DINNER PARTNERS with Christopher & Eric

Christopher and Eric take a break from dark tales and true crime so they can plot a dazzling escape from the world's troubles using the magic of Hollywood. What films and television shows have the power to transport us off our sofas during difficult times? Thanks to the recommendations you shared on The Dinner Party Show's Facebook page, your hosts travel from Scotland to Brooklyn to fantastical realms of legend, exploring the stories we return to again and again when we're in need of solace, inspiration and strength, all without having to set foot outside our own front door.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on 1995 is one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism ever carried out in the United States. But does AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: OKLAHOMA CITY offer up an origin story for bomber Timothy McVeigh that's supported by the facts? Christopher & Eric's #TrueCrimeTVClub tackles the question head on as the destructive consequences of anti-government hysteria and wild conspiracy theories play out in America's troubled history and continue to make themselves clear in our present day.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

The latest #TrueCrimeTVClub honors Black History Month by serving up HATRED IN AMERICA: THE KLAN ON TRIAL, Season 1, Episode 1, entitled "The Klan on Trial". Christopher and Eric follow journalist Tony Harris through an engrossing and impassioned tour of the court cases that formed the Southern Poverty Law Center and their efforts to combat the spread of virulent racism throughout the United States. When a young Alabama Black man is brutally murdered in 1981, the ensuing court cases write the playbook for the organization's efforts to stop the Klu Klux Klan's evil before it claims more lives. 

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

Christopher and Eric saluted Valentine's Day with an episode devoted to a serial killer, which pretty much sums up how they feel about the holiday. Now they're back to discuss the topics that supposedly, along with his martyrdom and decapitation, earned St. Valentine his own special spot on the calendar,. (But rest assured, there's no actual discussion of St. Valentine.) What's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for them? What is romance in general? Does love mean always having to say you're sorry for not making reservations at a nice enough restaurant? Many of you, our Party People, sent us Valentines on these topics through The Dinner Party Show's Facebook page. Your hosts chew on these sweet and sour treats too.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

We were just looking for a True Crime TV Club offering darkly suited to Valentine’s Day. What we got was an episode of 20/20 so densely packed with murder, depravity and institutional incompetence you might want to take notes. Or you can just rely on the ones Christopher and Eric have taken for you as they serve up 20/20, Episode 9, Season 43, "The Dating Game Killer". Join your hosts for a terrifying ride that hops counties, cities and coasts as a handsome psychopath uses the free love movement and the historic crime waves of the 70's to conceal a massive killing spree, the sheer scope of which has only recently come to light. Meet Rodney Alcala, the Dating Game Killer. The man who got away with murder again and again.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

Over the course of several months, Christopher and Eric have been examining the gruesome, unsolved homicide of a young gay man named William Newton, who performed in adult films as Billy London. Now their work has garnered the attention of law enforcement. In their first ever interview for this podcast, Christopher and Eric talk with Detective John Lamberti of LAPD Homicide, who inherited Newton's open case thirty years after his murder. The thoughtful investigator sheds new light on many of the questions posed by your hosts and you, our Party People, and leaves all of us with inspiration, hope and seasoned advice on how we can all work towards helping Billy Newton find some long overdue justice. Anyone with tips or recollections about the William Newton case can e-mail us at [email protected]. (This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

To listen to all the episodes featuring the William Arnold "Billy" Newton case and how it came to a stunning conclusion, check out our Episode Guide.

A box office bomb at the theater, THE FROZEN GROUND rocketed to Netflix's Top 10 when it landed on the streamer in 2020. Starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusak and former Disney star Vanessa Hudgens, this cinematic depiction of notorious Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen, who hunted women for sport, was based on the true crimes covered in Episode 61, the most recent installment of Christopher & Eric's True Crime TV Club. Armed with the facts, Christopher and Eric compare truth to cinematic license. Would the film have made a greater impact if it had been released during the #MeToo era? Their incisive observations address this question and others as they return to the brutal Alaskan wilderness and its dark secrets.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

Christopher and Eric take a twisted walk across the frozen trails of the Alaskan backwoods as they follow the crimes of real life serial killer Robert Hansen, who hunted women for sport. In the latest installment of Christopher & Eric's True Crime TV Club, your hosts try something a little different. By serving up ICE COLD KILLERS, Season 1, Episode 1, entitled "Hunting Humans", they'll visit the real story behind the feature film they intend to screen in the next episode of the podcast. Alaska in the 1980's was ripe for a killer who used the state's combination of brutal wilderness and a thriving sex trade to commit and conceal his heinous crimes. But Christopher and Eric can't help but wonder if this particular monster could have been stopped earlier. Find out how the documentary version compares to the cinematic one they serve up in their next episode.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

In Episode 48, Christopher and Eric marked the grim anniversary of their very own "hometown murder", the gruesome slaying of William Arnold Newton, a young gay West Hollywood man and adult film actor. Thirty years later, the crime remains unsolved. Your e-mails and feedback since their last episode have allowed Christopher and Eric to take an even deeper dive into the case, resulting in startling new developments. With the help of newly obtained official and verified sources, your hosts trace Billy's last moments in the days leading up to his tragic death. A recent account, uncovered by this podcast, has Billy leaving the last place he was seen alive in the company of a handsome stranger who bore a striking resemblance to a man whose name chills the blood. But does it fit with the known timeline of events around Billy's murder? Christopher and Eric are determined to find out. Anyone with tips or recollections about the William Newton case can e-mail us at [email protected]. You won’t want to miss the startling new revelations in this episode.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)

In this emotional edition of Christopher and Eric's True Crime TV Club, your hosts serve up the first true crime stories that disturbed them when they were young. For Eric, it's the murder of Kitty Genovese, a notorious tale of alleged urban apathy that smeared an entire city. But is anything you've heard about it actually true? Eric was stunned by the revelations within A CRIME TO REMEMBER, Season 2, Episode 1, entitled "38 Witnesses". For Christopher, it's the disappearance of 10-year-old Kevin Collins from a San Francisco street corner in 1984, as documented in PEOPLE MAGAZINE INVESTIGATES, Season 4, Episode 3. It's a tragically unsolved case, but years later, the person responsible may be within sight.

(This episode was recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might explain slight variations in sound quality.)