing for change in the justice system. RIP Kalief See more stephen c @Bertaut 08/03/2018 Unbearably painful Created by Julia Willoughby-Nason, Jenner Furst, and Nick Sandow, directed by Furst, and with Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Harvey Weinstein serving as executive producers, this six-part documentary tells the almost unbearably tragic story of Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old who was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. With his family unable to afford the $900 bail, Browder spent 1,111 days in Rikers, despite never being convicted of a crime. Turning down nine plea deals, Browder refused to admit to something he didn't do just so he could go home. With his case brought to court and delayed multiple times, Browder spent over 800 days in solitary confinement, where his mental health rapidly deteriorated. Indeed, the episodes dealing with his time in Rikers, and the experience and effects of long-term solitary confinement, are almost too horrific to bear. Were this fiction, the litany of abuses he suffers, and the details of how the system failed him, would be rejected as ridiculous, with his nightmare continuing even upon his release; in two separate incidents, he was shot and stabbed, and was later sectioned, as he became increasingly paranoid and unstable. Telling the parallel story of the anguish of his doting mother, if I had one criticism, it would be that the narrative is stretched too thin. Much like The Keepers, there isn't enough material here to warrant this many episodes, and it does lapse into repetition at times. Nevertheless, this is harrowing stuff; highly recommended. See more 02/27/2018 If I could rate this lower I would. It's genuinely boring. Too much back story. Tell me the facts of the case and stop showing me interviews with irrelevant people. Making a murderer got through an entire trial in one episode. Two episodes into this and I know nothing more than what I saw in the trailer. See more 10/19/2017 A must watch.. Amazing! See more Read all reviews
TIME: The Kalief Browder Story — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Jay-Z

Executive Producer

Harvey Weinstein

Executive Producer

David Glasser

Executive Producer

Jenner Furst

Executive Producer

Nick Sandow

Executive Producer

Julia Willoughby Nason

Executive Producer

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Mar 1, 2017 The System Kalief Browder seeks justice from New York City for his three-year imprisonment at Rikers Island and wrongful arrest; Kalief's deposition proves to be treacherous as he must answer questions about his troubled past. Details Episode 2 Aired Mar 8, 2017 The Island A look at the early days of Kalief's incarceration at Rikers Island, where he gets introduced to a world of violence, corruption and gangs, forcing Kalief to defend himself from all sides. Details Episode 3 Aired Mar 15, 2017 The Bing Kalief refuses to plead guilty in his case, demanding a trial; Kalief is caught in the revolving door of solitary confinement and endures torture in the name of justice while his case crawls through a stagnant court. Details Episode 4 Aired Mar 22, 2017 The Witness After a delay in the case, a missing witness is found that reveals sloppy detective work; Kalief is faced with time served but refuses to plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit, and is released a month later without explanation. Details Episode 5 Aired Mar 29, 2017 Injustice For All Kalief becomes a folk hero and the poster child of a broken system, attracting journalists and celebrities as he fights for justice, but he begins to deteriorate under the bright spotlight of the media. Details Episode 6 Aired Apr 5, 2017 The After Life Family tensions are high when Kalief's estranged father tries to take over the case and settlement negotiation; Kalief's mother Venida fights depression and bad health, and suffers a massive heart attack. Details

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TIME: The Kalief Browder Story — Season 1

TIME: The Kalief Browder Story TIME: The Kalief Browder Story TIME: The Kalief Browder Story TIME: The Kalief Browder Story View more photos

Season Info

Executive Producer
Jay-Z, Harvey Weinstein, David Glasser, Jenner Furst, Nick Sandow, Julia Willoughby Nason, Michael Gasparro
Network
Paramount Network
Rating
TV-14 (V)
Genre
Documentary, Crime
Original Language
English
Release Date
Mar 1, 2017
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