New HBO true crime series “The Staircase” portrays Charlotte lawyer David Rudolf

What’s happening: The true crime series is based on the infamous Durham trial of writer and one-time mayoral candidate Michael Peterson, who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his wife, Kathleen. Nearly 20 years have passed, and the case is still the talk of North Carolina.

• In addition to Stuhlbarg, the show stars Colin Firth as Peterson and Sophie Turner as Peterson’s daughter, among other big names in show biz.
• The series is set in the Durham area, but was filmed in Georgia.

Flashback: The case was also the subject of a docuseries of the same name by French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade.

• He filmed the series in three parts over 14 years from 2004 to 2018.
• Netflix pushed the case further into the spotlight in 2018 shortly after (spoiler alert!) Peterson agreed to a reduced charge of manslaughter and was released on time served.

I interviewed Peterson’s attorney, Rudolf, in 2018 as the series was gaining steam. When I asked him then why he remained Peterson’s attorney for over 15 years, he said, “I believed he was innocent. I really did, and I still do.”

• Rudolf has worked on a number of other high-profile cases, including the 2001 murder trial of former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth.

The intrigue: The case and its subsequent TV spinoffs have stirred heated internet debates over the so-called “owl theory,” an alternative theory to how Kathleen wound up dead at the bottom of her Durham home’s staircase … an owl attack.

• If you want to go down a rabbit — errr owl hole — there’s a Reddit channel with 15,000 members to discuss this theory.
• Rudolf himself calls the theory “pretty persuasive and credible,” although he didn’t consider it at the time of the trial.

What they’re saying: So far, the limited series is just as popular as its documentary predecessor. The HBO show has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the docuseries has a 94%.

The bottom line: It’s time for some binge-watching.