Manhunt: Unabomber was one of Discovery Channel's big hits of 2017. A strong cast that consisted of Sam Worthington, Jane Lynch and Paul Bettany paired with the story of the FBI's hunt for the Unabomber found universal acclaim amongst critics and audiences, though some have come forward to share their gripes with the series. Ted Kaczynski, the actual Unabomber, recently penned a response to how he felt about the show. And he's not a fan.
I haven't seen the series myself, but to judge from what people have written to me about it, it's mostly fiction. This does not surprise me in the least. Media reports about me have generally been loaded with bull manure.
Not surprisingly, Ted Kaczynski is not a fan of how his story is portrayed in Manhunt: Unabomber. Though Kaczynski admitted he had not seen the series personally, he said the letters he received since the show's airing led him to believe that Manhunt: Unabomber is more fiction than fact. Specifically, Kaczynski noted that much of what is reported about the study he underwent at Harvard that was led by psychologist Henry Murray was not nearly as unpleasant as the general public has been led to believe. Some in the past have suggested that Kaczynski's experience in the Murray study could be tied to his bombing spree later in life, which is why the study has become such a point on interest in telling the story of the Unabomber.
Ted Kaczynski doesn't appear to buy into that theory, and told CNN's Andrew Kaczynski (no relation) in a letter the whole event was "wildly, wildly, exaggerated." Kaczynski also took the opportunity to advertise his new book, and point the reporter in the direction of another person's take on the accuracy of Manhunt: Unabomber, ex-FBI agent Greg Stejskal:
Greg Stejskal's main issue with Discovery's Manhunt: Unabomber was the show's overstating the role of FBI agent Jim Fitzgerald, who he claimed was only a minor player in the hunt for Ted Kaczynski. Stejskal also said that Fitzgerald never interviewed Kaczynski, though the series made it look as though he was the sole player who brought the Unabomber to justice. Fitzgerald didn't deny the claims made by Stejskal, and while he stated the series was largely accurate, he stated his portrayal in the series was definitely a composite character to connect various events.
Manhunt: Unabomber is currently available to stream on Netflix. For a list of other Netflix titles that are worth streaming, be sure to head over to CinemaBlend's Netflix premiere guide to see what new shows and films are on the horizon. For a look at what's coming down the pipeline for television in general in 2018, check out our midseason premiere guide.
