You Can’t Make This Up

Hear the incredible real stories behind the making of the biggest documentary series & films on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie leads in-depth interviews with creators and subjects, exploring how these stories are produced & their impact, while uncovering new information. New episodes every Wednesday.

TV & Film
Film Interviews
Society & Culture
151
The Redeem Team
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.
37 min
152
Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga
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.
32 min
153
The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist
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.
30 min
154
The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11
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.
36 min
155
Sins of Our Mother
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.
30 min
156
Netflix Fall Preview
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.
12 min
157
Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul
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.
29 min
158
Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist
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.
34 min
159
Trainwreck: Woodstock '99
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.
32 min
160
Up next: Trainwreck: Woodstock '99
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!
6 min
161
The Most Hated Man on the Internet
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
36 min
162
Next up: The Most Hated Man on the Internet
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!
5 min
163
Girl in the Picture Chapter 5: The Name She Nev...
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.
53 min
164
Girl in the Picture Chapter 4: Memories of a Lo...
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.
40 min
165
Girl in the Picture Chapter 3: A Life Undercover
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.
33 min
166
Girl in the Picture Chapter 2: No Way Out
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.
36 min
167
Girl in the Picture Chapter 1: Broken Dreams
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.
37 min
168
Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet
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.
33 min
169
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
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.
30 min
170
Next Up: Keep Sweet
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!
5 min
171
Meltdown: Three Mile Island
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.
31 min
172
The G Word
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.
79 min
173
Our Father with Lucie Jourdan
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.
36 min
174
Our Father with Jacoba Ballard
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.
27 min
175
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes
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.
37 min