Could a sitcom save a man from death row?

Could a sitcom save a man from death row?

From Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

June 14, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

Juan Catalan shares his harrowing experience of being wrongfully accused of murder and how a sitcom played a crucial role in his exoneration.

Juan Catalan was facing the death penalty for a murder he didn’t commit. There was one man he thought could save him: US comedian Larry David. On 12 May 2003, Juan attended a baseball game that he would later say saved his life. It was his local team, the LA Dodgers, versus the Atlanta Braves. The game was exciting, but unremarkable for Juan – apart from a television crew that was filming in his section. Three months later, Juan arrived at work only to be surrounded by undercover police and arrested in front of his girlfriend and daughter. It was several hours before Juan found out he had been charged with the murder of a 16-year-old girl called Martha Puebla. It was a crime that carried the death penalty. Juan protested his innocence, and later realised he had been at the baseball game the night of her murder. Perhaps, he thought, he could prove his alibi if he had been caught on camera by that TV production. Eventually, Juan's lawyer Todd Melnik figured out that the show in question was Curb Your Enthusiasm, created by comedian Larry David. The network HBO finally let Todd view the tapes, which contained a direct shot of Juan. But the footage was filmed well before the murder…

People in this episode

Guest: Juan Catalan

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HBO, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves

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