You Can’t Make This Up

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.