'Truth Be Told' Featurette: Octavia Spencer May Have Helped Put An Innocent Man Behind Bars

Is there a point where the personal fallout from a quest for truth and the consequences of uncovering long-buried secrets become so detrimental that the quest itself should be stifled? That seems to be a question at the heart of Truth Be Told, a new AppleTV+ show that stars Oscar winner Octavia Spencer as a podcaster who might have contributed to an innocent man (Aaron Paul) being put in jail. But it seems to be a pair of twin sisters, played by the great Lizzy Caplan, whose lives hang in the balance if the real truth is discovered. Check out a new featurette for the series below.

"Am I just trying to find the truth so badly, it destroys everybody else?" is a compelling hook for a show, especially one with ties to the true crime genre that's been experiencing a surge in popularity over the past few years. And with a cast this solid, Truth Be Told is going to be tough to ignore.

While this is being called a "first look featurette," a full trailer for the show was already released back in October. That trailer seemed to focus on the dynamic between Spencer's journalist character, Poppy Parnell, and the man whom she helped imprison, Warren Cave (Aaron Paul). Perhaps it's because Spencer and Paul are the two best-known cast members. But this featurette seems to indicate that other mysteries afoot may be just as important, including those surrounding the twin girls at the center of this story, both played by Lizzy Caplan (Party Down, Masters of Sex).

Nichelle Tramble Spellman (Justified, The Good Wife) is the creator and showrunner of this series, which is based on author Kathleen Barber's novel Are You Sleeping – and it's worth noting that the official description of Barber's book also puts the focus on the twin girls instead of the podcaster/prisoner relationship. (Are You Sleeping was the original name for this show before it shifted to the much better Truth Be Told.) Elizabeth Perkins, Brett Cullen, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, Tracie Thoms, Haneefah Wood, and Ron Cephas Jones round out the supporting cast.

Here's the official description of the series:

When new evidence compels podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) to reopen the murder case that made her a national sensation, she comes face to face with Warren Cave (Aaron Paul), the man she may have mistakenly helped to put behind bars. Her investigation navigates urgent concerns about privacy, media and race.

Truth Be Told premieres on AppleTV+ on December 6, 2019.