DEATH IS THE THEME ON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY

Investigation Discovery, known in shorthand as ID TV, is the leading crime and justice network on television, which delivers the definitive nonfiction programming. Just ask Detective Joe Kenda (ID TV fans know who he is).

The new series “Death by Fame” touches on the starry-eyed hopefuls whose fairytale dreams devolve into horrific nightmares.

The six-part series goes behind the scenes to uncover the sinister side of fame and reveal the true stories behind the murder of promising stars.

In the first episode “Celebrity Sexpert” ID TV recounts the heartbreaking death of Drew Carey’s ex-fiancee and renowned Hollywood family and sex therapist, Dr. Amie Harwick, who was found murdered the day after Valentine’s Day.

Police are left to investigate who might be capable of such a deadly act. According to news reports, another ex-boyfriend has been ordered to stand trial for murder of Harwick, allegedly throwing her from the third-floor balcony of her West Hollywood residence.

Additional episodes explore the coldblooded murder of “The Voice” sensation and rising star, Christina Grimmie, whose YouTube channel attracted a stalker with sinister motives, and the story of Macedonian model Adea Shabani who arrives in Los Angeles with dreams and then goes missing.

Figuring into an episode of “Death by Fame” he may not want, actor Lloyd Avery II has overnight success after starring in “Boyz N The Hood” and then goes on the run in a bizarre portrayal of life imitating art.

ID TV bares all with “The Playboy Murders,” revealing tragedies that span decades of the once-iconic brand. A dark side lurks behind the adult men’s magazine that faded away from its print version to apparently being available only online.

This new anthology series recounts murders and mysteries that intersect with the world of Playboy. The six-part series is hosted and executive produced by former Playboy Bunny Holly Madison.

In the premiere episode “Bunny Meets Bachelor,” a tabloid media frenzy occurs after a Playboy party hostess and model is found dead and dismembered in a dumpster.

The mutilated body of 28-year-old Jasmine Fiore was found stuffed in a suitcase, and her fingers and teeth were missing in an attempt to hide her identity. Serial numbers on her breast implants confirmed her identity.

At the time of her murder, Jasmine and her husband Ryan Jenkins, a VH1 reality contestant, were living apart, and he took off for the Canadian border since he was the prime suspect.

Additional stories include Stacy Arthur, the middle-American mom who spent hours on Playboy’s premium 1-900 number, attracting one fan’s fatal obsession who stalked and murdered her husband in a parking lot.

Not every episode centers on a woman being a victim of a horrible crime. Former Playboy bunny Carole Gold was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder and conspiracy in the death of her husband Charles, a gunslinging Wild West show performer.

The cotton-tailed bunny hired a hit man to eliminate her spouse, with the motive being to collect on a life insurance policy. Not every murder is motivated by jealousy, rage or obsession in “The Playboy Murders.”

CRIME DRAMA SERIES ON PBS MASTERPIECE PRIME VIDEO

PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel continues the legacy of Masterpiece for exceptional British drama by expanding to include award-winning TV series and movies from around the world.

Streaming during the month of February will be three seasons of “The Tunnel,” based on the original Swedish series “The Bridge.” The series centers on the investigations and relationships between two detectives.

British detective Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) and French detective Elise Wassermann (Clemence Poesy) are forced to work together when crimes involving both countries are committed.

Season One follows Karl and Elise as they investigate a dismembered body on the border of both countries in the Channel Tunnel. The second season has them reunited to probe a case where a French couple have been abducted from the Eurotunnel.

The third season is set in a mid-Brexit Europe where the English and French teams come together once more in the emotionally charged finale when a stolen fishing boat is found adrift and on fire in the English Channel.

Started as what the New York Times called a “chic TV boutique with a foreign accent,” Masterpiece’s “Walter Presents” showcases award-winning foreign language drama as a service named after its curator, Walter Iuzzolino, a passionate drama fan.

“Walter Presents: Acquitted” achieved the biggest launch ever in Norway when it premiered in 2015. The series follows Aksel Borgen (Nicolai Cleve Broch), a successful businessman who is asked back to his hometown in rural Norway.

Borgen has spent the last 20 years in Asia, and now he’s returned to save the town’s main company from bankruptcy. However, Borgen, who left after being acquitted of the murder of his high school girlfriend, is haunted by his past.

The three seasons of the crime drama “The Tunnel” include 24 episodes in English and French. “Walter Presents: Acquitted” is a 10-episode series in Norwegian with English subtitles.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.