You Can’t Make This Up

They train for a lifetime, all for ten seconds at glory. But who will take the gold on track’s biggest stage: the Paris Olympiad? Will it be the brash Noah Lyles, the earnest Kenny Bednarek, or the enigmatic Kishane Thompson? Can Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce grab a medal at her fifth games? Or will up-and-comers like Sha’carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson take her place at the top of the sport? Or will Julien Alfred shock the world by earning her tiny island nation’s first ever Olympic medal? The Netflix sports series SPRINT Part 2 delves deep into the psyches of those elite competitors who train to be the fastest person on the planet.  It’s an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the high stakes and the mental toughness of the sprinters whose professional futures are decided in just fractions of a second.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive Producer Warren Smith and Showrunner Suemay Oram. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched SPRINT Part 2 yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In this episode, we’re turning things over to one of our sister shows, The Diplomat: The Official Podcast. Host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika talks with actors, producers, and real-life diplomats for a deeper look into the show's creation and the real-life inspirations that shaped the storylines in season 2 of The Diplomat. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Diplomat season 2 episode 2, titled "St. Paul's," make sure to add it to your watch list on Netflix before listening to this episode. You can listen to The Diplomat: The Official Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen to your podcasts. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

After a 2020 Olympic performance marked by disappointment, questions lingered on whether the most decorated gymnast of all time would ever return to the world stage. But Simone Biles was determined to go out on top and capture gold in Paris. With the glare of the world upon her, and not feeling 100%, Biles took this summer’s XXXIII Olympiad by storm.  Her story resumes in Simone Biles Rising Part 2. The series follows the acclaimed athlete as she overcomes challenges both physical and personal. It provides an intimate portrait both on and off the mat as she completes her triumph in France and removes any doubt that she’s the greatest of all time. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Katie Walsh. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Simone Biles Rising Part 2 yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Mats Steen appeared to live a life of isolation. A Norwegian teen suffering from a degenerative muscle disease, reliant on adaptive technologies, Mats spent all of his time on his computer. It wasn’t until he died at age 25 that his parents learned what he’d been doing.  The gamers did not know Mats’s medical condition. Instead, they knew him as Ibelin: a brawny medieval nobleman in search of adventure. The online players regarded Ibelin as a caring friend, a ladies man, and someone whose advice changed them in real life. It wasn’t until his passing, Mats’s impact on both worlds was revealed. The Netflix documentary film The Remarkable Life of Ibelin uses game logs and code to digitally recreate Mats’s online journey. Through Ibelin, he experiences companionship, romance, and acceptance in a community where he could be his true self. The film asks questions about the nature of friendship and what it means to live a quality life - even one in a virtual world. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Benjamin Ree. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Remarkable Life of Ibelin yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

What goes through the mind of a killer just as they take a life? And how do they feel about their actions after spending years in prison? Season five of the Netflix documentary series I AM A KILLER explores those questions, allowing admitted killers to talk about their crimes and reflect on how taking a life has changed them.  But their tales don’t go unchallenged. Investigators, prosecutors, and loved ones hear their words and respond - some with forgiveness, some with a fact check on what really happened. What are the inmates looking for? Understanding? Redemption? A chance to rewrite their violent histories? Or simply the opportunity to tell the world “I am a killer.” In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producers Ned Parker and Danny Tipping. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched I AM A KILLER yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In a league filled with superstars, they stand out among the rest. But what does it take to achieve greatness in the NBA, as well as away from the court where you can’t call a timeout in real life? The ten-part Netflix sports series Starting 5 provides an intense, behind-the-scenes look at the 2023-24 season through the eyes of five of the league’s biggest players - Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum. The series captures their battles on and off the court as they chase greatness, push through injuries, and balance the demands of family and legacy. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Showrunner Peter Scalettar. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Starting 5 yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Part 3: Hope for the Future. Today, over 30 years after their crime, Lyle and Erik feel they have healed and evolved. Alejandro learns how they've spent decades in search of peace and fulfillment in their lives behind bars. The brothers speak on the renewed interest in their case spawned from social media sites like TikTok, and share their hopes for the future. As their hours of conversation come to an end, Alejandro reflects on how his journey with the Menendez Brothers has personally impacted him as a storyteller.  If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, information and resources are available at www.wannatalkaboutit.com.  The Menendez Brothers is streaming now on Netflix. --- CREDITS Netflix Podcasts Presents A Campfire Studios Production in association with Pod People The Menendez Brothers: The Official Podcast Written and produced by Angela Palladino, with help from Tony Mantia, Rebecca Chaisson, Natalie Grillo, Sam Gebauer, Alex Vikmanis, and Aimee Machado From Campfire Studios, Executive Producers: Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans From Netflix, Executive Producer: David Markowitz Edited by Carter Wogahn and Morgane Fouse Sound design and mixed by Carter Wogahn Music composition by Jimmy Stofer Narrated by Alejandro Hartmann

Part 2: The Legends of the Father. Alejandro dives deeper into the legacy of what it means to be a Menendez, the legend that Lyle and Erik’s father, Josè, created around their bloodline, and what it would ultimately drive his sons to do. All the while, as he develops a closer relationship with them, Alejandro reckons with his understanding of the brothers and their crime. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, information and resources are available at www.wannatalkaboutit.com.  The Menendez Brothers is streaming now on Netflix. --- CREDITS Netflix Podcasts Presents A Campfire Studios Production in association with Pod People The Menendez Brothers: The Official Podcast Written and produced by Angela Palladino, with help from Tony Mantia, Rebecca Chaisson, Natalie Grillo, Sam Gebauer, Alex Vikmanis, and Aimee Machado From Campfire Studios, Executive Producers: Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans From Netflix, Executive Producer: David Markowitz Edited by Carter Wogahn and Morgane Fouse Sound design and mixed by Carter Wogahn Music composition by Jimmy Stofer Narrated by Alejandro Hartmann

Part 1: The First Call. In the first of this three part mini-series, Alejandro Hartmann, the director of The Menendez Brothers documentary, takes us on his journey to reach Lyle and Erik Menendez and convince them to be interviewed for the documentary. The Menendez brothers are serving life without parole for the 1989 murder of their parents inside the walls of the family’s Beverly Hills mansion. They haven't spoken together about their case since first being incarcerated. Through hours of candid conversation, documentarian Alejandro Hartmann embarks on a journey to uncover the raw, untold stories of the brothers’ lives before and after their crimes. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, information and resources are available at www.wannatalkaboutit.com.  The Menendez Brothers is streaming now on Netflix. --- CREDITS Netflix Podcasts Presents A Campfire Studios Production in association with Pod People The Menendez Brothers: The Official Podcast Written and produced by Angela Palladino, with help from Tony Mantia, Rebecca Chaisson, Natalie Grillo, Sam Gebauer, Alex Vikmanis, and Aimee Machado From Campfire Studios, Executive Producers: Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans From Netflix, Executive Producer: David Markowitz Edited by Carter Wogahn and Morgane Fouse Sound design and mixed by Carter Wogahn Music composition by Jimmy Stofer Narrated by Alejandro Hartmann

It was the trial that rocked the nation. Two brothers from Beverly Hills, convicted of murdering their parents. Lyle and Erik Menendez are serving life in prison without parole. But their crime was more than 30 years ago. Was justice served? And who are the Menendez brothers today? In this preview of the companion podcast to the new Netflix documentary, The Menendez Brothers, filmmaker Alejandro Hartmann takes us behind-the-scenes on his quest to build a relationship with the two brothers. Through over 20 hours of exclusive prison interviews, the brothers reveal the deeper story of just what happened that summer in 1989 – a story of abuse, myth-making, and choices you can’t come back from. They've never told their story together, until now. All three episodes of the companion podcast to the Netflix documentary, The Menendez Brothers, will be available right here on Wednesday, October 9th. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it! Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Vicky White was well-liked and respected by her co-workers in the Alabama jail she ran, and by the inmates she supervised. They were shocked when, on one of her last days on the job, she vanished with accused murderer Casey White. It wasn’t until later authorities discovered the pair had a secret relationship for years, and they escaped so they could finally be together. After eleven days on the run, the manhunt came to a tragic end. Through surveillance video and audio from their secret phone calls, Netflix’s Jailbreak: Love on the Run chronicles Vicky’s plan to spring her dangerous lover and the nationwide search for the couple. It also seeks answers to the question: why did Vicky do it? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producers Dan Abrams and Rachel Stockman. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Jailbreak: Love on the Run yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

The new podcast Forgive Me For I Have Followed builds on Netflix’s Dancing for the Devil, delving into the personal stories of those affected by Robert Shinn, Shekinah Church, and 7M Films. Shinn founded Shekinah Church in LA over two decades ago, before establishing 7M Films, and is named in a civil lawsuit alleging abuse and "cult-like" behavior. In this, the premiere episode, co-host and former member Kailea Gray shares her personal perspective. Joined by co-host and Dancing for the Devil Executive Producer Jessica Acevedo, Kailea reflects on her and her now-husband's involvement with the church, how their lives have changed, and their journey moving forward. Dancing For the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is streaming now on Netflix. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Cathy Terkanian learned the daughter she gave up for adoption decades earlier vanished under mysterious circumstances while a teenager. When Cathy began her own investigation into the disappearance, she learned police dismissed the involvement of the violent predator living in the home Aundria Bowman grew up in. Her birth mother dedicated herself to getting Aundria’s adoptive parents to reveal the truth about what happened. Then, after years of persistence, an unlikely discovery broke the case wide open. From the creative team behind The Keepers and Executive Producer Charlize Theron comes the Netflix documentary series Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter. It follows a decades-long quest for justice and the investigation into a man whose list of violent crimes remained largely unconnected. It also profiles Cathy’s quest to do right by the daughter she never knew and bring her home. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Ryan White and producer Jessica Hargrave. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Michigan football assistant Connor Stalions had an uncanny knack for the art of sign stealing - the perfectly legal practice of deciphering opponents’ signals to gain an on-field advantage. Stalions credited hard work and research for his success. But the NCAA believed he’d broken the rules by sending friends and family to other games to illegally scout teams in advance. The scandal rocked the sport, launched a thousand memes, forced Stalions out of football, and cast a cloud over Michigan’s undefeated season.  In UNTOLD: Sign Stealer, Stalions tells his story for the first time, showing his methodical preparation and answering questions about whether he went too far to give his team a leg up. It asks was Stalions the best who ever did it…or was he a cheater? It also probes why college football was willing to turn a blind eye to the practice until now.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Micah Brown. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched UNTOLD: Sign Stealer yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

On July 4, 2009, former NFL MVP quarterback Steve “Air” McNair and 20-year-old Sahel “Jenny” Kazemi were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds at a Nashville townhouse. The deaths shocked the sports world. While the police declared the pair died by Jenny’s hand, others say the investigation was botched and other suspects were dismissed too quickly. Volume four of the acclaimed Netflix sports series, UNTOLD: The Murder of Air McNair takes viewers through the pivotal moments of the investigation while also charting McNair’s rise to stardom across 13 seasons in the NFL. Through gripping game day footage and emotional interviews with teammates, coaches, and friends, the film captures McNair’s extraordinary career — while also examining the factors that led to these tragic deaths. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Rodney Lucas and Taylor Alexander Ward. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched UNTOLD: The Murder of Air McNair yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

A program in D.C. offers the children of incarcerated men a rare chance to be with their fathers: a Daddy Daughter Dance inside the jail. While the men go on a journey to consider the impacts of their actions on their family, the girls navigate heartbreak, anger, and uncertainty, as they seize a precious opportunity to be with a parent they’re not even permitted to hug. But when the music stops, will these connections endure? Netflix’s Daughters follows Aubrey, Santana, Raziah, and Ja’Ana as they prepare for a momentous Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers. The film sheds light on the complexities of familial bonds strained by the unforgiving barriers of the criminal legal system. It also follows its main subjects long after the dance to see if the experience had a lasting effect on the bonds between father and daughter. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Natalie Rae Robison and Angela Patton. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Daughters yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

She was the bright and bubbly young woman who disappeared on Christmas Eve of 2002 while eight months pregnant. The disturbing mystery of what happened captured the nation’s attention and dominated the news as the investigation slowly pointed to her husband. The murder of Laci Peterson remains one of the most famous and compelling true crime cases of the century. The Netflix documentary series American Murder: Laci Peterson is a story about a beloved woman, intimate partner violence, and media obsession. For the first time, we hear from Laci’s mother, Sharon, about her family’s ordeal. And we get the perspective of the woman thrown into the center of the case: Scott Peterson’s unsuspecting girlfriend, Amber Frey. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Skye Borgman. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched American Murder: Laci Peterson yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

How do they bring unseen monsters and unknown murderers to life on the screen? How do they get those interviews that no one else gets? What’s it like to tell the stories with only questions and no answers? Today we’ll hear the stories behind the episodes in volume four of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries. These directors hope their stories can help crack an unsolved mystery. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Directors Robert M. Wise and Gabe Torres. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Unsolved Mysteries yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

From classic true crime to paranormal encounters, we can’t get enough of unexplained tales and the questions they raise. Volume four of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries brings us more of the unsettling, head-scratching cases you’ve come to expect from the legacy series. But this isn’t a series you only watch. Tips to unsolved.com have made a difference in many of the cases profiled. This time viewers are asked to solve a murder inside a locked building, find a terrifying night creature, determine whether a bloodsoaked death was an accident or a homicide, identify a victim by only her severed head, and travel to Victorian England to uncover history’s most notorious serial killer. Who knows? Maybe you have information that will crack an unsolved mystery. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and showrunner Terry Dunn Meurer. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched volume 4 of Unsolved Mysteries yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

She’s a single mom working at a Whole Foods in Connecticut with one dream: to climb Mount Everest…again! Lhakpa Sherpa holds the record for most Everest summits by a woman. Now she returns to her native Nepal to conquer the world’s tallest mountain for the tenth time, and in the process, find healing from her past traumas. The Netflix documentary film Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa follows her dangerous trek to the top of the world. It also explores Lhakpa’s efforts to climb out of the valley of her despair and achieve serenity through the spiritual powers of her beloved Everest.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Lucy Walker and producer Miranda Sherman. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

She’s considered the Greatest of All Time: a gymnast so special that five of the most difficult skills are named after her. But Simone Biles stunned the world when she withdrew from the 2020 Olympics, citing a need to protect her mental health. But after a break from the sport, the champion returned to the gym and confronted her physical and emotional challenges. The Netflix documentary series Simone Biles: Rising follows the gymnast’s journey from disappointment in Tokyo to her return to the Olympic stage in Paris. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Katie Walsh. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Simone Biles: Rising yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

From the rolling surf of Malibu to the glamor of the Hollywood hills, detectives in the LA County Sheriff's Department deal with some of the wealthiest and most famous people in the country. And when murder is involved, the pressure is on to solve the crime all while in a spotlight as bright as any blockbuster premier. In the latest installment of the Netflix docuseries, Homicide: Los Angeles revisits some of the most shocking and baffling crimes from the City of Angels, told by the detectives and prosecutors who worked them. Legendary executive producer Dick Wolf brings viewers inside these puzzling investigations and shows what it takes to solve them. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive director Adam Kassen. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Homicide: Los Angeles yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

It’s been said that there’s no more difficult position in the NFL than the quarterback. But throwing the pass is only half the story. Receivers turn those throws into dazzling catches, explosive runs, and highlight-worthy touchdowns.  The Netflix sports series Receiver follows pass catchers Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. On the field and off, these players prepare for their chance at greatness. Dealing with playing time, injuries, and family drama, we see that being an elite receiver in the NFL is more than just catching the ball. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Shannon Furman. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Receiver yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Would-be mothers in The Netherlands selected Jonathan Jacob Meijer to be their online sperm donor - a well-spoken, well-traveled gent with luxurious hair and a desire to help women conceive. But the parents were shocked to learn Meijer had gone far beyond the largely voluntary guidelines for sperm donation, having fathered hundreds of children in their country…and beyond. With no laws to stop him, Meijer remained defiant, vowing to continue donating sperm around the world. The Netflix documentary series The Man with 1000 Kids spans the globe, following Meijer and the parents who felt duped by him. It explores the frightening implications for the children and the larger population, and examines a reproductive health industry built without guardrails. It also attempts to answer what would drive a man to extremes to create a world in his own image. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Natalie Hill. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Man with 1000 Kids yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Inspired by an unbelievable true story, a mild mannered professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake assassin-for-hire. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities. Glen Powell and Adria Arjona star in the action/comedy/romance movie Hit Man, directed by Oscar nominee Richard Linklater.  On today’s episode, we turn things over to our friends at the Netflix podcast “Skip Intro.” Host Krista Smith talks with actor and co-writer Glen Powell about making and filming this killer comedy. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Hit Man yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In 1959, Barbie changed the way girls played with dolls - taking them from babies to beauty queens, fashion mavens, and professional role models. But girls of color didn’t see themselves represented by the blonde haired, Malibu-tanned figurine. It took 20 years for Mattel to finally release Black Barbie. But in the subsequent years, Black Barbie’s place in the Barbie universe - and in the real world - is still evolving and sparking conversation. Black Barbie traces the doll’s journey from creation to its impact on children of color and its influence in contemporary culture. We hear from the former employees who labored to bring diversity to the famous toy line. The film asks whether - this Barbie is everything - OR could be something more? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews writer & director Lagueria Davis. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Black Barbie yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In a city where bank robberies were an everyday occurrence, one Seattle bandit stood out among the rest. The FBI nicknamed him “Hollywood,” a savvy criminal inspired by heist films like “Heat” and “Point Break.” Beneath that elaborate prosthetic disguise was Scott Scurlock, a free-spirit living in a treehouse and spreading his stolen cash around. But when he plans to retire after one last big score, everything goes wrong. The Netflix film How to Rob a Bank traces Scurlock's escapades as the high-profile robber the cops are desperate to get their hands on. It shows the toll being “The Hollywood Bandit” took on him, as well as how his $2 million stick-up spree came to its cinematic conclusion. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Stephen Robert Morse & Seth Porges. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched How to Rob a Bank yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Get ready to chill this hot summer with all new, buzzworthy documentary films and series from Netflix. From the lighthearted to the heartbreaking, from thrilling true crime to the unexplained, Netflix’s profiles of people and events will give you plenty to talk about.  They include a documentary film about the history of queer comedians in “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution”; the return of “Unsolved Mysteries”; the sport-themed series “Receiver,” “Simone Biles: Rising,” and “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders”; and standouts like the films “Daughters,” “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” and “Black Barbie: A Documentary.” In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Amanda Richards from Tudum. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Melanie and Miranda Wilking were TikTok’s favorite dancing sisters, until Miranda left the act to perform for the 7M management company. Robert Shinn was more than an agent to his famous dancers - he was a spiritual guide who instilled the tenants of the Shekinah Church he founded decades earlier. When Miranda’s family went public with their story, many online fans believed the dancers for 7M were all in a cult. As other members escaped and worked to rebuild their lives, it wasn’t until they came together to stop the cycle of their abuser that the real healing began. Dancing For the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult tells the story of the coercive church, its former members, and the performers still dancing online. It exposes the diabolical tactics used by cult-like organizations to exert control over people as well as the lengths families will go to keep their loved ones safe. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Derek Doneen and executive producer Jessica Acevedo. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Dancing For the Devil yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

From the slave patrols of the 1700s and the first publicly funded police departments of the 1800s to the uprisings of the 1960s and 2020s, the scope and scale of American law enforcement has expanded over time. Once a tool of the powerful to maintain social order, the police have now become a power unto themselves. The Netflix documentary film Power offers a visceral and immersive journey to demonstrate how we’ve arrived at this moment in history. It examines urgent questions about a growing and largely unchecked authority: who is policed, who is protected, who gets to decide, and why. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Yance Ford. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Power yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

It was a first-of-its-kind online dating site, one where the clients were already married and looking to have an affair. While Ashley Madison drew rebuke and ridicule for its product, its business soared, with millions of married people across the globe subscribing to the service. But hackers who infiltrated their system made an ultimatum: shut Ashley Madison down or we’ll release all of your customers’ data. Not only did the fortunes of the company hang in the balance, but so did the relationships of all those unfaithful spouses who thought they were paying for discretion. The Netflix documentary series Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal looks into the rise of the notorious website and the headline-grabbing 2015 data breach. It also tells the stories of those who used the site and faced the public and private consequences of exposure.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Toby Paton. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

New city! New twists! Same game! Catfish, connections, and chaos await new influencers in season six of the Netflix series The Circle. Online players compete with one another - and an AI chatbot in disguise - to strategize, plot, and hashtag their way to the top of the pack to win a cash prize of $100,000.  In this episode, “We Have the Receipts” podcast host Chris Burns and guest co-host Chloe Veitch discuss episodes 5 through 12 of The Circle. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Circle yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

They say you should “trust your gut.” The same holds true for your health, as emerging research shows the digestive system plays a larger role in our well being than ever thought before. In addition to helping with digestion and nutrition, scientists are learning that microbiomes in the gut may be connected to illnesses and what we eat may be helpful in fighting these conditions. The Netflix documentary Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut demystifies the role our gut plays in our overall health. The film takes us inside our bodies to show how what goes in - and what comes out - can benefit our physical and emotional fitness. It features researchers and patients at the forefront of a new understanding of medicine and offers practical advice to improve your gut and unlock the rewards. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Anjali Nayer. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

It started as a low-tech online message board where people shared funny memes. Then users of 4chan began testing their influence offline, identifying targets for comeuppance and demonstrating against them. But some used the site to organize hacking attacks for social action, which drew the attention of the FBI. Others found an unchecked platform for extremism which eventually led to insurrection. The Netflix documentary The Antisocial Network: From Memes to Mayhem chronicles the rise of 4chan, from its early days as a snarky imageboard to a home for the hacktivists of Anonymous and conspiracy theorists of QAnon. It not only examines its grip on users stuck in its infinite scroll, but also its real life effects on technology, politics, and society. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Arthur Jones and Giorgio Angelini. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Antisocial Network yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

BONUS EPISODE - Enjoy this featured bonus episode from the podcast Creating a Con: The Story of Bitconned. To get an inside look into Ray Trapani, Centra Tech, and all the characters in the podcast, check out Bitcoin, exclusively on Netflix available to stream now.    S1: E1 – Breaking Bad  “For as long as I can remember I was always trying to make a couple pennies.” That’s Ray Trapani, one of the co-founders of the crypto-currency company, Centra Tech. In the premiere episode of Creating a Con: The Story of Bitconned, we hear the origin story of Ray, the guy who, in his own words said, “I always wanted to be a criminal since I was a kid”. Was it destined in his nature? Or would this prolific con artist be shaped by his environment and the influences on his life from an early age?      If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

In 2010, police in a quiet Ontario suburb received a frantic 911 call. A woman said she’d been tied up by intruders who’d just shot her parents. With her mother dead and her father clinging to life, Jennifer Pan gave detectives gripping descriptions of the home invasion. Investigators had no idea why the Pans had been targeted. But a closer look at Jennifer’s life made them rethink what they knew about the case. The Netflix documentary What Jennifer Did looks back at the high-profile crime that shook Canada. The film uses police interrogation footage and testimony from those involved to unravel a web of complexities that no one saw coming. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Jenny Popplewell & producer Paul Nguyen. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched What Jennifer Did yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In an effort to reduce problems with discipline and recidivism, the sheriff in Pulaski County, Arkansas rolled out a radical plan for the county jail. Instead of the standard 23-hour lockdown, he’d open the doors in one pod for six weeks and let the detainees run things without the presence of guards. The goal: empower them to become self-sufficient and learn the skills needed to succeed on the outside. But the experiment is not without its risks - for both the inmates and the sheriff. The Netflix series Unlocked: A Jail Experiment takes us behind bars and into a make-shift community of O.G. prisoners and a new generation of inmates as they try to navigate their new responsibilities. Can they work together to improve behavior in the unit and preserve their newfound privileges? Or will the old ways of jailhouse culture return and force the sheriff to shut the experiment down? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive Producer Greg Henry and Pulaski County Sheriff Eric S. Higgins. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Unlocked: A Jail Experiment yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

From eerie encounters to bizarre disappearances, mysterious hauntings to chilling cold cases - some mysteries are best when left unsolved. But that doesn’t mean the unexplained should go unexamined.  Told by witnesses to the supernatural and the extraterrestrial, the Netflix series Files of the Unexplained explores a mix of perplexing phenomena. The show also features scientists and historians who offer more earthly possibilities for these baffling puzzles. But it’s left to the viewer to decide whether there are objective explanations for these riddles…or whether something else is at play.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive producers Skye Borgman & Avril Z. Speaks. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Files of the Unexplained yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

A young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time into the present day. When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel before their eyes, a close-knit group of brilliant scientists join forces with an unorthodox detective to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history. In this episode, we turn things over to our friends at “3 Body Podcast,” the official companion podcast to Netflix’s 3 Body Problem. Hosts Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Jason Concepcion will talk to a range of people involved in the making of the show for unparalleled behind-the-scenes insight and discuss the real-world implications of what unfolds on screen. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched 3 Body Problem yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In New York City, homicides are investigated by two separate squads: Manhattan North and Manhattan South. From killings deeply personal to seemingly random, these police detectives tackle some of the most difficult and high-profile murders possible. But what did it take to solve the crimes…and what did it do to those who solved them? In the Netflix docuseries Homicide: New York, legendary executive producer Dick Wolf brings viewers inside some of the real-life cases that shocked and puzzled the city. From the point of view of those who investigated the crimes and prosecuted the offenders, these are the stories of some of Manhattan’s most notorious murders In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Adam Kassan. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Homicide: New York yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Former allies became foes when the Soviets maintained their grip on post-war Eastern Europe to spread communism. Beyond the clash of ideologies, an arms race had begun between emerging superpowers. For decades Americans stood at hypervigilance, living under the constant threat of a nuclear exchange. When the Soviet Union finally collapsed from within, it looked like the US had won the Cold War. But from its long legacy remain the old divisions which fuel today’s conflicts.  Netflix’s Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War explores the decades-long struggle between the United States and the USSR. World leaders, prominent academics, and other witnesses to history weigh in on the existential threat of this global chess match. From detonation to détente, from the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of Putin, the series makes the case that the Cold War still is felt in today’s hot zones. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and director Brian Knappenberger. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Like hundreds before her, Katherine Daniel was sent by her parents to a school for troubled teens. The Academy at Ivy Ridge claimed to use therapy and recreational activities to help its students. Instead, teens suffered mental and physical abuse in a program that operated like a cult. Years later, Katherine and her former classmates rummaged through the files and videotapes left behind in the abandoned school. Their goal was to come to terms with what happened to them within its walls and hold those responsible to account. The Netflix documentary series The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping is a gripping look at the so-called Troubled Teen Industry by those traumatized from its practices. It also explores the company whose business model is to keep parents paying huge fees while their children suffer horrors at the hands of their schools’ staff. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Director Katherine Kubler. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Writer Danny Casolaro believed he’d uncovered a secret organization of political leaders and covert operatives pulling the levers of power around the globe. He called it “The Octopus.” In 1991, when Danny’s body was discovered in a hotel bathtub, authorities ruled it a suicide - but his friends and family feared he’d been killed to keep the story quiet. In American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders, filmmakers reopen Danny’s investigation and retrace his final days. Was the official narrative about the writer’s death a cover-up? And can they link - once and for all - a string of seemingly unconnected crimes to a shadowy group with the power to control the world? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews filmmaker Zachary Treitz and researcher Christian Hansen. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  PROGRAMMING NOTE: This episode contains discussions about suicide. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

The hit reality series Love Is Blind is back , following a new set of singles from Charlotte, North Carolina — all ready to cut through the static of modern dating and forge authentic relationships, sight unseen. The singles form deep and immediate connections, setting the stage for an unexpected journey full of twists, turns, and shocking revelations that will test each relationship well after the participants leave the pods for the real world.  This episode, we’ll turn things over to our friends on the podcast “Now on Netflix.” Hosts Jessica Shaw and Henry Goldblatt talk to Tudum.com’s Cole Delbyk and Natalie Morin about season six and whether love truly is blind. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Dave Kroupa thought his relationship with Cari Farver was low-key, but Cari began sending threatening texts and emails. She even targeted Dave’s old girlfriend, Liz Goylar. The stalking persisted for years, and while the trauma drew Dave and Liz closer, authorities could never track down Cari for an arrest. But investigators tracing Cari’s digital footprint uncovered evidence that upended the case. The Netflix documentary Lover Stalker Killer looks into this bizarre tale of obsession and violence. Among the women in Dave’s life, who could get away with years of online harassment? And who was willing to turn a romantic rivalry into murder? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Sam Hobkinson. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Lover Stalker Killer yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

It was an ambitious attempt to raise money for famine relief in Africa: record a single sung by the biggest names in rock, pop, R&B, and country. But putting the 1985’s “We Are The World” down on tape was easier said than done. The all-star chorus had to balance schedules, fix tech issues, and curb egos to create the legendary record. But their biggest challenge: the clock was ticking and they had only one night to make it happen. Netflix’s The Greatest Night in Pop features never-before-seen footage of the song’s early planning stages, including the writing sessions, and goes inside the studio where “We Are the World” was recorded. Stars like Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, and Cyndi Lauper reminisce alongside musicians, engineers, and production crew about one of the most storied nights in music history. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Bao Nguyen. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Greatest Night in Pop yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

After a year of high stakes racing, it all comes down to the final ten races of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The sport’s best drivers face elimination as they make their way to the final race and most storied championship in motorsports. But who are these competitors behind the wheel? Are they the same person at home as they are on the track? And do they have the right stuff to take the checkered flag? NASCAR: Full Speed brings fans behind the scenes — both on and off the track — while exploring the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of competing for a championship at the world’s highest level of stock car racing. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Producer Aaron Cohen and NASCAR Senior Vice President Tim Clark. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched NASCAR: Full Speed yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

As some of tennis’s legends reach the twilight of their careers, this is the chance for a new generation to finally claim the spotlight. But after years in the shadows of champions like Williams and Djokovic, who has what it takes to step up and become the number one player in the world. Season two of Netflix’s Break Point gets up close and personal with the players competing across the globe each week. From career-threatening injuries and emotional heartbreak, to triumphant victories and personal moments off the court, viewers will get a behind the scenes look at the pressure-tested lives of some of the best tennis players in the world. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews showrunner Darren Lovell. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Break Point yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

When Aaron Quinn reported his girlfriend had been kidnapped in an outrageous home invasion, police suspected he was covering up a crime. Then when Denise Huskins turned up at her parents’ doorstep days later, telling an even more elaborate tale about her abduction, they accused the couple of creating a hoax - one straight out of Hollywood. But miles away a detective investigating an unrelated case discovered a single strand of hair that will tie the sensational cases together. In American Nightmare, Denise and Aaron tell the story of the crime they suffered, the humiliation they endured, and their quest for justice. It unravels the consequences of our cultural rush to judgment — and what happens when law enforcement decides the truth can’t possibly be true.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews filmmakers Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched American Nightmare yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

At the height of the Bitcoin boom, Ray Trapani and his friends created a debit card for cryptocurrency. Even though the technology didn’t work and the card was a scam, Centra Tech was making millions of dollars a day. But anyone looking at the operation would discover cut-and-paste business plans, fake executives, and glitchy technology.  Bitconned lets Trapani tell his story of fun, fame and fraud as he awaits sentencing for the first high-profile case of the crypto era. Was it real? No. But did it work? Maybe. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Bryan Storkel. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Bitconned yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

A rich Southern family laid low by scandal, fraud...and murder. In this episode, we are talking about our most popular episode from 2023, the Netflix documentary series Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Julia Willoughby Nason & Jenner Furst. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Murdaugh Murders yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. (Listener note: This episode was recorded before the conclusion of Alex Murdaugh's murder trial.) Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

They could be cheered by thousands in a stadium or booed by a few dozen ringside. In 2023, Netflix documentaries and series brought us the stories of famous athletes, music superstars, and little-known dreamers - all of them with lives even more rich and complex away from the spotlight. In this episode, host Rebecca Lavoie features her favorite sports and pop cultures titles from 2023. Films and series include Full Swing, Quarterback, Wrestlers, MerPeople, and WHAM! Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

From cops to criminals, from victims to suspects, from surgeons to patients, Netflix documentary films and series covered incredible real stories in 2023. On this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie features her favorite crime and justice titles from 2023. Films and series include American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing, Victim/Suspect, Depp v Heard, and Emergency NYC. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

With a mix of famous veterans, ambitious newcomers, and a new head coach, The US Women’s National Team prepped for a third championship run in a row. Instead they were handed a stunning early exit which shocked the sporting world. The Netflix documentary series Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team captures all of the personal and team preparation on the road to the 2023 FIFA World Cup.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Rebecca Gitlitz. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Under Pressure yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In the Netflix film Rustin, activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia while helping change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington. Today, we’ll turn things over to host Tre'vell Anderson of Netflix’s The Official Rustin Podcast. In this episode from the podcast series, Tre’vell talks with director George C. Wolfe about his process of taking a life and turning it into film. Then he speaks to actor Colman Domingo about what it took to portray Rustin and the significance of a gay Black man playing a gay Black man on screen. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

It was the sleeper hit that became a cultural phenomenon. But many fans asked themselves how would I fare at Squid Game? Would I survive Red Light, Green Light? Capture all the marbles? Or would I choose wrong on the Glass Bridge? Now they have their chance. In Squid Game: The Challenge, 456 real players will enter the competition show in pursuit of a life-changing reward of $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show - plus surprising new additions - their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive Producer Stephen Yemoh. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Squid Game: The Challenge yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Tracing the ingredients, flavors, and techniques of Black cuisine is a walk through American history itself. From Emancipation to the Great Migration, food on the tables in Black homes would evolve with every step. And today, the hottest Black chefs are inspiring and influencing a new generation with a menu that is sometimes more than just a meal. In season two of High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, host Stephen Satterfield travels across the United States to uncover how African-American cuisine has fueled social justice movements, transformed communities, and awakened cultural creativity in America in powerful and lasting ways. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews host Stephen Satterfield. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched High on the Hog yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

With its expensive online courses, Twin Flames Universe promised members would find their true loves. The online cult was better at making money than finding love, so leaders Jeff and Shaleia Ayons began matchmaking its followers with one another. Though many had identified as straight and cis, they were paired with same sex partners and prodded to rethink their gender identity.  The Netflix documentary series Escaping Twin Flames examines the controversial online community, brings us into Jeff and Sheleia’s online classroom, and tells the stories of those hurt by its teachings. The series asks whether anything can actually be done to stop it from taking advantage of people who are only looking for love.  Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews filmmakers Cecilia Peck and Inbal Lessner. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Escaping Twin Flames yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Destined for bit parts and supporting roles, Sylvester Stallone broke out by creating some of the most memorable characters in cinema, including Rocky and Rambo. But in a career filled with unmatched box office punch, many of Sly’s films were ignored by audiences and excoriated by critics. Now an entertainment lion in winter, Stallone is ready to look back at his life and career. In the Netflix documentary film Sly, Stallone takes the gloves off to talk about his unlikely rise to fame, the ups and downs of celebrity, and his disappointments on and off the big screen. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Thom Zimny. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Sly yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Liza Drake is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with a pharmaceutical sales rep puts her on an upwards trajectory economically - but a dubious path ethically - as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Her unhinged boss, her daughter's worsening medical condition, and the awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. Inspired by true events, the Netflix film Pain Hustlers stars Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, and Catherine O’Hara. It’s a sharp and revealing look at what some people do out of desperation and others do out of greed. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews BAFTA award winning director and producer David Yates and producer Lawrence Grey. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Pain Hustlers" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Every living creature can trace its origins to a single cell 4 billion years ago. But the long march of evolution took many twists and turns. Whether fish or amphibian or reptile, one creature would rise to the top…only to be wiped out in one of five mass extinctions. And each time, the fittest among them would rise and inherit the earth. Using cutting edge special effects, the Netflix documentary series “Life on Our Planet” brings alive a menagerie of long extinct creatures, portrayed with scientific accuracy and visual brilliance. From ameba to man, the series journeys through time of who survived and who didn’t. On this episode of "You Can't Make This Up," host Rebecca Lavoie talks to Series Producer Dan Tapster and Producer Sophie Lanfear about the Netflix documentary series “Life on Our Planet.”

In 1980, the Glatzel’s son, David, began having convulsions. A pair of self-styled ghost hunters declared the child was possessed by the devil. The family turned to the church for help, but something went wrong during the exorcism. His sister’s boyfriend challenged Satan to take him on instead. Months later, Arne Cheyenne Johnson was accused of murdering his landlord. The case made headlines when Johnson told the court the devil made him do it. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film “The Devil on Trial." Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Director Chris Holt. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Devil on Trial" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Soccer legend David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. The four-part Netflix documentary series “BECKHAM” tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon.  On this episode, we’ll turn things over to our friends at Netflix’s “Skip Intro.” Each week, host Krista Smith brings us dynamic conversations with the exceptional people behind your favorite shows, films, specials, and documentaries on Netflix. In this episode, Krista interviews David Beckham and director Fisher Stevens to find out what went into the making of this exceptional docu-series.

It’s common folklore: a sole witness to a mysterious flying object whose tale of their encounter is met with skepticism. But what if dozens - if not hundreds of people say they all saw something in the sky at the same time? The Netflix series “Encounters” goes beyond the reported incidents of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena or extraterrestrial contact. Why would groups of unconnected people claim to see the same oddities? And how has telling their stories affected their lives? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Encounters." Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and director Yon Motskin. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Encounters" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Mike Veeck was a third generation baseball executive, son of the Hall of Fame White Sox owner Bill Veeck. But Mike’s “Disco Demolition” night devolved into an actual riot, with rowdy rock fans charging the field and setting fires. After the debacle, he couldn’t get another job in professional sports. But years later, Mike had the opportunity to purchase a minor league team and put his own stamp on it. Would this be his chance to prove to the world he could make baseball fun? The film “The Saint of Second Chances” follows Mike’s journey from outcast to innovator, chronicling both his professional and personal triumphs and tragedies. Can a man once tarred as a sports pariah get a shot at redemption and change the game? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film “The Saint of Second Chances" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Morgan Neville and Jeff Malmberg. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Saint of Second Chances" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

For those who dream of leaping from the top rope and body slamming their opponent, their journey begins at Ohio Valley Wrestling - a Kentucky-based training ground for would-be stars. But the organization is pinned to the mat, drowning in debt. OVW’s new owners have given the team until the end of summer to get into the black…and that starts a grudge match over the league’s future. The Netflix documentary series “Wrestlers” brings us behind the chaotic scenes at OVW, exposing the athlete’s stories in and out of the ring. Can the group bring in enough new fans to keep it going down for the count once and for all? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Wrestlers" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Director & Executive Producer Greg Whitely. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Wrestler" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

The Boy Scouts were considered a model youth group, with its emphasis on proud citizenship, self-reliance, and good character. For decades, the national headquarters kept extensive, confidential files on predators within their ranks and their victims. It wasn’t until a legal reckoning that the Scouts were forced to reveal the files’ existence which demonstrated how little they did to address the systemic issue.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Scouts Honor" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Brian Knappenberger. Through exclusive interviews with whistleblowers, survivors, and former employees, “Scouts Honor” exposes how the Boy Scouts of America attempted to cover up one of history’s most horrific child sexual abuse scandals. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Scouts Honor" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

College football is life in Florida. Enter Urban Meyer: the Florida Gators’ demanding new head coach. His take-no-prisoners style breeds a string of legendary victories from 2005 to 2010, but also unrelenting drama that ripples well beyond the locker room.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Untold: Swamp Kings" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Katharine English. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Untold: Swamp Kings" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Depp v. Heard" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Emma Cooper. When actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for accusing him of abuse, the world was glued to the trial livestream. Fans took sides, lawyers pulled no punches and social media influencers provided hot takes in real time. And the fates of the parties to the lawsuit were decided as much in the court of public opinion as they were in a court of law. “Depp v. Heard” examines the infamous defamation case that captured the world’s attention and became the world's first trial by TikTok. Showing both testimonies side-by-side for the first time, this series explores this global media event, questioning the nature of truth and the role it plays in our modern society. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Depp v. Heard" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producers Raeshem Nijhon and Carri Twigg. Over the past five decades, hip hop has influenced everything from culture to fashion to politics. Its lyrics have tackled discrimination, sexism and violence, and gave voice to the authentic experiences of millions. But from those first mixtapes to streaming audio, women’s contributions to hip hop have too often been marginalized.  “Ladies First” recontextualizes their role in the genre’s 50 years by reinserting them into the canon where they belong: at the center, from day one to present day. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Ladies First" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Hyoe Yamamoto and producer Rob Sixsmith. Lucie Blackman left her life in England for new experiences in Japan, working as a hostess in a Tokyo nightclub. But her disappearance in 2000 sent shock waves through both nations. Her father launched a media blitz to pressure Japanese authorities; meanwhile, authorities learn a sexual predator has been preying on women undetected for years.  “Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case” explores the desperate manhunt and the clash of cultures that resulted. Will Tokyo detectives find the criminal believed to have victimized hundreds of women…and answer the question of what happened to Lucie? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “The Deepest Breath" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Laura McGann. Freedivers compete by swimming straight down to the deepests depths and back to the surface, all on a single gulp of air. Alessia Zecchini pushed herself to go down farther than any woman before. But she can’t do it without safety divers like Stephen Keenan, great divers in their own right tasked with rescuing competitors who blackout before surfacing. “The Deepest Breath” follows the pair’s growing bond on land and sea. But their quest for world records and championships will place them both in mortal danger. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Deepest Breath" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we revisit our discussion of the Netflix film “Lost Girls," out now on Netflix. Guest host Kevin Flynn interviews director Liz Garbus. True crime fans have heard the news from Gilgo Beach: an arrest has been made this month in the Long Island serial killer case. The development has renewed interest in the crimes that baffled authorities for more than a decade. The case was the basis for 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.” Starring Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan, the motion picture follows Mari Gilbert as she searches for her missing daughter, Shannan. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Lost Girls" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Quarterback" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Tim Rumpff, Shannon Furman, and Matthew Dissinger. They are the faces of football! Quarterbacks are the marquee players of the NFL and the success of their whole team rests on their shoulder pads. The eight-part series “Quarterback” follows Patrick Mahomes, Marcus Mariota, and Kirk Cousins from the practice field to the gridiron and back home with their families. What makes a QB great? And what does it take to obtain that ultimate goal: a Super Bowl ring? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Quarterback" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Quarterback." The series features exclusive, unprecedented access to these marquee players from the beginning of the 2022 season to its conclusion, following them on and off the field, from inside the huddle with teammates to inside their homes with their families.  In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Tim Rumpff, Shannon Furman, and Matthew Dissinger. If you haven't watched “Quarterback,” make sure to add it to your watch-list before next week’s episode. Stay Tuned!

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “WHAM!" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews producer Simon Halfon. In 1982, best friends and teenagers George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley set out to conquer the world as WHAM! By 1986, it was over. Now for the very first time, told in their own words, it’s the amazing story of how in four years they dominated the charts around the world with classic pop songs. With unprecedented access to both George and Andrew’s personal archive including never-before-seen footage, alongside rare, candid and previously unheard interviews, the Netflix documentary “WHAM!” charts their incredible journey from school friends to superstars. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “WHAM!" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators,” out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Dan “Nitro” Clark and Lori “Ice” Fetrick. In the days before reality TV game shows, one television program invited viewers to win money completing athletic challenges. The catch: they’d have to beat a team of pumped-up, sexy spoilers known as the American Gladiators. The country went wild for the rock’em sock’em action of everyday men and women facing off against characters like Laser and Gemini. Behind the scenes, the troupe of performers dealt with injuries, steroids, and the perils of being young and famous in Hollywood. But resentment grew as the Gladiators were locked in a modest contract while the production company got rich off of merchandise.  Muscles & Mayhem takes us behind the scenes of “American Gladiators.” All the broken bones, screaming groupies, and wild stories of the pioneering television show that was - literally - a hit. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Muscles & Mayhem" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Our Planet II" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Keith Scholey and series producer Huw Cordey. In every corner of our world, at any given moment, billions of animals have someplace important to be. From whales to pumas, from crablets to cranes – almost every animal migrates. They’re driven by instinct and patterns of their ancestors over millions of years – and the health of our planet depends on it. But as the climate warms and the impact of humanity spreads into ever more remote regions of the natural world, can these animals adapt to survive? “Our Planet II” takes us to some of the most remote locations on the globe and gives us never-before-seen images of creatures on the move and on the hunt. And as the animal kingdom moves with purpose, we must ask whether humans will stand in their way or help them get to where they need to be. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Our Planet II" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Arnold" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive Producer Allen Hughes and Director Lesley Chilcott. From a tiny village in Austria to the limelight of championship bodybuilding - from conquering Hollywood to capturing Sacramento - Arnold Schwarzenegger's life stands apart. For the first time, Schwarzenegger talks at length about his journey as an athlete and unlikely box office sensation - as well as his jump from public figure to public servant and governor of California. He also opens up about the scandals that rocked his personal life. With commentary from friends, rivals, and colleagues, the series explores Schwarzenegger’s Terminator-like drive to reach a rarefied level of fame - where everyone knows who you are by just one name: Arnold! SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Arnold" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “MerPeople" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and director Cynthia Wade. No longer the legends of sailors or the stars of fairy tales. Mermaids exist! With a custom-made fin, a can-do attitude, and some strong swimming skills, you too can splash it up as a merperson. Whether it’s entertaining children at birthday parties, wow-ing spectators at Las Vegas casinos, or turning heads at a merpeople pageant, you can bring the magic of the seas to dry land. “MerPeople” dives into the fascinating world of underwater performers who have turned their love for the mystical sea creatures into real-world careers. Get ready to set sail on an unforgettable voyage and immerse yourself in a world where fantasy becomes reality. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “MerPeople" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Nicole Chase was a young mom with a daughter to support when she took a job at a local restaurant in Canton, Connecticut. She liked the work and was good at her job. But the place turned out to be more like a frat house than a quaint roadside sandwich spot. And the crude behavior kept escalating – until one day she says her boss went too far and she turned to the local police for help. What happened next would put a detective on the hot seat and lead to a legal battle that would drag on for years. The United States Supreme Court would even get involved. Reveal reporter Rachel de Leon spent years taking a close look at cases across the country in which people reported sexual assaults to police, only to find themselves investigated. In this hour, we explore one case and hear how police interrogated an alleged perpetrator, an alleged victim and each other. De Leon’s investigation is also the subject of the documentary “Victim/Suspect,” now on Netflix.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film “Victim/Suspect" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Nancy Schwartzman and journalist Rachel De Leon. An investigative reporter discovered a nationwide pattern of women who’d come forward to report a sexual assault, only to be arrested for filing a false report. But the victims said they recanted because police said they didn’t believe them. Rachel De Leon learned police were employing the same deceptive techniques used in criminal interrogations, even withholding evidence to break a woman’s story and turn a true victim into a suspect. “Victim/Suspect” follows De Leon as she probes what happens when assault survivors seeking justice are punished because investigators do not believe them. The film also recounts the case of several victims who’ve lived with the personal and public pain of false recantations.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Victim/Suspect" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Working: What We Do All Day," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive Producer and Director Caroline Suh. What brings you joy in work? What gives you purpose? What makes a good job…good? These are the questions at the center of “Working: What We Do All Day." The series explores the ways in which we find meaning in our work and how our experiences and struggles connect us on a human level. From the entry-level employee to chief executive officer, “Working" introduces us to several workers trying to make it in an ever-changing world. They also discuss what makes a good job with former President Barack Obama to answer the question, is our work who we are or is it just a paycheck? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Working: What We Do All Day" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and director Ursula Macfarlane. Born in a small Texas town, Vickie Lynn Hogan would go on to fame as the model and actress known as Anna Nicole Smith. From her first appearance in Playboy in 1992, her puzzling marriage to an elderly billionaire, and her popular reality show, Anna Nicole’s dizzying ascent was the very essence of the American dream, brought to a tragic halt with her untimely passing in 2007. With access to never-before-seen footage, home movies, and interviews with key figures who have not spoken out until now, “Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me" reveals new insights into the story of the quintessential blonde bombshell hardly anyone really knew. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about season seven the Netflix series “Queer Eye," premiering May 12 on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and showrunner Jennifer Lane. From beignets to ben-yays! The Emmy® Award-winning "Queer Eye" is back for a seventh season. Grab your beads and let the good times roll as Bobby, Karamo, Antoni, Tan, and Jonathan bring some sparkle and sass to New Orleans and transform the lives of residents who are in need of a fresh start.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we’ll peek ahead at some of the hottest nonfiction and unscripted titles coming this summer to Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Tudum's Amanda Richards. Buckle up for another great batch of documentary series and films in the coming weeks. Netflix will take you around the world and the bottom of the sea. From wealthy celebrities to working stiffs. From hotel maids to presidents. Be ready to meet football legends, investigative reporters, and even mermaids…as we reveal the real life stories on Netflix that will have you talking all summer.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Chimp Empire" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director James Reed. Jackson relies on intimidation and political favors to maintain his leadership position in Central Ngogo, while rivals within the group plot to usurp him. Suddenly, a crisis over resources in disputed territory turns deadly. Now Jackson must prepare for war against those who years ago drove him from his old tribe. This is not a Tom Clancy political thriller…it’s the real life struggle between two groups of chimpanzees in Uganda. “Chimp Empire” takes us into their communities as they play, explore, and care for one another. But the chimpanzees face threats both internal and external. As this forest turf war heats up, the chimps of Ngogo respond in a very human-like way. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Chimp Empire" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Longest Third Date," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Brent Hodge. After a pair of dates, Matt and Khani decided to go on a spontaneous getaway to Costa Rica. While they drank Coronas on the beach, coronavirus was shutting the world down. And when all air travel to the United States was canceled, the couple found themselves stranded indefinitely in Central America. Now thrown together, the two had to navigate life in lockdown while waiting two and half months to go home. Using video Matt captured on his iPhone, “Longest Third Date” follows the couple’s efforts to find housing, pass the time, and get to know a person they just met on a dating app. After Matt and Khani’s story went viral, the couple needed to confront an unspoken question: would this relationship of necessity continue when they returned? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Longest Third Date" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Floyd Russ. In the confusion after two explosions at the marathon finish line, two bombers slip away with the panicked crowd into the streets of Boston. It leaves investigators with hundreds of victims injured, a trampled crime scene, and no good leads. When they realize the cops are on to them, the Tsarnaev brothers extend their deadly crime spree in an attempt to escape. After a week of terror, the entire city shuts down to bring the bombers to justice. “American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing” brings us the stories of the victims at the finish line, the investigators who pursued the culprits, and the patrolmen who engaged the fugitives in a deadly firefight in a quiet neighborhood. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Emergency NYC" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz. With more than 300 rescue calls a minute, emergency medicine in New York City is a fast-paced world where time and skill make the difference between life and death. The staff at Lenox Hill Hospital are constantly confronted by those who need care in the gravest of situations: a teenager caught in a shootout, a teacher needing a liver transplant, an opera singer with a brain tumor. But these doctors and nurses are also witnesses to the public health challenges of the day. The scourge of gun violence; the lingering effects of care delayed by the pandemic; and the burnout of their colleagues likely to leave medicine altogether. “Emergency NYC” brings the struggles and triumphs of helicopter flight nurses, paramedics, and a staff of world-class surgeons, as well as the many patients who need their help the most. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Emergency NYC" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

The tragedy at Waco became a rallying cry for the anti-government movement within America and the foundation for arguments surrounding gun rights and religious freedom. In this final episode of the Waco companion podcast, Tiller speaks again with Lee Hancock and then with Bob Ricks, the FBI’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge, about the FBI’s failed response to Waco, rampant conspiracy theories, government distrust, Waco’s connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing a year later, and how the events of 30 years ago resonates through to the present day.   Waco: American Apocalypse is streaming now on Netflix.

In the third episode of this special series, we explore the enduring emotional toll Waco had on those who were directly involved. Tiller speaks to Lee Hancock about the challenge of objectively reporting on Waco during those 51 days in 1993, and the lasting trauma the story has had on her life. Then Tiller interviews KWTX reporter John McLemore, the sole reporter who covered the ATF raid live - and whose life and career were upended by it. And finally we hear from David Thibodeau, perhaps the most well-known Branch Davidian alive today.   Waco: American Apocalypse is streaming now on Netflix.

Robert Rodriguez was an undercover agent with the ATF who embedded with David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. On the day of the raid, Robert knew the Davidians were tipped off that the ATF was coming, and he tried to call the whole thing off. Despite his warnings, the ATF went ahead with their plan, resulting in the largest gunfight on US soil in over 100 years, and Robert was pinned as the scapegoat. In a rare interview not included in the documentary series, Robert sits down with director Tiller Russell and recalls his time working undercover. He also shares in detail his experiences on the day of the raid and the toll it took on his personal and professional life. Waco: American Apocalypse is streaming now on Netflix.

On this week's episode, we're bringing you the first in a four part special companion to the Netflix documentary series, Waco: American Apocalypse. Director Tiller Russell and reporter Lee Hancock discuss the inspiration behind the series and then paint a complex portrait of cult leader David Koresh – the controversial figure at the center of the story – and how he was able to convince over 100 people (and perhaps himself) that he was a living prophet. Featuring interviews with FBI Agent Bob Ricks, Hostage Rescue Team Sniper Chris Whitcomb, Branch Davidian Kathy Schroeder, and Heather Jones, the last child to make it out of the compound alive. Waco: American Apocalypse is out now on Netflix.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we're bringing you something special: the latest episode of We Have The Receipts, the Netflix podcast about all things reality, hosted by Chris Burns and Love is Blind's Lauren Speed Hamilton. And they're talking about the Netflix reality series “Outlast" out now on Netflix. Outlast is a raw survival competition series where 16 lone wolves must outlast each other in the Alaskan wilderness in an attempt to win 1 million dollars. There is only one rule in this cutthroat game: they must be part of a team to win. And the winning team is with us on today's episode to talk about what went on behind the scenes, from off-screen kidney stones to on-screen sabotage. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Outlast" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “MH370: The Plane that Disappeared" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Louise Malkinson. Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 was supposed to be a routine trip: a redeye to Beijing, with 239 people on board. But shortly after takeoff, the jet vanished from radar screens for good. “MH370: The Plane that Disappeared” explores three of the most contentious theories about the plane’s disappearance. Did the pilot intentionally veer from his course, sailing over the Indian Ocean until he ran out of fuel? Did hijackers commandeer the aircraft as part of a Russian propaganda campaign? Or did the plane carry sensitive cargo that forced the US military to shoot it down? Journalists, family members, and ordinary people hope to answer the question: what happened to MH370, the plane that disappeared? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “MH370: The Plane that Disappeared" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Full Swing" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Paul Martin. Money! Fame! Legacy! All are constantly on the line for the professional golfers on the PGA tour. But navigating the personal and professional hazards off the course are just as challenging. “Full Swing” gives fans a chance to get to know the players through their wins and losses and witness what it takes to compete at the highest level in men’s professional golf. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Full Swing" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Julia Willoughby Nason & Jenner Furst. Alex Murdaugh was a third-generation lawyer in a powerful South Carolina family. But their reputation began to crack when his son Paul was behind the wheel during a fatal boating accident. The controversy rekindled interest in other deaths the Murdaughs were connected to - such as the unsolved murder of a high school classmate and the fatal fall of their housekeeper. Then the community was shocked when Murdaugh’s wife and son were murdered on their property. While under suspicion, Alex Murdaugh was wounded from a gunshot in what authorities say was a set-up.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Murdaugh Murders" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. (Listener note: This episode was recorded before the conclusion of Alex Murdaugh's murder trial.)

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Bill Russell: Legend" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Sam Pollard. With his revolutionary defense, Bill Russell changed the game of basketball, winning a record eleven NBA championships and cementing the Boston Celtics as a dynasty. But throughout the 1960s, Russell grappled with his place in sports and in society, being among the first athletes to demonstrate in the civil rights movement and against the Vietnam War. His contributions to the game and to equality made him more than a superstar; they made Bill Russell a legend.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Bill Russell: Legend" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Gunther's Millions," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Aurelien Leturgie and executive producer Emilie Dumay. When a German countess died in 1992, she left her fortune to the only family she had: her dog Gunther. At the direction of Gunther’s caretaker, the world’s richest dog enjoyed yachts, private jets and started a pop group that was maybe a sex cult? The series “Gunther’s Millions” asks was there ever really a countess? Was it just a tax dodge? Or was it all an elaborate scheme by one clinically depressed man to see if he could - literally - buy happiness. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Gunther's Millions" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film “Pamela, a love story" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Director Ryan White and Producer Jessica Hargrave. From Playboy centerfold to sun-soaked TV lifeguard to that stolen sex tape, Pamela Anderson was always associated with beauty and sensuality. But she was objectified and easily dismissed by a lascivious press core, more interested in her physique than her talent.  “Pamela, a love story” is an intimate portrait of one of the world’s most famous blonde bombshells, revealing a doting mother, a passionate activist, and a hopeless romantic. And just as she settles into the quiet life of her old hometown, she’s offered the opportunity for a comeback. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Pamela, a love story" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Break Point" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews showrunner Kari Lia. After decades of dominance, tennis’s legendary names are leaving the game. Now a new generation of men and women athletes are ready for their place at the top. But who has the makings to be tennis’s next champion? “Break Point” is an intimate, globe-trotting look on the court and behind the scenes with the up-and-coming stars grinding it out on the Grand Slam circuit SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Break Point" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Colette Camden. A driver’s assault on pedestrians is foiled by the man he picked up hitchhiking, striking him in the head with a hatchet from his backpack. The story of the rescue by a colorful, carefree drifter goes viral. Soon there are memes, TV appearances, and talk of a reality show for the man simply known as “Kai.” But those taken with Kai’s whirlwind, feel-good story overlook the obvious warning signs. Is the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker just a quirky vagabond, or does a violent person linger beneath the surface? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Joe Berlinger. Bernie Madoff was considered an elder statesman of the stock market, but hidden away from his legitimate securities firm, he was running an unregulated hedge fund. But it was all a Ponzi scheme swindling investors out of $64 billion. “Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street” chronicles the rise and fall of a stock market giant. It also exposes the many missed opportunities to protect his victims and discover his scam.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street."  This series reveals the truth behind Bernie Madoff’s infamous $64 billion global Ponzi scheme - the largest in history - which shattered the lives of countless individual investors who had placed their trust in the revered Wall Street statesman. In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Joe Berlinger. If you haven't watched “Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street,” make sure to add it to your watch-list before next week’s episode. Stay Tuned!

To finish out the year, we're replaying one of our most popular episodes of 2022. Wherever he went, Simon Leviev’s entourage would follow. A carefully curated supporting cast – his business partner, his driver, his security guard – created an air of glamour and legitimacy. But who were these people? Were they in on the scam? Or were they as much victims as the women Simon swindled? The Making of a Swindler Part 1 is a companion to the documentary, "The Tinder Swindler", only on Netflix.

At the top of Rebecca's Best Of list, we're replaying her interview with “Descendant" director and producer, Margaret Brown. The Clotilda was the last known ship to arrive in the United States carrying enslaved Africans, decades after slave importation was outlawed. The ship was burned and sank somewhere in the Mobile River, while its passengers would later settle in the community of Africatown. In the century that followed, the descendants of The Clotilda struggled to preserve their heritage in an Alabama town encircled by industrial property owned by the descendants of the slave owners. As a renewed effort to find the missing wreck gets underway, the community grapples with the implications of its discovery.

One of Rebecca's favorites of 2022, we're replaying her interview with "Trainwreck: Woodstock '99" director Jamie Crawford and producer Cassie Thornton.   Organizers from the original Woodstock tried to recreate the music and magic at a new three-day festival in 1999. But concert-goers expecting another groovy weekend were met with high food prices, dirty water, and mountains of litter. And promoters learned too late their audience wasn’t filled with 60s flower children; they’d drawn an army of rowdy thrash-rock fans who showed their displeasure by - literally - burning it all down.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host  Rebecca Lavoie talks with Amanda Richards, the docs and docuseries writer for Tudum, Netflix's editorial companion site, about their favorite Netflix titles from 2022. This year there were intriguing cold cases, historical crimes, and cunning con men. There were meltdowns at power plants and meltdowns at rock concerts. There was also plenty of drama on reality shows. We cheered for cooking, baking, catfights, and matchmaking. There were game shows that asked whether true love is blind…and asked “Is It Cake”? Rebecca and Amanda give their top five favorite things from 2022.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Jessica Dimmock. Between 1986 and 1991, the remains of four missing women were discovered in the same field in League City, Texas. Authorities couldn’t rule out the deaths were connected to a string of 30 murders outside of Houston since the 1970s. Then another string of disappearances began in the 1990s. Were all of these crimes linked in some way? And what is their connection to that secluded plot of land on Calder Road? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews documentary subjects John Leonard and Todd Hoffman. In a 1996 ad campaign, Pepsi claimed if you earned enough points people could get free sunglasses, leather jackets…or a Harrier jump jet. When a 20-year-old college student found a loophole that would let him obtain a $32 million plane for just $700,000, he and his friend began a campaign to claim the jet. “Pepsi Where’s My Jet?” recounts the landmark case of a kid who launched his own cola war and became the hero of a new generation. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Capturing the Killer Nurse" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Tim Travers Hawkins and author Charles Graeber. Charlie Cullen was an experienced registered nurse, trusted and beloved by his colleagues at Somerset Medical Center in New Jersey. He was also one of history’s most prolific serial killers, with a body count potentially numbering in the hundreds across multiple medical facilities in the Northeast.  Based on the best-selling book The Good Nurse  and dramatized in the Netflix feature film starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne  – “Capturing the Killer Nurse” reveals the twisted story behind Cullen’s hidden spree of murders and how Cullen’s horrific actions underscore an even bigger danger still lurking in our healthcare system. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Capturing the Killer Nurse" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Descendant" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director and producer Margaret Brown. The Clotilda was the last known ship to arrive in the United States carrying enslaved Africans, decades after slave importation was outlawed. The ship was burned and sank somewhere in the Mobile River, while its passengers would later settle in the community of Africatown.  In the century that followed, the descendants of The Clotilda struggled to preserve their heritage in an Alabama town encircled by industrial property owned by the descendants of the slave owners. As a renewed effort to find the missing wreck gets underway, the community grapples with the implications of its discovery. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Descendant" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we conclude our look at volume three of the Netflix series "Unsolved Mysteries" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Robert M. Wise about his episode "Body in the Bay" After Patrick Lee Mullins's small boat never returned from a ride on the river, search crews scoured the waters in and around Tampa Bay. Days later, his body was discovered in a shallow part of the bay, carefully tied to his own anchor…but his empty boat was recovered far out to sea.  At first investigators assumed this was a straight-forward suicide, but the cause of Patrick’s death was not drowning. It was a shotgun blast to the head. “Body in the Bay” explores whether Patrick set off to take his life or whether he encountered something he shouldn’t have seen.  Note: We talk in detail about suicide in this episode. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, you can call 988 anywhere in the US to talk with someone who can help.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Unsolved Mysteries: Body in the Bay" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we continue our look at volume three of the Netflix series "Unsolved Mysteries" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Gabe Torres about his episode "What Happened to Josh?" In 2002, Josh Guimond left a party at St John’s University in Minnesota and was last seen walking back to his apartment. When his friends realized he never made it home it kicked off a massive search of the area’s woods and waterways. What could have contributed to Josh’s disappearance? The investigation would have authorities explore a romantic rivalry, a church abuse scandal, a killer targeting students in the area, and online secrets someone wanted erased from Josh's computer. Could any of these things answer the question: what happened to Josh? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Unsolved Mysteries: What Happened to Josh?" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about volume three of the Netflix series “Unsolved Mysteries" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews series executive producer Terry Dunn Meurer and director Donald Eichar. Over the next three weeks, new episodes featuring more unexplained deaths, baffling disappearances, and bizarre paranormal activity will be available on Netflix.  "Unsolved Mysteries" is a series you don’t just watch. Viewers engage with the stories, offering more than 5,000 tips regarding the last two seasons at unsolved.com. Maybe you have information about cold cases, missing persons, and paranormal puzzles. In this podcast we'll talk about “Body in Bags.” When a beloved single father disappeared and was later found dead, there was only one suspect. Now the U.S. Marshals Task Force is on the hunt for his girlfriend who is now a fugitive from justice. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Body in Bags" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “The Redeem Team" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director and executive producer Jon Weinbach. When the US added NBA players to their men’s Olympic basketball team in 1992, it seemed they’d never lose again. But in the years after that first Dream Team, the international competition got better and the American teams began to coast.   After a humiliating bronze-medal performance in 2004, organizers shook up the US system. A legendary coach assembled the nation’s greatest players with a renewed sense of purpose and a shot at redemption. But can these superstars learn to play together and bring the gold medal home? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Redeem Team" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Dan Cogan. Powerful Wall Street hedge funds made a financial bet: if video game retailer GameStop went bankrupt, they’d make a killing on its devalued stock. But no one could anticipate an army of online day traders would prop up GameStop and squeeze the over-extended hedge funds that were short selling the company. What happened next made some people very rich, while bringing the nation's financial institutions to their knees. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Eat the Rich" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Miles Blayden-Ryall. They slipped undetected in and out of the homes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and others stars just by watching their social media. They became known as The Bling Ring and their exploits were made into a book and a movie. But their stories didn’t end there. In “The Real Bling Ring” we go inside the crimes and wild times of these star-studded burglars, who preyed on the famous while seeking fame for themselves.   SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Real Bling Ring" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film, “The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Dan Krauss. In the days after September 11th, the nation was on edge fearing more attacks. When politicians and media figures began receiving letters filled with deadly anthrax, officials thought foreign terrorists were responsible.  But when tests revealed the anthrax was a strain used only by American laboratories, the FBI turned its attention to the scientists who had access to the bacteria...including Dr. Bruce Ivins.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Anthrax Attacks" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Sins of Our Mother" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Skye Borgman. Lori Vallow was known to friends and family as a devoted mother of three, a loving wife, and a woman of God. But then things changed. Lori joined a doomsday religious community. Her ex-husband was shot after a family confrontation…and the wife of her lover died under mysterious circumstances.  Lori’s face was in the news after two of her children went missing - all while she was on a carefree Hawaiian honeymoon. Now she faces trial in connection with their murders.   SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Sins of Our Mother" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. Listener note: The following interview was recorded in August 2022 and does not take into account any recent developments pertaining to the case.

In this episode of "You Can't Make This Up," Rebecca Lavoie is joined by Connie Wang from Tudum to discuss the best unscripted films and series on Netflix coming this fall.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director David Terry Fine. Basketball referee Tim Donaghy worked his way through the ranks to become an elite official in the NBA. He and a friend from high school began placing bets on games he officiated. Soon, Donaghy’s picks were watched by organized crime - and eventually - the FBI. It unfolded in a scandal that threatened to take down the league. Was Donaghy merely using his inside knowledge of the game to win bets - or was he influencing the outcome to make money? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Operation Flagrant Foul" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku. Notre Dame’s Manti T’eo was already one of college football’s biggest stars. His stature grew when he revealed his longtime girlfriend died at the beginning of his senior season. But on the eve of going pro, reporters uncovered his online girlfriend never existed. At a time when the public hadn’t heard of catfishing, football fans were left to wonder how T’eo could be duped by someone he never met…or whether he was actually in on the hoax.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Trainwreck: Woodstock '99" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Jamie Crawford and producer Cassie Thornton. Organizers from the original Woodstock tried to recreate the music and magic at a new three-day festival in 1999. But concert-goers expecting another groovy weekend were met with high food prices, dirty water, and mountains of litter. And promoters learned too late their audience wasn’t filled with 60s flower children; they’d drawn an army of rowdy thrash-rock fans who showed their displeasure by - literally - burning it all down. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Trainwreck: Woodstock '99" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Trainwreck: Woodstock '99." The original 1969 concert promised peace and music, but its 1999 revival delivered three days of rage, riots and real harm. In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Jamie Crawford and producer Cassie Thornton. If you haven't watched "Trainwreck: Woodstock '99," make sure to add it to your watch-list before next week’s episode. Stay Tuned!

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “The Most Hated Man on the Internet," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Rob Miller and producer Vikki Miller. Kayla was stunned to learn her intimate photos were posted on a revenge porn website called IsAnyoneUp.com. It was run by Hunter Moore, a self-styled bad boy who enjoyed the humiliation of the victims and the adoration of his equally raucous fans. When Moore refused to remove her pictures, Kayla had only one person to turn to. That’s when her mother Charlotte decided she needed to take down who the press had dubbed “The Most Hated Man on the Internet.” SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Most Hated Man on the Internet" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “The Most Hated Man on the Internet." Hunter Moore was a self-proclaimed “professional life ruiner” who found fame in the early 2010s with a notorious revenge porn website. But then the mother of one of his victims began her own quest to take down this Internet bully. In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Rob Miller and producer Vikki Miller.. If you haven't watched “The Most Hated Man on the Internet,” make sure to add it to your watch-list before next week’s episode. Stay Tuned!

The twisted conclusion is revealed about the little girl who never really knew who she was. A reinvestigation of the cold cases of Sharon Marshall and Michael Hughes unravels the mystery of the little girl who never really knew who she was. Girl in the Picture Podcast is a companion to the documentary coming to Netflix on July 6, 2022. The podcast is a standalone audio documentary and can be listened to before or after watching the film. If you are hoping to avoid spoilers, we recommend watching the film before listening to episode 3. Girl in the Picture Podcast is brought to you by Netflix and Main Event Media.Narrator: Skye BorgmanWriter and Producer: Anna PriestlandExecutive Producers: Emily Bon and Jimmy Fox for Main Event Media, Skye Borgman and Matt Birkbeck.Sound Editor: Joel PorterSound Designer and Mixer: Reed Thomas LawrenceOriginal Music Composition by: Jimmy StoferBased on the books “A Beautiful Child" and “Finding Sharon” by Matt Birkbeck. Special Thanks: Matt Birkbeck, Ashley Rodriguez, Scott Lobb, Nate Furr, Sandra Willet, Cliff Sevakis, Mary Dufresne, Megan Dufresne, and Steve Patterson. If you are in need of support on any of the issues related to this podcast, please reach out to someone. If you need to talk with someone, but aren't sure which service is best for you, Victim Connect Resource Center can help you. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)1-800-656-HOPE (4673) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 oror online using a safe computer at www.thehotline.org National Sexual Violence Resource Centre National Human Trafficking HotlineHotline: 1-888-373-7888Text: 233733 ChildHelp National Child Abuse HotlineHotline: 1 (800) 422 – 4453Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone and text. National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenHotline: 1 (800) 843 – 5678  National Suicide Prevention LifelineHotline: 1-800-273-8255  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Hotline: 1 (800) 662 – 4357

A so-called father’s obsession with his son turns deadly as the true nature of his crimes and aliases become clear. When the shocking past of federal fugitive, Franklin Floyd intersects with a Jane Doe mystery, an avalanche of secrets are revealed. With it, a resolution of the Sharon Marshall mystery seems closer than ever. Girl in the Picture Podcast is a companion to the documentary coming to Netflix on July 6, 2022. The podcast is a standalone audio documentary and can be listened to before or after watching the film. If you are hoping to avoid spoilers, we recommend watching the film before listening to episode 3. Girl in the Picture Podcast is brought to you by Netflix and Main Event Media.Narrator: Skye BorgmanWriter and Producer: Anna PriestlandExecutive Producers: Emily Bon and Jimmy Fox for Main Event Media, Skye Borgman and Matt Birkbeck.Sound Editor: Joel PorterSound Designer and Mixer: Reed Thomas LawrenceOriginal Music Composition by: Jimmy StoferBased on the books “A Beautiful Child" and “Finding Sharon” by Matt Birkbeck. Special Thanks: Ashley Rodriguez, Joe Fitzpatrick, Billy Carter, Merle Bean, Jenny Fisher, Robert Schock, Dr Anthony Falsetti, and Heather Lane If you are in need of support on any of the issues related to this podcast, please reach out to someone. If you need to talk with someone, but aren't sure which service is best for you, Victim Connect Resource Center can help you. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)1-800-656-HOPE (4673) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 oror online using a safe computer at www.thehotline.org National Sexual Violence Resource Centre National Human Trafficking HotlineHotline: 1-888-373-7888Text: 233733 ChildHelp National Child Abuse HotlineHotline: 1 (800) 422 – 4453Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone and text. National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenHotline: 1 (800) 843 – 5678  National Suicide Prevention LifelineHotline: 1-800-273-8255  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Hotline: 1 (800) 662 – 4357

With escalating abuse and violence, a father becomes a husband, and very likely a killer. Sharon takes on a new identity, leaving her old life and her sense of self behind. A supposed accident leaves Michael in foster care as authorities discover his family was never who they said they were. Girl in the Picture Podcast is a companion to the documentary coming to Netflix on July 6, 2022. The podcast is a standalone audio documentary and can be listened to before or after watching the film. If you are hoping to avoid spoilers, we recommend watching the film before listening to episode 3. Girl in the Picture Podcast is brought to you by Netflix and Main Event Media.Narrator: Skye BorgmanWriter and Producer: Anna PriestlandExecutive Producers: Emily Bon and Jimmy Fox for Main Event Media, Skye Borgman and Matt Birkbeck.Sound Editor: Joel PorterSound Designer and Mixer: Reed Thomas LawrenceOriginal Music Composition by: Jimmy StoferBased on the books “A Beautiful Child" and “Finding Sharon” by Matt Birkbeck. Special Thanks: Joe Fitzpatrick, Karen Parsley, Charles Engles, Merle Bean, and Mary Dufresne. If you are in need of support on any of the issues related to this podcast, please reach out to someone. If you need to talk with someone, but aren't sure which service is best for you, Victim Connect Resource Center can help you. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)1-800-656-HOPE (4673) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 oror online using a safe computer at www.thehotline.org National Sexual Violence Resource Centre National Human Trafficking HotlineHotline: 1-888-373-7888Text: 233733 ChildHelp National Child Abuse HotlineHotline: 1 (800) 422 – 4453Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone and text. National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenHotline: 1 (800) 843 – 5678  National Suicide Prevention LifelineHotline: 1-800-273-8255  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Hotline: 1 (800) 662 – 4357

A father pushes his daughter into a life of selling sex as friends attempt to make sense of it all. Sharon leaves behind her dreams of college and brings a baby into a world of sex work, controlled by the one person who was supposed to protect her. Once again, her new friends struggle to help her escape.  Girl in the Picture Podcast is a companion to the documentary coming to Netflix on July 6, 2022. The podcast is a standalone audio documentary and can be listened to before or after watching the film. If you are hoping to avoid spoilers, we recommend watching the film before listening to episode 3. Girl in the Picture Podcast is brought to you by Netflix and Main Event Media.Narrator: Skye BorgmanWriter and Producer: Anna PriestlandExecutive Producers: Emily Bon and Jimmy Fox for Main Event Media, Skye Borgman and Matt Birkbeck.Sound Editor: Joel PorterSound Designer and Mixer: Reed Thomas LawrenceOriginal Music Composition by: Jimmy StoferBased on the books “A Beautiful Child" and “Finding Sharon” by Matt Birkbeck. Special Thanks: Karen Parsley, Heather Lane, Rosario Sanchez, Michelle Cupples, and Jenny Fisher If you are in need of support on any of the issues related to this podcast, please reach out to someone. If you need to talk with someone, but aren't sure which service is best for you, Victim Connect Resource Center can help you. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)1-800-656-HOPE (4673) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 oror online using a safe computer at www.thehotline.org National Sexual Violence Resource Centre National Human Trafficking HotlineHotline: 1-888-373-7888Text: 233733 ChildHelp National Child Abuse HotlineHotline: 1 (800) 422 – 4453Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone and text. National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenHotline: 1 (800) 843 – 5678  National Suicide Prevention LifelineHotline: 1-800-273-8255  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Hotline: 1 (800) 662 – 4357

A bright and mesmerizing teenager tries to make her way in the world only to find her father is the one person standing in her way. Sharon Marshall navigates high school in the 1980s with a mysterious home life that troubles all those around her. As her teenage years unfold, so does the darkness of Sharon and her father's relationship. Girl in the Picture Podcast is a companion to the documentary coming to Netflix on July 6, 2022. The podcast is a standalone audio documentary and can be listened to before or after watching the film. If you are hoping to avoid spoilers, we recommend watching the film before listening to episode 3. Girl in the Picture Podcast is brought to you by Netflix and Main Event Media.Narrator: Skye BorgmanWriter and Producer: Anna PriestlandExecutive Producers: Emily Bon and Jimmy Fox for Main Event Media, Skye Borgman and Matt Birkbeck.Sound Editor: Joel PorterSound Designer and Mixer: Reed Thomas LawrenceOriginal Music Composition by: Jimmy StoferBased on the books “A Beautiful Child" and “Finding Sharon” by Matt Birkbeck. Special Thanks: Heather Lane, Sherry Forston-Bailey, Lynn Clemons, Jenny Fisher, Diane Cranley, and Kurtis Bloss. Resources:If you are in need of support on any of the issues related to this podcast, please reach out to someone. If you need to talk with someone, but aren't sure which service is best for you, Victim Connect Resource Center can help you. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)1-800-656-HOPE (4673) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 oror online using a safe computer at www.thehotline.org National Sexual Violence Resource Centre National Human Trafficking HotlineHotline: 1-888-373-7888Text: 233733 ChildHelp National Child Abuse HotlineHotline: 1 (800) 422 – 4453Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone and text. National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenHotline: 1 (800) 843 – 5678  National Suicide Prevention LifelineHotline: 1-800-273-8255  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Hotline: 1 (800) 662 – 4357

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series "Web of Make Believe: Death Lies and the Internet" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Brian Knappenberger. The Internet connects friends and strangers like never before. But that ease of communication, and the ability to mask your identity or location, can make the digital world a hunting ground: Spreading hate or disinformation. Extorting the innocent. Ripping off the unsuspecting.  “Web of Make Believe” goes beyond the crimes of bad actors to explore the unseen ripple effects of their digital deeds. Whether they can damage an individual’s self-esteem, violate a community’s privacy, or even lead to death.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Rachel Dretzin. Through personal accounts, "Keep Sweet" reveals the incredible events leading to the 2011 life sentence of Warren Jeffs, the self-professed prophet of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In a dramatic raid at the Yearning for Zion Ranch, which generated headlines around the world, law enforcement and Child Protective Service agents uncovered stunning evidence of systemic sexual, physical and psychological abuse. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey." From forced underage marriage and pregnancy - to a complete unraveling of the oppressive criminal cult of Fundamentalist Mormons under Warren Jeffs’ rule - the story uncovers extraordinary bravery battling tyrannical control in modern America. In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the director and executive producer of "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey" Rachel Dretzin. If you haven't watched the series yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before our next episode that releases next week. Stay Tuned!

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series "Meltdown: Three Mile Island" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Kief Davidson. In 1979, crews at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania were stunned when a series of malfunctions led to a partial core meltdown. Though plant operators said the situation was under control and no radiation had leaked, government officials questioned their honesty and debated whether a wide scale evacuation was necessary.  Even after the largest nuclear accident on American soil had been contained, undetected dangers to the nation remained. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "Meltdown: Three Mile Island" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

On this special bonus, we’re going to hear an episode of the podcast "Factually! with Adam Conover" as Adam talks about his new Netflix series, “The G Word.”  Love it or hate it, the government plays a huge role in our lives. Adam explores its triumphs, failures and how we might be able to change it.  In this podcast, The Fifth Risk author Michael Lewis turns the tables on Adam, interviewing him about how made the show.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are again talking about the Netflix documentary "Our Father" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Lucie Jourdan. For decades, Dr. Donald Cline was a respected physician in fertility medicine. With the growing availability of home DNA-testing, many of the adult-children conceived at his clinic began to search for relatives of their sperm donor. It didn’t take too much digging to see many of these children were all the offspring of Dr. Cline himself.  SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "Our Father" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. Please note that this episode contains material some listeners may find challenging. Please listen at your own discretion.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary "Our Father" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews documentary subject Jacoba Ballard. Jacoba’s mother became pregnant with the help of an Indiana fertility clinic and donor sperm. When she used a home DNA kit to find possible half-siblings, she found more people than would be conceived by an average donor. Jacoba and the others realized their shared relative was the clinic’s doctor, Donald Cline.   SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "Our Father" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. Please note that this episode contains material some listeners may find challenging. Please listen at your own discretion.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary "The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Emma Cooper. Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe's tragic death spawned conspiracies and rumors leading all the way to the White House and which Hollywood legends are made of, securing her unique place in history. By piecing together her final weeks, days and hours through previously unheard recordings of those who knew her best, this feature illuminates more of her glamorous, complicated life, and offers a new perspective on that fateful night. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about "The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes."  She was Hollywood's biggest star and her 1962 overdose rocked the nation. Hear directly from those who knew her work, her personal life, and secrets about her death. In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the director of "The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe," Emma Cooper. If you haven't watched the film yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before our next episode that releases next week. Stay Tuned!

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary "White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Alison Klayman. The clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch conquered malls in the late ‘90s with gorgeous models at the door, pulsing dance beats from inside, and a fierce scent all over. It had the aura of a popular nightclub where only the cool kids could get in.  But while the brand was running white hot, its popular “all-American” image began burning out.   SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "White Hot" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about "White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch."  All the cool kids were wearing it. This documentary explores A&F’s pop culture reign in the late ’90s and early 2000s and how it thrived on exclusion. In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the director of "White Hot," Alison Klayman. If you haven't watched the film yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before our next episode that releases next week. Stay Tuned!

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the documentary series "Our Great National Parks" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews  Executive Producer James Honeyborne and Series Producer Sophie Todd. Produced and narrated by former President Barack Obama, "Our Great National Parks" brims with wonder, humor, and optimism as each episode tells the story of a park through the lives of its wildest residents — and explores our changing relationship with wilderness. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "Our Great National Parks" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the documentary series "Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King" out now on Netflix. Our host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the director of the documentary film, Luke Sewell. Gerald Cotten was the head of Canada's largest bitcoin exchange. While on his honeymoon to India, Gerald become ill and died from complications from Crohn's disease. His sudden death left the exchange in shambles because no one else had the password that controlled hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto-currency. But the circumstances of his death and the loss of their money made investors ask questions, did Gerald fake his demise to either cover substantial losses or to abscond with an untraceable fortune? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

On this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the documentary series "The Andy Warhol Diaries" out now on Netflix. Our host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the director Andrew Rossi. This breathtakingly expansive, six-part portrait of a legend chronicles the remarkable life of Andy Warhol from the intimate vantage point offered by the artist’s own posthumously published diaries. Though intensely protective of his personal life, beginning in the 70s Warhol dictated his observations to a typist. They capture his thoughts about his secret loves, his personal struggles, and his professional self-image. “The Andy Warhol Diaries” employs cutting-edge AI-technology that recreates Warhol’s own voice to narrate his own words. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "The Andy Warhol Diaries" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Today we're talking about "Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives." which is the latest documentary series on Netflix, directed by Chris Smith. Bad Vegan is about a wild four-part documentary series that explores how Sarma Melngailis, the celebrity restaurateur behind the glittering New York hotspot Pure Food and Wine, went from being the queen of vegan cuisine to being known as the “Vegan Fugitive.” Shortly after meeting a man named Shane Fox on Twitter in 2011, Melngailis begins draining her restaurant’s funds and funneling the money to Fox, after he cons her into believing he could make her dreams a reality... but only if she continues to obey his every request without question. Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. takes viewers on a journey more bizarre than fiction. Today we're turning over this episode to our friends at Swindled, a true-crime podcast about white-collar criminals, con artists, and corporate evil. In this episode, we'll dive even deeper into the story of Sarma Melngailis, Shane Fox, and the scandal that took down a burgeoning vegan empire.

Today on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the true-crime series, "Worst Roommate Ever" out now on Netflix. Our host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the director and executive producer, Domini Hoffman about the terrifying series.  Every day in newspaper ads and online posts, people reach out to find someone to share a space and the cost of their rental properties with, but who is that stranger you just let into your apartment? In this series, we hear about renters who go beyond leaving towels in the bathroom or getting behind on their utility bills. We learn about a man who developed a fatal attraction to his roommate. A boarding house in which men check in but don't check out. A con-artist who turned to violence to cover up his financial crimes. And a serial squatter who moves in then pays nothing and refuses to leave. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched "Worst Roommate Ever" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Today on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about "jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy" out now on Netflix. The lives of an emerging superstar and filmmaker intertwine in this intense and intimate three-act documentary following Kanye West's career. The documentary event showcases both his formative days trying to break through and his life today as a global brand and artist. Our host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the directors, producers, and writers of "jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy," Chike & Coodie. Listen on to hear what they share about their experience capturing the footage that spans over two decades. Here is your SPOILER ALERT, so if you haven't watched the trilogy yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about "jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy" out now on Netflix. The lives of an emerging superstar and filmmaker intertwine in this intense and intimate three-part documentary following Kanye West's career. The documentary event showcases both his formative days trying to break through and his life today as a global brand and artist. In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews the directors, producers, and writers of "jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy," Chike & Coodie. We can't wait for you to hear what they share about their experience capturing the footage that spans over two decades. If you haven't watched the trilogy yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before our next episode that releases next week. Stay Tuned!

New to this podcast? We tend to talk about some pretty heavy stuff, from stories about true crime, scandals, and swindles... to documentaries ranging from socially conscious to emotionally gripping and suspenseful. BUT TODAY on You Can't Make This Up, we are adding a little bit of spice and Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness! You better believe that on this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie speaks with the most fabulous guest, Jonathan Van Ness himself! Jonathan Van Ness is known as one of the stars of Netflix's Queer Eye and has been exhibiting his curiosity for years on his podcast Getting Curious. Now, JVN is bringing his own brand to his new unscripted series, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, out now on Netflix. In the show, Jonathan goes on location and talks with experts about topics that he wants to know more about (and we mean a wide variety of topics). We learn about all things Hair, Ice skating, Snack Foods, Non-Binary Gender Identity, and more! If you like You Can’t Make This Up, please rate and review this show, and share it with friends. Thank you so much for listening!

Years before he was pretending to be a millionaire playboy, Simon Leviev was Shimon Hayut, the son of an Orthodox rabbi from a small town near Tel Aviv. In this final episode we take a deep dive into Shimon’s younger years. We’ll hear the true tale of his upbringing, his earliest crimes, and a chilling story that shines a new light on the making of a Swindler. The Making of a Swindler is a companion to the documentary, The Tinder Swindler, now on Netflix.   The Making of A Swindler is a production of RAW and NETFLIX. Presenters: Bernadette Higgins, Felicity MorrisProducers: Bernadette Higgins, Felicity MorrisSeries Producer: Georgina SavageExecutive Producer: Deborah DudgeonResearcher: Lucy BarnesSound Design: Emma BarnabyOriginal Score: Jessica JonesJunior Production Assistants: Rowan Lee-Potter, Shemsije ZeqiriProduction Executive: Nageena AhmedRaw’s Head of Podcasts is Sarah Harris. The Head of US Production is Kate Leonard-Morgan

It’s clear that Simon is a criminal mastermind. But that level of skill requires practice, and a certain amount of pathology. In this episode, Felicity and Bernadette try to understand the mind – and methods – of the Swindler. We hear from an old friend - patient zero if you like - who knew Simon before he was The Prince of Diamonds. The Making of a Swindler is a companion to the documentary, The Tinder Swindler, now on Netflix.   The Making of A Swindler is produced by RAW and NETFLIX. Presenters: Bernadette Higgins, Felicity MorrisProducers: Bernadette Higgins, Felicity MorrisSeries Producer: Georgina SavageExecutive Producer: Deborah DudgeonResearcher: Lucy BarnesSound Design: Emma BarnabyOriginal Score: Jessica JonesJunior Production Assistants: Rowan Lee-Potter, Shemsije ZeqiriProduction Executive: Nageena AhmedRaw’s Head of Podcasts is Sarah Harris, and the Head of US Production is Kate Leonard-Morgan

Wherever he went, Simon Leviev’s entourage would follow. A carefully curated supporting cast – his business partner, his driver, his security guard and more – created an air of glamour and legitimacy. But who were these people? Were they in on the scam? Or were they victims of his lies, as much as the women Simon swindled? In this first special episode, we look into the theater of Simon.  The Making of a Swindler is a companion to the documentary, The Tinder Swindler, now on Netflix.   The Making of A Swindler is produced by RAW and NETFLIX. Presenters: Bernadette Higgins, Felicity MorrisProducers: Bernadette Higgins, Felicity Morris Series Producer: Georgina SavageExecutive Producer: Deborah DudgeonResearcher: Lucy BarnesSound Design: Emma BarnabyOriginal Score: Jessica JonesJunior Production Assistants: Rowan Lee-Potter, Shemsije ZeqiriProduction Executive: Nageena AhmedRaw’s Head of Podcasts is Sarah Harris, and the Head of US Production is Kate Leonard-Morgan

SPOILERS AHEAD! Today Rebecca talks with the director and producer of the hit documentary, The Tinder Swindler.  Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins talk about how they wanted to focus on the women behind this story and the sophisticated nature of the con. They also explain why it can be so hard to prosecute swindlers like Simon. Plus, they introduce the upcoming You Can't Make This Up series, The Making of a Swindler. Stay tuned as we go even deeper behind this unbelievable story in a special 3 part series running over the next two weeks.

In this week's episode we take a closer look at a Netflix documentary podcast, 'The Last Movie Ever Made.' This podcast is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Netflix film 'Don't Look Up.' Today we have the film's Co-Producer and Podcast contributor, Staci Roberts-Steele speaking with our host, Rebecca Lavoie. The production of the film's fictional global emergency was upended by a real-life global emergency that we all are very familiar with. 'The Last Movie Ever Made' podcast takes us inside the bubble as filmmakers invent a new way of shooting a motion picture during the global pandemic, COVID-19. After the interview, you will hear a full podcast episode of 'The Last Movie Ever Made.' Much of the audio in the podcast is recorded guerilla-style on phones by the crew, with commentary from the film's many stars on how life imitated art.  If you like You Can’t Make This Up, please rate and review our show. Thanks for listening!

SPOILERS AHEAD! Today on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the highly anticipated season 2 of Cheer on Netflix. If you haven't watched it yet, Cheer season 1 followed all the ups and downs (literally) of Navarro College's competitive cheer squad as they worked to win a coveted national title. In season 2, we reconnect with the Navarro College Cheer Squad, meet some new and incredibly talented Trinity Valley College Cheerleaders, experience the hardships they all endured over the past two years, and see the teams battle it out at the Daytona Cheer Competition of 2021! In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie speaks with special guest, Director Greg Whiteley of seasons 1 & 2 of Cheer. If you like You Can’t Make This Up, please rate, and review this show (and of course share it with friends). Thanks for listening!

SPOILERS AHEAD! Today on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the highly anticipated season 2 of Cheer on Netflix. If you haven't watched it yet, Cheer season 1 followed all the ups and downs (literally) of Navarro College's competitive cheer squad as they worked to win a coveted national title. Now season 2 is picking up right where the first season left off, and it's as binge-able as ever. Today our host Rebecca Lavoie speaks with a VERY special guest from the series, Head Coach Vontae Johnson of Trinity Valley Community College Cheerleading squad! If you like You Can’t Make This Up, please rate, and review this show (and of course share it with friends). Thanks for listening!

It's a New Year with new & exciting content coming your way! Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the highly anticipated Cheer Season 2, coming to Netflix on January 12th. If you haven't watched yet, Cheer Season 1 followed all the ups and downs (literally) of Navarro College's competitive cheer squad as they worked to win a coveted national title. Now season 2 is picking up right where the first season left off, and it's as binge-able as ever. Our host Rebecca Lavoie will be interviewing some VERY special guests from the series next week, and we want to hear from you before then! If you have thoughts or questions to share about Cheer, tweet Rebecca, @reblavoie, and she might just ask your question to one of our guests on the next episode! Stay tuned!

We are looking back on one of your favorite You Can't Make This Up episodes of the year. In February of 2021, the docu-series 'Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel' was released on Netflix. Our host Rebecca Lavoie interviewed director and executive producer, Joe Berlinger, about the anthology series 'Crime Scene', the disappearance of college student Elisa Lam, and the notorious Cecil Hotel located in downtown Los Angeles.The second season of the acclaimed documentary series 'Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer' is out now on Netflix. The anthology series 'Crime Scene' unpacks the ways in which certain locations can become accomplices to the crimes that take place in them, with each season tackling a new location tied to a dark past.In December 1979, firemen responded to a blaze at a disreputable hotel in Times Square. What they found in the room sparked a manhunt for Richard Cottingham, a prolific serial killer who hid in plain sight among the people of Times Square. The series takes viewers deep into the investigation, laying out the social and systemic forces in a near-lawless area that allowed Cottingham’s horrific crimes to go unnoticed for far too long.If you have a favorite documentary from 2021 or a favorite You Can't Make This Up podcast episode, tweet our host @reblavoie your thoughts.Thanks so much for listening to today's episode & all this past year. 2021 wouldn't have been the same without you. We can't wait to share more about your favorite real-life stories shown on Netflix in 2022!

This week, we are looking back on some of your favorite 'You Can't Make This Up' episodes of 2021. Today we are throwing it back to our interview with the editor, writer, and producer of Operation Varsity Blues, Jon Karmen, and the film's director and producer, Chris Smith. You may have heard a lot about the 2019 college admission scandal, but you haven’t heard everything yet. Operation Varsity Blues goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines with real conversations from FBI wiretaps. The film offers a rare glimpse of the man at the center of the scandal, Rick Singer, and the methods he used to help his wealthy clients cheat a system already designed to benefit the privileged. If you have a favorite Netflix documentary from 2021 or a favorite You Can't Make This Up podcast episode, tweet our host @Reblavoie your thoughts. Thanks for listening!

In today’s special episode, we take a look back at some of our favorite 2021 documentaries, unscripted series, and more from Netflix. We are talking about a large variety of titles so come with your ears open; from “Cocaine Cowboys'' and “Britney vs Spears” all the way to "Tick, Tick... Boom!" and even "Selling Sunset." This is not your average, You Can't Make This Up episode. Today our host, Rebecca Lavoie speaks to some friends from some of your other favorite Netflix podcasts and asks them what titles they couldn’t get enough of this year. We’ll hear from Krista Smith from the podcast “Present Company" and Scottie Beam and Sylvia Obell from the “Okay, Now Listen” podcast. But first, we’re off to London for our favorite Netflix UK watchers, as we welcome Tolani Shoneye & Gena-Mour Barrett from the "10/10 (Would Recommend)" podcast. If you like “You Can’t Make This Up,” please rate, and review this show (and of course share it with friends)! Thanks for listening & See you in 2022! And here are links to all of the shows mentioned in today's episode: Tolani Shoneye and Gena-mour Barrett Nail Bomber: Manhunt Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami Britney vs Spears Krista Smith Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel Cheer Formula 1: Drive to Survive Lead Me Home Tick,Tick...Boom Sylvia Obell and Scottie Beam Selling Sunset In Our Mother’s Gardens Love is Blind High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America

“Catching Killers” retells the stories of some of America’s most notorious serial killers from the point-of-view of the people who caught them. Each film in this series recounts the investigation into one notorious killer.  One of the more terrifying cases is covered in the two-episode arc in “True Lies.” After a body is discovered in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge, a grandmother accuses her alcoholic boyfriend of being the killer. Laverne Pavlinac even provides more details, fabricated evidence, anything to get John Sosnovske arrested. She eventually talks herself into a confession which lands the two of them in prison. Soon after, police and reporters get letters from someone else confessing to the crime. Because of the peculiar doodles on the letters, the media dubs him “The Happy Face” killer Today our host, Rebecca Lavoie is talking to one of the directors of the series, Alex Emslie. What did YOU think of Catching Killers? If you have thoughts and reactions to share, tweet @reblavoie. If you like “You Can’t Make This Up,” please rate, and review this show - and share it with friends!

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about Catching Killers. This series retells the stories of some of America’s most notorious serial killers from the point of view of the people who caught them. Each film in this series recounts the investigation into one infamous case. Next week, our host Rebecca Lavoie will be interviewing one of the series directors, Alex Emslie. Make sure to watch Catching Killers before then, and especially the two-episode arc "True Lies, Part 1 & Part 2: The Happy Face Killer" to follow along with Alex Emslie's insight into the case. We want to know what story shocked you the most on Catching Killers. If you have thoughts to share about this series, tweet Rebecca @reblavoie and she might just read your tweet on our next episode! Stay tuned!

Spoiler Alert! If you haven't watched the wild ride that is Tiger King 2, go watch it on Netflix now. Today, our host Rebecca Lavoie is talking to directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin about all things Tiger King 2. When we last heard from America’s most notorious big cat owners, Joe Exotic was behind bars. He had been convicted of animal abuse and planning the murder of an animal activist & CEO of a non-profit animal sanctuary, Carole Baskin. Jeff Lowe and Tim Stark formed an uneasy partnership to construct a new roadside zoo from Joe’s animals. And the unexpected fame of the documentary series, and unwanted attention from the authorities, now unearths some stunning revelations.

Tiger King is back and Season 2 is out on Netflix now. As you get ready to binge-watch away, today's You Can't Make This Up episode is a reminder of all the wild events that ensued in season 1. We will also share some snippets from our first interview about season 1 with the directors, Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin. When we last heard from America’s most notorious big cat owners, Joe Exotic was behind bars. He had been convicted of animal abuse and planning the murder of an animal activist & CEO of a non-profit animal sanctuary, Carole Baskin. Jeff Lowe and Tim Stark formed an uneasy partnership to construct a new roadside zoo from Joe’s animals. And the unexpected fame of the documentary series, and unwanted attention from the authorities, now unearths some stunning revelations. Stayed tuned for next week's episode where Rebecca Lavoie catches up with directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin again, but this time they'll be diving into all things Tiger King 2.

The Netflix documentary, 'Found' is an extraordinary tale of three teenagers who were born in China and adopted by American families. Though these girls live in different parts of the country, they discover through DNA tests that they are cousins and quickly become very close. They then decide to take a journey back to China together to find out more about where they come from. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Amanda Lipitz and producer Anita Gou about this heartfelt film about self-discovery. Have you learned anything about your family because of DNA testing? What part of this documentary moved you the most? If you have thoughts about this film, or you just can't believe how much you cried while watching Found, tweet Rebecca @reblavoie on Twitter and she might just read your tweets on the next show!

The Netflix documentary, 'Found' is an extraordinary tale of three teenagers who were born in China and adopted by American families. Though these girls live in different parts of the country, they discover through DNA tests that they are cousins and quickly become very close. They then decide to take a journey back to China together to find out more about where they come from. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie gives you a sneak peek into one of the most heartfelt and moving films she has ever seen. Make sure to watch 'Found' on Netflix before next week's episode where Rebecca interviews director Amanda Lipitz and producer Anita Gou. Have you learned anything about your family because of DNA testing? What part of this documentary moved you the most? If you have thoughts about this film, or you just can't believe how much you cried while watching it, tweet Rebecca @reblavoie on Twitter and she might just read your tweets on the next show!

The world of sports and true crime collide in the new Netflix series, "Bad Sport." The show examines the misdeeds of athletes, coaches, officials... and even nations. Episodes include a point-shaving scandal in basketball, a match-fixing case in soccer, an Indycar drug smuggling operation, and an insurance fraud involving the assassination of... a racehorse. But today we focus on the episode set in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. For decades, the Russians had dominated the sport of pairs figure skating. But that year, the underdog Canadian pair turned in a flawless performance, while their Russian competitors stumbled. To the shock of the sporting world, the judges denied the Canadians their gold medal. Then the Olympics was thrown into confusion when the French judge said she was forced to give the gold to Russia. “Gold War” recalls the score-fixing scandal and looks at the two couples caught in the middle of an international incident. In today’s episode, we speak to Lizzie Kempton, the episode director of "Gold War." This is You Can’t Make This Up — where we uncover the true stories behind your favorite Netflix documentaries and films.

For as long as we've had competitive sports, there's been scandal. In the new docuseries, Bad Sport, true crime and sports intersect, with firsthand accounts of some of the most shocking scandals you won't soon forget. Rebecca gives you a sneak peak into the series ahead of next week's episode, when she sits down with Lizzie Kempton, director of Bad Sport: Gold War. Watch it now so you're all caught up for  next week's conversation!

In today's episode, we take a closer look at the documentary, Britney vs. Spears and speak with the film's director, Erin Lee Carr. Britney Spears was a mega-superstar and favorite of the paparazzi. Then Britney suffered a few very public meltdowns, the singer's parents and management team went to court to secure control of her vast fortune and life. The conservatorship allowed others to manage Britney's personal life and career. A process designed to protect the elderly and infirm was being used to control a celebrity who continued to make millions for the people holding the reins.

In the 1970s police at Ohio State University arrested a man for a string of campus rapes. When examined by a doctor, it was determined that Billy Milligan had what was called multiple personality disorder. His personas were of different ages, genders, and temperaments. Milligan's case fascinated the public, law enforcement, and medical experts alike. Join us this week as our host, Rebecca Lavoie sits down with Billy Milligan's sister and veteran teacher, Kathy Preston. This episode contains spoilers, so make sure to watch all four episodes of “Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan” before listening on.

The Guilty takes place over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call center. Call operator Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) tries to save a caller in grave danger—but he soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and facing the truth is the only way out. Watch The Guilty on Netflix October 1.

Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor on the TV series “The Joy of Painting.” But beyond the iconic hair, soothing voice, and nostalgic paintings, lies a mystery involving the artist’s personal life and business empire. This week we take a closer look at his legacy with Joshua Rofé, the producer and director of “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed”.

Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami is a six-part documentary series on the South Florida traffickers indicted in one of the largest drug cases in U.S. history. Cuban exiles Augusto “Willy” Falcon and Salvador “Sal” Magluta were accused of smuggling over 75 tons of cocaine into the U.S. in the 1980s. The high school friends built a reputed $2 billion empire that made Willy and Sal, aka “Los Muchachos,” two of Miami’s biggest celebrities. Up this week, our host Rebecca Lavoie sits down with two fascinating contributors to the "Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami" series. First up, former drug kingpin ,Jorge Valdes. Then we hear from Sal's girlfriend, Marilyn Bonchea.  This episode contains spoilers, so make sure to watch all six episodes of “Cocaine Cowboys: Kings of Miami” before listening on. Stay tuned for next week's Part Two podcast episode with a very special guest to be announced!

Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami is a six-part documentary series on the South Florida traffickers indicted in one of the largest drug cases in U.S. history. Cuban exiles Augusto “Willy” Falcon and Salvador “Sal” Magluta were accused of smuggling over 75 tons of cocaine into the U.S. in the 1980s. The high school friends built a reputed $2 billion empire that made Willy and Sal, aka “Los Muchachos,” two of Miami’s biggest celebrities. Up this week, our host Rebecca Lavoie sits down with the "Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami" series director and executive producer Billy Corben and executive producer Alfred Spellman. This episode contains spoilers, so make sure to watch all six episodes of “Cocaine Cowboys: Kings of Miami” before listening on. Stay tuned for next week's Part Two podcast episode with a very special guest to be announced!

Ex-leaders and a survivor of the so-called "conversion therapy" movement speak out about its harm to the LGBTQ+ community and its devastating persistence. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie speaks with Director Kristine Stolakis and producer Jessica Devaney about the Netflix documentary film "Pray Away." This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch all of "Pray Away" before listening on.

Suburban father “Toby” Curtsinger was bored when he began smuggling and selling bottles of rare and expensive whiskey from the distillery where he worked in Frankfort, Kentucky. But what seemed like an easy way to improve his family’s quality of life, soon escalated from a side hustle of booze-skimming to organized crime. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie speaks with Executive Producer Nick Frew about "The Bourbon King" -- part three of our special coverage of all three stories featured in the docuseries "Heist." This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch both episodes of "The Bourbon King" before listening on.

Karls Monzon immigrated to Miami from Cuba in search of his American dream to own a home, a nice car, and start a family. But when his wife struggled to have children, he hatched a plan to pay for an expensive adoption by stealing millions in cash delivered by plane to Miami International Airport. And he did all the research he needed to pull off the heist by watching American TV. Up for discussion today is “The Money Plane”—part two of our special coverage of all three stories featured in the docuseries “Heist.” Rebecca Lavoie will talk with Oscar-winner Martin Desmond Roe, who directed “The Money Plane.” This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch both episodes of “The Money Plane” before listening on.

We’re kicking off the first of a three-part special from the Netflix documentary series, Heist. This series chronicles three of the biggest heists in modern American history through in-depth interviews with the people who pulled them off. 21-year-old Heather Tallchief felt lost in life until she was swept off her feet by prison poet and paroled murderer, Roberto Solis. Hypnotized by Roberto’s dangerous allure and practice of “sex magick,” she gets involved with the largest armored truck robbery in Las Vegas history, taking off with over three million dollars. For today’s episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie is joined by Derek Doneen, the executive producer and director of “Sex Magick Money Murder.” This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch both episodes of “Sex Magick Money Murder” before listening on.

The murder of a French woman in rural Ireland sets off a convoluted quest for justice that spans decades and cuts across national borders. This week, our host Rebecca Lavoie covers the new Netflix docu-series “Sophie: A Murder in West Cork" and speaks with Suzanne Lavery, the series’s executive producer. This episode contains spoilers so be sure to watch all three episodes of “Sophie: A Murder in West Cork” before listening on. If you like “You Can’t Make This Up,” please rate, and review this show - and share it with friends! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.

Welcome to You Can't Make This Up, a companion podcast for Netflix's original true crime stories. In each episode, we take a close-up look at a true-crime narrative, documentary, or series, and our host Rebecca Lavoie talks to the people who made them. We dive deep into the backstories and get answers to questions raised by what we just watched. This week, we’ll be discussing the documentary “Nail Bomber: Manhunt” with the film’s executive producer, Colin Barr. "Nail Bomber: Manhunt," tells the story of a far-right extremist who, in 1999, detonated three bombs across London in hopes of instigating a race war. Through exclusive interviews with investigators, undercover informants, local leaders, and survivors, the film recounts how the city was terrorized for 13 days and ultimately how the community and police captured and brought the bomber to justice. This episode contains spoilers. Please make sure to watch the entire film and then, listen on.

This episode contains *spoilers* so make sure to watch the entire series of "The Sons of Sam" on Netflix before listening on. When the “Son of Sam,” David Berkowitz was caught in the summer of 1977 after a string of shooting attacks in New York City, the world believed the nightmare was over, but for journalist Maury Terry, the real mystery was just beginning. Terry was convinced that Berkowitz had not acted alone. He spent decades attempting to prove that the web of darkness behind the murders went deeper than anyone imagined. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie is joined by Joshua Zeman, the director and executive producer of the docu-series "The Sons of Sam."

This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch all of the film "Why Did You Kill Me?" on Netflix before listening on. After her daughter’s murder, a mother uses the social networking site MySpace to find the people she believes are responsible. She creates a fake profile that leads to unexpected intimacy with the suspects, a key break in the case, and a dark revenge plot. The documentary film "Why Did You Kill Me?" offers a gripping look at the effects of loss and the relationship between revenge, forgiveness, and the criminal justice system. Join host and journalist, Rebecca Lavoie as she speaks with the film’s director and producer, Fredrick Munk. Stay tuned for our next episode on “The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness.” You Can’t Make This Up is a production of Netflix.

On today’s show, we’re taking a break from our usual format to premiere a new original Netflix podcast: “Searching for The Sons of Sam.” From Tenderfoot TV and true crime director Joshua Zeman comes a 5-part audio documentary about Zeman’s relationship with the late journalist Maury Terry. Terry spent 40 years of his life trying to prove that convicted Son of Sam serial killer David Berkowitz had not acted alone. Terry’s book, “The Ultimate Evil,” lays out his case that the Son of Sam murders were carried out by multiple members of a satanic cult. After Terry’s death, Zeman inherited all of his case files. “Searching for The Sons of Sam” is the companion podcast to Zeman’s Netflix docu-series, “The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness,” which retraces Maury Terry’s investigation into who was really behind one of America’s most notorious serial killings. It's our pleasure to present to you the world premiere of the podcast: Searching for the Sons of Sam - Episode 1: The Ultimate Evil.

In 1990, two men dressed as cops conned their way into a Boston museum and stole a fortune in art. The stolen works are estimated to be worth over half a billion dollars today and there’s a 10 million dollar reward for whoever finds it. “This is A Robbery: The World’s Greatest Art Heist” goes deep into the leads, dead ends, lucky breaks, and speculations surrounding this notorious crime that remains unsolved over 30 years later. Join host Rebecca Lavoie as she speaks with Colin Barnicle, the series director, and executive producer. A note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire series and then, listen on. You Can’t Make This Up is a production of Netflix. Our music is by Hansdale Hsu and our producer is Shana Daloria.

You’ve probably heard a lot about the 2019 college admission scandal, but you haven’t heard everything. Operation Varsity Blues goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines with real conversations from FBI wiretaps. The film offers a rare glimpse of the man at the center of the scandal,  Rick Singer, and the methods he used to help his wealthy clients cheat a system already designed to benefit the privileged. Our host Rebecca Lavoie is joined by two guests in this episode, Jon Karmen (the film’s editor, writer, and producer) and Chris Smith (the film’s director and producer). This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the entire series before you listen on.

A note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire series and then, listen on.  In Salt Lake City in 1985, a trio of pipe bombings killed two people. The murders sent shockwaves through the Mormon Church when a trove of historically controversial Latter-Day Saints letters was found destroyed in the vehicle of the third victim, a renowned collector of rare documents. As he fights for his life, investigators raced to uncover the truth. “Murder Among the Mormons” is the first comprehensive look at one of the most horrifying crimes to have ever taken place among the LDS community and the criminal mastermind behind it all.

For nearly a century, the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles has been linked to some of the city’s most notorious activity — from untimely deaths to housing serial killers. In 2013, college student Elisa Lam vanished while staying as a guest at the hotel. Her disappearance ignited a media frenzy that mobilized a global community of internet sleuths eager to solve the case. In this episode, host Rebecca Lavoie speaks with Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger to discuss the first season of his new series “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel.”

It was the late 1970s. A serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper cast a dark shadow over the lives of women across England. Over a span of five years, thirteen women were dead and the police seemed incapable of catching the murderer. No one felt safe – and every man was a suspect.

The mid-1980s was a period of terror in Southern California. A series of random home invasions, sexual assaults, and brutal murders were happening across the region. Men, women, and children of all races and walks of life were victims. Stranger yet, the horrendous methods of killings fit no particular pattern. Some victims were strangled. Some were shot. Some were beaten to death. Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer is the definitive portrait of one of the most disturbing and unpredictable serial killers in criminal history from the perspective of the two detectives leading the hunt to capture him. On the show this week, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Tiller Russell, the Night Stalker series director.   This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire film and then, listen on.

In the early 1980s, the crack epidemic tore through America like a tsunami, ravaging all in its wake. And the destructive effects on people's lives, families, and communities are still deeply felt decades later. “Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy” examines the drug’s devastation, shadowy origins, and the ongoing criminalization of Black and Brown people in U.S. prison and healthcare systems. Rebecca speaks with director Stanley Nelson. This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire film and then, listen on.

Happy New Year! We are so ready to jump into 2021 but before we do, we want to take a look back at 2020. It really was a year of 'You Can’t Make This Up' moments, and the true-crime titles and conversations were no different. Netflix filmmakers and documentarians consistently delivered original content that intrigued and surprised. They forced viewers to take a second look at crimes that we thought we knew all about from news reports and pop culture. We have much more engaging true crime and criminal justice stories coming your way in 2021. We'll continue to share important conversations with groundbreaking filmmakers who take us around the globe, so stick with us.

In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Trial 4's director Rémy Burkel. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening or reading on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was not recorded in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality. Trial 4 is a timely, sweeping story about criminal justice, police power, and systemic racism in America. It documents the history of Sean Ellis, who faced three trials before he was found guilty of the 1993 murder of Boston police officer John Mulligan. He served 22 years in prison for the killing. It was a crime Sean says he never committed. In 2015, he was released on bail to await a fourth trial that would determine whether he would be proven innocent or sent back to prison for the rest of his life. A judge ruled that Sean was never given a fair trial. Prosecutors withheld information about a corruption scheme involving several detectives who were key players in his conviction. If you like You Can’t Make This Up, please rate, review, and share this show!

In 1989, two-year-old Christopher Dansby and 19-month old Shane Walker were abducted from the same Harlem playground within months of each other.  Police and locals were put on high alert, but no trace of the missing toddlers was ever found. Three decades later their families have not given up hope. "Stolen Kids" is the final episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Jessica Dimmock. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” Go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Trial 4.

On an icy, winter night nearly 10 years ago, police found 55-year-old JoAnn Romain’s abandoned car outside her church in a Michigan suburb. They assumed she drowned in a nearby lake by suicide. But her body was recovered 70 days later in the Detroit River 35 miles away from where police allege she had entered the water. Her family suspects foul play. They have a list of suspects and will not stop until they find the truth about what happened to their mother. "Lady in the Lake" is the fifth episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Skye Borgman. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” Go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our final episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, "Stolen Kids."

Nearly ten years ago, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded devastated the northeastern coast of Japan.  It generated a tsunami that at its peak reached 131 feet high. Close to twenty-thousand lives were lost. Twenty-five hundred more remain missing. Then, in one of the worst-hit cities, people began to experience strange phenomena. Taxi drivers spoke of “ghost passengers.”  Some even talked of being possessed by lost spirits. A local Buddhist monk claims the tragedy enabled the people to “see what’s not supposed to be seen.” "Tsunami Spirits" is the fourth episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with another familiar voice, director Clay Jeter. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” Go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series.   Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, "Lady in the Lake."

In 1965, repeat sex-offender Lester Eubanks confessed to killing 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener and was sentenced to death. However, Lester's sentence reverted to life in prison when a 1972 Supreme Court ruling abolished the death penalty. While in prison, he joined a program allowing inmates to leave the grounds. Around a year later, while on a Christmas shopping trip to the mall, Eubanks escaped. He remains a fugitive nearly 50 years later. "Death Row Fugitive" is the third episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Unsolved Mysteries series executive producer and director of "Death Row Fugitive," Robert Wise. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” If you have any leads on where Lester Eubanks is, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips, or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, " Tsunami Spirits."

When a woman is found dead in a luxury hotel room in Oslo, Norway, it initially appears to be a suicide until several pieces of evidence begin to suggest otherwise. She has no identification. She registered at the hotel under a false name. There was no blood on her hand or the gun that killed her. No one even reported her missing. Who is this woman? Was she murdered? Could she have been part of a secret intelligence operation? Twenty-five years later all these questions, and more, remain unanswered. "Death in Oslo" is the second episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Unsolved Mysteries series executive producer and director of "Death in Oslo",  Robert Wise. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their reactions to this episode.   Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.”   If you have any leads on what might have happened to the unknown woman in Oslo 25 years ago, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips, or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, " Death Row Fugitive."

For more than three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases have been solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, some of the most chilling mysteries are still waiting to be solved in Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2, now streaming on Netflix. “Washington Insider Murder” is the first episode of Volume 2. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Unsolved Mysteries series co-creator and executive producer Terry Dunn Meurer, where we get the inside story on reactions, viewer tips, and updates to the first set of cases covered in Volume 1. Later in the episode, we will hear Rebecca's conversation with "Washington Insider Murder" episode director Don Argott about the unexplained death of former White House Aide, John Wheeler. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...)  as they discuss their reactions to the "Washington Insider Murder" episode. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” If you have any leads on what might have happened to John Wheeler, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guests were recorded in their homes and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, " Death in Oslo."

Using raw, firsthand footage, this documentary film explores the tragic disappearance of Shanann Watts and her two young daughters in Frederick, Colorado. It becomes clear that Shanann’s husband wasn’t the man he appeared to be. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the film's director, Jenny Popplewell. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

Fear City: New York vs The Mafia, chronicles the rise and fall of New York’s most powerful Mafia families from the perspective of the FBI agents and prosecutors who risked their lives to take them down. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the director, Sam Hobkinson. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

We tweet, we like, and we share — but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? The documentary-drama, The Social Dilemma, explores the dangerous impacts of social networking by talking to the Silicon Valley insiders who know it best. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the film's director, Jeff Orlowski. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

The FBI, Interpol, and entire nations are hunting them down. Millions of dollars have been offered for their capture, yet all but one of these fugitives continue to elude justice. Where are they hiding and who is helping them? The docuseries World's Most Wanted, now streaming on Netflix, profiles five individuals suspected of committing some of the world’s most heinous atrocities. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the Executive Producer of the series, Thomas Zribi. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “Missing Witness” is the sixth and final episode of volume one of this series.   In 2003, Lena Chapin confesses that her mother murdered her missing stepfather, Gary McCullough. At the time, Gary had been missing for four years. Not long before Lena is summoned to testify in court about his disappearance— she mysteriously vanishes. Was she killed by her mother to keep quiet? Lena’s sisters will not stop until they find the truth. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "Missing Witness" episode executive producer, Robert Wise. Bob’s relationship with the show spans the life of the entire series. In fact, he was the cinematographer for the original Unsolved's  pilot episode.   Before the conversation with Bob, Rebecca also has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning former TV journalist, true crime author, and co-host of the true-crime podcast ‘Crime Writers On’ with Rebecca. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.”   If you have any leads on what might have happened to Lena Chapin, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by this series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding.

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix.  “Berkshires' UFO” is the fifth episode of this series. Over fifty years ago, townspeople from Berkshire County, Massachusetts were traumatized by encounters with an unexplained flying object. In this episode, they come forward with dramatic testimony about the baffling events that took place on the night of September 1, 1969.  In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "Berkshires' UFO" episode director Marcus A. Clarke.  Before the conversation with Marcus, Rebecca also has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning former TV journalist, true crime author, and co-host of the true-crime podcast ‘Crime Writers On’ with Rebecca.  Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” If you have any leads on what might have happened in Berkshire County on September 1, 1969, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by this series.   Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries, Episode 6: "Missing Witness."

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “No Ride Home” is the fourth episode of this series.  Twenty-three-year-old Alonzo Brooks never returned home after attending a party at a farmhouse in rural Kansas. His body was found a month later only 250 feet from the party location, an area that had already been searched by law enforcement multiple times. Over sixteen years later, the manner and cause of his death still remain unknown. It’s rumored that locals know what happened to Alonzo but nobody’s talking. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "No Ride Home" episode director Marcus A. Clarke.  Before the conversation with Marcus, Rebecca also has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning former TV journalist, true crime author, and co-host of the true-crime podcast ‘Crime Writers On’ with Rebecca.  Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” If you have any leads on what might have happened to Alonzo Brooks go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by this series.  Since this interview was taped, there has been a major development in the Brooks case. According to KSNT, the local NBC news affiliate in Topeka, Alonzo’s body was recently exhumed. This development comes only a few weeks after the FBI announced that they are investigating Alonzo’s death as a potential racially-motivated crime, and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the individual or individuals that may be responsible for Alonzo’s death.  Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries, Episode 5: "Berkshires’ UFO."

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “House of Terror” is the third episode of this series. Almost ten years ago, the bodies of five members of an aristocratic French family were found buried under the back porch of their home —a house later dubbed by reporters as ‘The House of Terror.’  The victims — a mother and her four children — were each shot to death while they slept in their beds. Almost the entire Dupont de Ligonnès family massacred except for the father, Xavier, who vanished shortly after the killings. Xavier is the primary suspect. His whereabouts remain unknown. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "House of Terror" episode director Clay Jeter. Before the conversation with Clay, Rebecca also has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning former TV journalist, true crime author, and co-host of the true-crime podcast ‘Crime Writers On’ with Rebecca. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” If you have any leads on what might have happened to the Dupont de Ligonnès Family go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by this series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries, Episode 4: "No Ride Home."

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “Thirteen Minutes” is the second episode of this series. It's the story of the abduction, disappearance, and murder of Patrice Endres. The 38-year old hairstylist vanished from her salon in Cumming, Georgia in broad daylight during a 13-minute timeframe. Twenty months later, her body was found in a wooded forest, 6 miles from her salon. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "13 Minutes" episode director Jimmy Goldblum.  Before the conversation with Jimmy, Rebecca also has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning former TV journalist, true crime author, and co-host of the true-crime podcast ‘Crime Writers On’ with Rebecca. Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” If you have any leads on what might have happened to Patrice Endres go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by this series. This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. Thank you for understanding the change in our normal audio quality.  Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries, Episode 3: "House of Terror."

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations.     Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show.     In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Terry Dunn Meurer, the series co-creator and executive producer. They break down episode one of the series reboot: “Mystery on the Rooftop” about the unexplained death of Rey Rivera.     Before the conversation with Terry, our host Rebecca has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning former TV journalist, true crime author, and co-host of the true-crime podcast ‘Crime Writers On’ with Rebecca.     If you have any leads on what might have happened to Rey Rivera go to https://unsolved.com/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by this series.     Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.”     This episode contains spoilers so please make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on.

The show “Unsolved Mysteries” sparked America’s obsession with cold cases and the paranormal from 1987 to 2010.  For decades, the series captivated audiences with true tales & first-person accounts of inexplicable murders turned to cold cases, missing persons, and chilling encounters with the supernatural.  It was one of the first shows of its kind to call on viewers for clues to help solve a real-life mystery. According to the Unsolved website, “Out of more than 1000 cases profiled in 230 episodes, over half the cases featuring wanted fugitives have been solved, most as a result of viewer tips.” Now, a decade after the last show premiered, the cultural phenomenon is back on Netflix on July 1st! Subscribe to the podcast ‘You Can't Make This Up’ for access to a special 6-part-mini-season dedicated to every single new episode featured on Unsolved Mysteries. As Robert Stack, the original Unsolved Mysteries host used to say, "For every mystery, there is someone, somewhere, who knows the truth."

Ten inmates, ten lifelong sentences, ten episodes featuring prisons across the United States. In season 2 of the docuseries I Am A Killer, streaming on Netflix, every episode recounts one prisoner’s memories of the events that led to their crime, underlying motivations, and how they make sense of their lives now. Interviews with victims, their families, and detectives uncover multiple layers to the stories and reignite the debate about rehabilitation and restitution in America’s criminal justice system. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Danny Tipping, the executive producer of the docuseries. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

Jeffrey Epstein is a name that has been attached to headlines for years. Billionaire, American financier, convicted sex offender, now a dead man. Streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich focuses on the survivor's perspectives as we hear their painful stories. The series also examines how Epstein evaded the law with his wealth, powerful connections, and network of co-conspirators. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Lisa Bryant and executive producer Joe Berlinger. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Thank you for understanding the change in audio quality.

Were these six highly televised and dramatic cases defined by headlines, or determined by them? Now streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Trial by Media explores how news coverage and public conversation around high profile crimes have had a lasting impact on United States criminal justice systems and culture. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) speaks with CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst, staff writer for the New Yorker, and Executive Producer of Trial By Media, Jeffrey Toobin. There will be spoilers so make sure to watch all of the episodes on Netflix before listening here! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Thank you for understanding the change in audio quality.

In the final episode of our miniseries about The Innocence Files, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Alex Gibney (Going Clear; The Inventor). Alex’s episodes focus on how individual prosecutors can corrupt the whole justice system, examining cases from Philadelphia, Houston, and rural Michigan.

This is the second episode in the miniseries about the Innocence Files. Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On..) speaks with returning guest Academy-Award nominated director Liz Garbus (Lost Girls). Liz's block of episodes investigates the misuse of eyewitness testimony and how a person can be swayed into pointing to an innocent bystander.

This is the first episode of a mini-series about The Innocence Files, a documentary series about wrongful convictions, made in consultation with the Innocence Project. Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda, Music By Prudence). He directed the first three episodes about bite mark evidence and exonerees Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.

After nearly a decade of working for Massachusetts State Drug Testing labs, two chemists were found to have tampered with evidence connected to tens of thousands of cases against people accused of drug trafficking and possession. How To Fix a Drug Scandal, which is now streaming on Netflix, brings to light the investigation behind the corruption and cover-ups of these cases. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers on…) speaks with Director and Producer Erin Lee Carr about why she chose to tell the stories of chemist’s Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, discusses the lives of those affected by the chemist’s choices, and about her own journey to sobriety. There will be spoilers so watch all of the episodes on Netflix before listening here! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Please forgive the change in audio quality.

In 2013, Joe Exotic had two husbands, a dedicated staff of misfits, and over 200 tigers in his private zoo. But Joe also had a rivalry with fellow big cat owner, Carole Baskin. When their feud spun out of control, Joe found himself in a cage of his own. In this episode, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) will be speaking with co-directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin. There will be spoilers so make sure you’ve watched all 7 episodes!  A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in studios. So there will be a change in audio quality.

Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On..) talks with director Liz Garbus about her film Lost Girls. Based on the book Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker. The film follows Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan) as she searches for her missing daughter Shannan. Meanwhile, the police uncover four more bodies and suspect a serial killer is on the loose. There will be spoilers, so make sure you've watched the whole film before pressing play.

Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On..) talks with director Brian Knappenberger and journalist Garrett Therolf about “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez”. In this episode, they’ll be talking about the various trials of following Gabriel's death, the responsibilities of the social workers involved, and how a child like Gabriel became the victim of a broken system. There will be discussions of child abuse. Please listen at your own discretion.

In 1999, Dan Schneider was a small-town pharmacist in Louisiana.  But after his son was killed in a drug-related shooting, he becomes obsessed with getting justice. In the Pharmacist, Dan investigates his son's murder, a local pill mill, and the drug crisis sweeping through his community. Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with directors Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason (Time: The Kalief Browder Story and Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story)

Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On....) interview sports writer Dan Wetzel and filmmaker Geno McDermott about their docuseries, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. They'll be talking about Aaron's upbringing, his friendship with criminals like Alexander Bradley, and the murder of Odin Lloyd. This episode will also discuss Aaron's suicide. If you or someone you know needs the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the number is 1-800-273-8255.

Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, follows a team of armchair detectives searching for an anonymous cat killer before he can escalate to something worse. Crime Writers On… host Rebecca Lavoie talks with director Mark Lewis about the rise of online sleuths, his choice to show segments of the animal abuse videos, and whether the audience should also be complicit in the crimes of  Luka Magnotta.

We have hosts Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie (of the Crime Writers On...podcast) to speak directors Robert Kenner (Food Inc.) and Taki Oldham about their new series The Confession Killer. They'll be deep diving the story of Henry Lee Lucas, a man who confessed to hundreds of murders that spanned the country.

This month, we have a documentary film following Bikram Choudhury, the man who popularized yoga in America. Returning hosts Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie speak with director Eva Orner and lawyer Micki Jafa-Bodden about the rise and fall of a yoga guru who preyed on the very women who trusted him.

In Steven Soderbergh's new film, "The Laundromat" he explores the world of offshore banking and the international crises caused by the Panama Papers. Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, and journalist Jake Bernstein sit down with Soderbergh to talk tax evasion, casting Meryl Streep and to look at how they took a real-life scandal and adapted it into a feature film.

The original series "Unbelievable" follows two policewomen (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) trying to capture a serial rapist, and one girl (Kaitlyn Dever) who may, or may not, be a victim. It just depends on who you believe. For this episode, we have Kate Wells and Lindsey Smith (hosts of the podcast Believed) speaking with writer/director Susannah Grant and Executive Producer Sarah Templeton about how they adapted the true story into a series, and what steps can be taken to take these crimes more seriously (See "An Epidemic of Disbelief" in The Atlantic).

From Where She Stands: The OITNB Podcast is a new show that connects the storylines from Orange Is The New Black with the stories of real women whose lives have been impacted by prison. Hosted by Piper Kerman (author of the book "Orange In The New Black: My Year In A Woman's Prison"), each episode will feature an exclusive interview with a cast member from OITNB and will dive into the real stories from women navigating the prison system in America. Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode.

Remember back in 2016 when Cambridge Analytica admited to "hacking" Facebook? In this episode, Aminatou Sow (Call Your Girlfriend) talks with the directors of The Great Hack, Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer. They get into data rights, persuadable social media and how one company used personal information as a means to a political end.

One year ago, Netflix released all 13 episodes of The Staircase, a documentary series that follows the trials of Michael Peterson. In this month's episode, we revisit the landmark series. Aaron Lammer (host of the Longform podcast) spoke with director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade to discuss the making of The Staircase and its legacy.

Killer Ratings follows a Brazilian TV show host accused of ordering assassinations to feature on his program. But was it all a conspiracy, or is he guilty of much worse? Rebecca Lavoie and Kevin Flynn (hosts of Crime Writers On...) speak with director Daniel Bogado about this seven-part series.

This month, we bring you a narrative feature. We're getting into Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Aaron Lammer of the Longform podcasts sits down with the film's director Joe Berlinger. Fun fact: Joe also directed the Ted Bundy documentary, Conversations With A Killer, which we discussed in a previous episode. Aaron and Joe dive into both the doc and the film, and how both jobs came to land on Joe.

This month, we’re covering The Two Killings of Sam Cooke. This documentary is a part of Netflix's ReMastered series, and it takes a look at the untold story of the legendary soul singer and civil rights activist, Sam Cooke.  We have the director Kelly Duane De La Vega speaking with Tracy Clayton, host of the new Netflix original podcast Strong Black Legends.

Netflix has a new podcast called The Human Algorithm, and we think you might like it! On Human Algorithm, we feature different people, from actors and directors to Netflix employees, recommending their latest Netflix obsession. Each episode focuses on a different genre, and this time we're bringing you Crime Docs. Adrienne C. Moore (Orange Is the New Black) is a fan of The Staircase, Triple Frontier's Adria Arjona wants you to watch Abducted in Plain Sight, and OITNB's Taryn Manning recommends the series Evil Genius.Subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast.

This month, we’re covering Abducted in Plain Sight. This 90-minute documentary follows the unpredictable tale of a girl who gets kidnapped right under family’s nose, not once. But twice. We have the director Skye Borgman speaking with this month’s interviewers, Rebecca Lavoie and Kevin Flynn. You might know Kevin and Rebecca from their podcast Crime Writers On, or from our episode on The Innocent Man. They are here to walk us through this shocking documentary.

We thought You Can't Make This Up listeners might enjoy a new podcast from Netflix called I'm Obsessed With This. On IOWT, host Bobby Finger invites guests — fans, critics, friends — to gab about the most-discussed titles of the moment. What are people saying? Why do they love it, hate it, or need to scream about it on Twitter? Ranging from meme-y chatter to in-depth analysis, this is the entire range of popular conversation around the newest Netflix titles distilled into a half hour show. In the episode we're sharing with you, Bobby and friends talk about Russian Doll, Velvet Buzzsaw and true crime film, Abducted In Plain Sight. Subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast.

This week, we’re getting into Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. This four-part docuseries follows the crimes of one of America’s most notorious killers, Ted Bundy. From 1974-1978, Bundy committed a multitude of crimes, including murdering over 30 women in 7 states.  The series is based on the book of the same name, written by journalist and author Stephen Michaud. Stephen recorded over 100 hours of his interviews with Ted Bundy, which the series features heavily. We brought in journalist Taylor Crumpton, who has written about Ted Bundy for Teen Vogue and covers social justice in publications like Paper Mag and Glamour, to interview Stephen.

This week, we’re diving into the new Netflix Original, The Innocent Man. This six part docu-series follows the life of Ron Williamson, who sat on Oklahoma's death row for 11 years for a crime he didn't commit. It’s based on John Grisham’s best-selling true crime book of the same name.  Here to talk about it are the series director Clay Tweel and true crime authors, podcasters and real-life married couple Rebecca Lavoie and Kevin Flynn. They host the popular true crime podcast, Crime Writers On.

With 2018 coming to a close, we couldn’t help but think back on what a crazy year it’s been in the world of Netflix True Crime. We brought in two true crime fans to break down their favorite docuseries of 2018. Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara, co-hosts of BuzzFeed’s Unsolved, talk about the most memorable characters, scenes, and plot twists of Evil Genius, Making A Murderer Part Two, and The Staircase. After that, we get a phone call from Ma Anand Sheela. We met Sheela earlier this year in the hit docuseries, Wild Wild Country. Sheela fills us in on her relationship with the series, her family’s reaction, how she feels about Rajneeshpuram and more.

This week is a true cinephile’s delight. We’re diving into They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, a new documentary directed by Academy Award Winning filmmaker Morgan Neville. They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead chronicles the making of Orson Welles’s previously unfinished final film, The Other Side Of The Wind. Today on the podcast we have Karina Longworth interviewing director Morgan Neville about all things Orson Welles. Karina hosts the beloved Hollywood history podcast, You Must Remember This, and recently released her first book, Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood. Karina and Morgan talk about the making of They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, Orson Welles' impact and why they went with that title. Spoiler alert: it's a great title! While this interview is not actually spoiler heavy, both films are available on Netflix if you want to watch either before listening.

Samin Nosrat is a cook, teacher, author and now star of the new Netflix Original series, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Based on her James Beard Award-Winning New York Times Bestselling cookbook of the same name, each episode dives into one of the four main elements of Samin’s cooking ethos. It's part cooking show, part travel show, and entirely Samin Nosrat. In Salt, Samin cooks soy-braised short ribs with New York Times Magazine Associate Editor, Jazmine Hughes. So we thought it'd be fun for Jazmine to interview Samin and the series' director, Caroline Suh. They talk about how the show came to be, the parts that didn't make it in, and what it's like to see yourself on a Times Square billboard.

Now that you've had some time to dive into Part Two of Making A Murderer, we wanted to keep the conversation going! Dan Taberski, host of Missing Richard Simmons and the upcoming Headlong series, leads a roundtable discussion with Criminal host Phoebe Judge and attorney David Rudolf. If you're a true crime documentary fan, you'll recognize David from the Netflix Original docuseries The Staircase. He represented Michael Peterson and brings the unique perspective of having been in a true crime documentary to this studio table. They talk about what draws them into this story, the power of the true crime genre, what they hope happens next, and more.

Viewers have been anxiously awaiting the return of Making A Murderer since the first ten episodes came out in 2015. And on Friday, October 19th, Part Two is finally launching on Netflix. In anticipation of the new episodes, we sat down with Making A Murderer creators and directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos. They discuss how the series impact Manitowoc County, new developments in Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey's cases, and so much more.   You Can’t Make This Up will be back next week to continue the conversation (once you’ve had a chance to catch up on Part Two). Dan Taberski, host of Missing Richard Simmons and the upcoming Headlong series, is leading a roundtable discussion with Criminal host Phoebe Judge and attorney David Rudolf. If you're a true crime documentary fan, you'll recognize David from the Netflix Original docu-series The Staircase. He represented Michael Peterson and brings the unique perspective of having been in a true crime documentary to the table. So check back next week for that special discussion all about Making A Murderer Part Two and true crime.

Follow This is a new pop doc series from BuzzFeed and Netflix. When you read about doomsday preppers, or watch any films about them, you're most often seeing white survivalists. But BuzzFeed senior culture writer Bim Adewunmi was interested in finding out more about preppers who look like her. Bim also co-hosts the podcast Thirst Aid Kit with writer and poet Nichole Perkins. So today on the show, we brought in Nichole to interview Bim about her experience reporting this story and how long she thinks she'd last in a post-apocalypse world.

This week we're discussing the incredible true story behind the new Netflix Original film, The Angel. The Angel is a spy thriller based on the real life of Ashraf Marwan. Ashraf was the son-in-law of Egyptian President Nasser, a special adviser to Anwar Sadat, and one of Israel's most important informants.  Claudia Puig, president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., sits down with director Ariel Vromen to talk about how he brought this story to the screen.

The second season of American Vandal just launched on Netflix. To celebrate, we have an exclusive interview with documentary wunderkids Peter Maldonado and Sam Ecklund. In their sophomore year of high school, Peter and Sam followed the aftermath of a massive phallic vandalism at Hanover High in Oceanside, California. The school wrongly accused and expelled senior Dylan Maxwell, but ultimately, Sam and Peter's docu-series brought national attention to the school, and justice for Dylan.  This season, they're taking their cameras all the way to St, Bernadine High School in Burlington, Washington. Journalist Lauren Lopez sits down with Peter and Sam to discuss the end of season one, what Ming Zhang's been up to, and the new serial vandal, The Turd Burglar.

This week we're revisiting the Netflix Original documentary film, Amanda Knox. Eric Eddings, co-host of Gimlet's The Nod, chats with Amanda Knox director Brian McGinn about the making of the documentary.  If you haven't yet seen this film, or aren't familiar with the Amanda Knox story, here's a brief recap. In 2007, Amanda Knox was studying abroad in Italy when she was arrested for the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher. She spent almost four years in an Italian prison, while she became a household name across the world. This documentary takes a deeper look into the murder and convictions, the international obsession with the case, and the eventual acquittals, by talking to the people who were directly impacted by it all.

This week we're talking about the Emmy nominated documentary film, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton. (Yes, that is the real full-length title.) The film documents Jim Carrey's transformation into Andy Kaufman by using over 100 hours of behind the scenes footage from the set of Man On The Moon. And here to discuss that transformation and the making of this film are comedian Michael Ian Black and the film's director, Chris Smith.

Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, the Academy Award nominated team behind The Hunting Ground and The Invisible War, sit down with Joan Lunden to discuss their new Netflix Original documentary film, The Bleeding Edge. As a journalist, author, TV Host, and breast cancer survivor, Joan brings her own experience with, and knowledge of, the medical device and health industry to the conversation. The Bleeding Edge investigates the medical device industry; from its innovations to its regulation. What you don’t know about the devices doctors use or implant in people every day will shock you, or at least will influence your next doctor’s appointment. It's available to stream on Netflix now.

The third season of Emmy nominated docuseries Last Chance U dropped July 20th, and we can't stop thinking about it. So we brought in sports writer Rembert Browne to interview Last Chance U director Greg Whiteley and Coach Jason Brown about filming the season.

Max Linsky, co-host of the Longform podcast, interviews director Bryan Fogel about his Academy Award Winning documentary, Icarus. They discuss how the film has changed Byran and Grigory's lives, how it's impacted the world of sports, and the world at large. In the Netflix Original film, filmmaker Bryan Fogel sets out to make a documentary about how athletes were getting away with doping by doping himself. He gets Grigory Rodchenkov, then director of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory, to help him figure out how. What unfolds, however, is an international doping scandal that shifts the worldwide dialogue for everything from the Olympics to the world cup, and beyond.

We've got the hosts of Death, Sex & Money, Food 4 Thot, and Call Your Girlfriend on the show to watch and talk about three new episodes of Explained. Anna Sale wrestles with the ethical issues surrounding Designer DNA. Fran Tirado and Joseph Osmundson dissect Monogamy. And Aminatou Sow tries to figure out Cryptocurrency (so we don't have to). Plus, we brought back Sean Rameswaram to host the episode! Explained is a new pop doc series from Vox and Netflix. Each episode is a mini 15 minute documentary covering pop culture, tech, science, and beyond. All the pop docs discussed in this episode are out on Netflix now.

Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi (Throwing Shade) take us deep down The Staircase rabbit hole. They debate Michael’s innocence, critique sexuality as evidence, put on their best Southern accents for Freda Black's iconic closing arguments, and so much more! The Staircase comes from Academy-Award winning Director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. The docuseries about the mysterious death of North Carolina business executive, Kathleen Peterson and the trial of her husband Michael, comes to Netflix with 3 never-before-seen episodes. These new episodes bring a conclusion to the story told over 15 plus years. Warning, there are spoilers ahead! But lucky for you, The Staircase is available to watch on Netflix right now.

Explained is a new pop doc series from Vox and Netflix. Each episode is a mini 15 minute documentary covering pop culture, tech, science, and beyond. So on this week's You Can't Make This Up, we borrowed one of Vox's own to host today's episode. Sean Rameswaram hosts the hit podcast, Today, Explained. He's joined by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, the hilarious comedy duo and co-hosts of the pop culture podcast, Las Culturistas. Matt and Bowen watched K-POP, Explained, and are here to discuss the South Korean music phenomenon. There may or may not be singing.

Comedian Matt Bellassai talks with the team behind Evil Genius, Trey Borzillieri, executive producer/co-director, and Barbara Shroeder, writer/co-director. Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist is a four part Netflix docuseries about a man who goes to deliver a pizza, but gets a bomb strapped to his neck and sent on a scavenger hunt to rob a bank. Trey and Barbara discuss what it was like to open a cold case, interview conspirators in the crime, and find out details no one else has. Plus, Trey and Barbara reveal what they're watching on Netflix.

Comedian Matt Bellassai will be talking with the people behind Evil Genius, executive producer/co-director Trey Borzillieri and writer/co-director Barbara Shroeder. Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist is a four part Netflix docuseries about a man who goes to deliver a pizza, and ends up getting a bomb strapped to his neck and sent on a scavenger hunt to rob a bank.  We were so excited about this new series, we couldn't wait to put out the prologue! Make sure to watch the show, subscribe to this podcast, and join us next Wednesday for the full discussion.

It's been a year since The Keepers came out, so we're revisiting the story and catching up with some of the people impacted by it. NPR's Kelly McEvers interviews The Keepers director Ryan White and Jean Wehner, one of the survivors who bravely shared her story. Plus, self proclaimed grandma Nancy Drew, aka Gemma Hoskins, updates us on the cold case and what her life has been like since the series came out. You can find more information and resources on how to support survivors at thekeepersimpact.com. Gemma Hoskins is also supporting the SURF GoFundMe page to help raise money for Sexual Abuse Survivors of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. You can find out more about that here: www.gofundme.com/5au8h7c.

It's been a year since The Keepers came out, so we wanted to revisit the story and catch up with some of the people impacted by it.  NPR's Kelly McEvers will be in conversation with The Keepers director Ryan White and Jean Wehner, one of the survivors who bravely shared her story. And we'll hear from Gemma Hoskins, who updates us on the cold case and what her life has been like since the series came out.  If you haven't seen it yet, or you need a reminder, The Keepers is a seven part docuseries that investigates the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a nun and Catholic high school teacher in Baltimore. Make sure to subscribe for the full length episode next week.

Wild Wild Country directors Chapman and Maclain Way sit down with Lindsey Weber, co-host of the podcast Who? Weekly, for an in depth conversation about the series. They talk about constructing the narrative, visiting Antelope now, what it was like interviewing Ma Anand Sheela, and so much more.

Lindsey Weber from Who? Weekly will be in conversation with the directors of Wild Wild Country next week! But for now, here's a taste of what's to come... Welcome to the first prologue episode of You Can't Make This Up! In these mini episodes, we reveal which Netflix Original series or film we'll be watching and talking about the following week.  We're kicking things off with Wild Wild Country. It’s a six part documentary that follows the Rajneeshpuram, a so-called sex cult from India that takes over a small Oregon town. You can watch anytime, it's already out on Netflix. Stay tuned for the full length episode next week. We've got Lindsey Weber, co-host of the pop culture podcast, Who? Weekly, in conversation with the docuseries directors, Chapman and MaClain Way. Make sure to subscribe to hear the whole interview, plus more fun stuff next week!  Join the conversation on Twitter @CantMakeThisUp and on Facebook at You Can't Make This Up Netflix.

Join journalist, true-crime author and podcaster Rebecca Lavoie as she delves into the true stories behind some of the biggest documentaries and films on Netflix. Hear from filmmakers, writers, actors and contributors as they describe the journey from real life to screen: how they found the story, how they got access, what got cut, and the continuing impact on the lives of its subjects. New episodes every Wednesday.