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Season 1 – Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam

2024 Documentary Music List
37% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A chronicle of the rise and fall of music mogul Lou Pearlman, who created and allegedly exploited some of the top boy bands of the 1990s.
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Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam — Season 1

Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

The Boy Bad Scam has an interesting ballad to share but devotes one too many bars to the minutiae of Lou Pearlman's crimes, making for an uneven documentary that'll leave viewers feeling a little dirty.

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Critics Reviews

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Brian Tallerico RogerEbert.com How can something so beloved also be so painful to so many? Pearlman isn’t here to really answer that question, and the series can’t quite get there, even with their version of his own words. Rated: 2/4 Jul 26, 2024 Full Review Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times The real victims, of course, are all those people who lost everything to this con man, but there’s also something tragic about Pearlman’s downfall, which was entirely of his own doing and utterly unnecessary... Rated: 3/4 Jul 25, 2024 Full Review Craig Mathieson The Age (Australia) Celebrity aside, Pearlman’s fraud was extensive but hardly sophisticated, as is any hindsight here. The framing of this story is itself suspect. Rated: 2.5/5 Jul 25, 2024 Full Review Matt Neal ABC Radio (Australia) It will probably leave Backstreet Boys and NSYNC songs humming in your head for days to come, but don't let that dissuade you from checking out this excellent doco miniseries. And the AI use is clever and sensible - get over it. Rated: 4/5 Aug 12, 2024 Full Review Alison Lanier Pajiba What we end up with, despite a maze of interviews and nostalgia-igniting ’90s and early ’00s footage, is a limp, easy narrative trotted out less for the sake of investigation and more for the sake of snagging Netflix eyeballs. Aug 6, 2024 Full Review Alan French Sunshine State Cineplex Considering that the story follows a fraudster, it’s hard not to feel like Dirty Pop wants to draw you in with its explosive drama, only to cut corners in its production. Rated: 3/10 Aug 3, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (5) audience reviews
laurent b It kinda misses the spot in the sense that we don't really dive into the psychology of the main character, his true motivations, etc... it's just a recall of a very known story which doesn't bring anything new. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Scott M Documentary about the Jekyll & Hyde legacy of con-man Lou Pearlman, told thru archived footage, present day interviews, and a creative lip/audio *Nsync of Lou, himself. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/29/24 Full Review Michael W This showbiz docuseries was very good. The entire crew did a spectacular job on documenting on this shocking crime story about the popular boy bands of the 1990s and 2000s. It really goes into detail on what Lou Pearlman did to families and the members of boy bands like The Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. He truly was an evil person who didn't care who he hurt. He got what he deserved and will be forgotten. If you haven't seen this docuseries yet, check it out sometime. It's a definite must see because it'll make the viewers realize who should you trust in life. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/27/24 Full Review Eden S Although the first episode was a bit slow, I found the story and the way it was presented interesting and intriguing. I did not know the background of this story so found the documentary really entertaining. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/26/24 Full Review James R Ron Perlman?! Wrong dude lol. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/25/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jul 24, 2024 Purveyor of Pop Lou Pearlman assembles the "Backstreet Boys" and their competitors, "NSYNC"; but after racking up gold records, the men are stunned by their paltry paydays. Details Episode 2 Aired Jul 24, 2024 Business Is Business After a lawsuit, Lou launches a reality TV show to find the next big music act; as employees question Lou's cash source, the FBI takes interest. Details Episode 3 Aired Jul 24, 2024 Blood Money Amid a too-good-to-be-true savings plan, bad checks, forgeries, and dubious financial statements, investors seek justice while Lou travels the globe. Details
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Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam — Season 1

Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam View more photos

Season Info

Executive Producer
Loren Hammonds, Lance E. Nichols
Network
Netflix
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jul 24, 2024
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