Paramount+ Gives Series Order for Happy Face

Paramount+ has ordered the new series Happy Face, inspired by the Happy Face podcast by iHeartMedia and Melissa Jesperson-Moore.

Produced by CBS Studios in association with King Size Productions and iHeartMedia, the series is based on Jesperson-Moore’s true-life story. At age 15, she discovered that her father, whom she loved dearly, was the serial killer known as Happy Face, leading her to change her name, guard her secret and cut all ties with him.

In the Happy Secrets series, the character based on her father contacts her to take credit for another victim, pulling her deeper into an investigation of his crimes. Showrunner Jennifer Cacicio (Your Honor) will pen the script and executive produce, alongside Jesperson-Moore, Robert and Michelle King, King Size Productions’ Liz Glotzer and iHeartMedia’s Bob Pittman and Conal Byrne.

“We’re obsessed with true-crime podcasts, and Happy Face is the best we’ve heard,” said the Kings. “Melissa’s story screams out to be dramatized, and Jen is exactly the showrunner to do it.”

“Melissa’s unique, deeply personal and utterly shocking story has captivated listeners around the world,” said Nicole Clemens, president of original scripted series at Paramount+. “We couldn’t be more excited to have Jennifer at the helm of this project for Paramount+ alongside the incomparable Robert and Michelle King. The Good Fight and more recently Evil are two of the most successful series on our service, and we look forward to bringing our subscribers yet another series for fans to love.”

“Melissa’s experience—and her bravery in sharing it with the world—was one of the most remarkable partnerships we’ve been able to support here at iHeart,” added Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia’s Digital Audio Group. “And we know that audiences will be just as moved by the on-screen adaptation of Happy Face as they were with the hugely successful podcast. Paramount+ has quickly built a fantastic reputation with some of today’s most exciting content. It’s the perfect home for this incredible story.”

“It’s been an incredible journey that I couldn’t have ever foreseen—how I’ve transcended being raised by a serial killer and now am helping survivors tell their stories,” said Jesperson-Moore, who is also the CEO of Redletter Media. “Happy Face gives me the chance to share the intense internal conflict, fear and peril felt by those affected by true crime. It also inspires me to share the strength that has allowed me to step up in front of the camera so that other survivors will not feel alone in their experience.”