Feder: First-time producer Deborah Norville finds moviemaking 'really appealing'

Now you can add movie mogul to Deborah Norville's list of credits. The former Chicago TV news anchor and longtime host of "Inside Edition" is executive producer of the latest true-crime film on the Lifetime network, Robert Feder writes.

"The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother's Hunt for Justice," the 400th movie in Lifetime's "Ripped From the Headlines" series, premieres at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The film stars Kim Delaney as Mari Gilbert, a fiercely determined mother who pushes police to investigate the disappearance of her daughter, who worked as an escort. The search eventually leads to the discovery of many more young women buried in shallow graves at a New York state beach.

Norville, who first became interested in the case when she reported on it for "Inside Edition," said it inspired her to transform the real-life story into a Lifetime drama.

Chicago fans still have fond memories of Norville's five-year run as news anchor and reporter at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5. In 1986, her promotion to NBC News in New York prompted an outpouring of tributes, including an official city proclamation from then-Mayor Harold Washington.

Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.