The Playlist Podcast Network ‘Scarpetta’: Liz Sarnoff On Adapting Patricia Cornwell’s Beloved Books, Nicole Kidman’s Commitment, & Why The Show Lives On Character [Bingeworthy Podcast]
Crime fiction has rarely produced a protagonist quite like Kay Scarpetta. For decades, Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling novels followed the brilliant forensic pathologist and medical examiner navigating grisly cases while balancing the messy emotional realities of family, love, and professional obsession. Now, the long-awaited adaptation has finally arrived in the form of Prime Video’s new series “Scarpetta,” starring Nicole Kidman as the iconic medical examiner alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, and more.
The show is shepherded by creator and showrunner Liz Sarnoff, whose writing résumé includes “Barry,” “Lost,” “Deadwood,” and “Marco Polo.” The series takes an ambitious approach to Cornwell’s world by weaving together two timelines: one set in the late 1990s and another in the present day, allowing the story to explore both the early years of Scarpetta’s career and the more seasoned version of the character audiences meet decades later.
On this episode of The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast, Sarnoff joins host Mike DeAngelo to talk about finally bringing the beloved character to the screen, why the show merges multiple books into a single narrative structure, how Kidman approached the technical realities of forensic work, and how the series distinguishes itself from typical procedural storytelling.