Filmmaker Louis Theroux is prying into the music industry with his new three-part documentary, set to air on BBC Two later in 2024.
Filmmaker Louis Theroux is prying into the music industry with his new three-part documentary, set to air on BBC Two later in 2024. Boybands Forever will deep dive into the boy band fever and pop culture in the late 1990s and 2000s, which saw the rise of iconic boy bands, the likes of East 17, Blue, Five, and Damage.
The new docuseries, which follows Theroux’s latest endeavor, Tell Them You Love Me, released in February, will feature appearances by music mogul and X Factor judge Simon Cowell and Take That member Robbie Williams. Brian McFadden, a former member of the 1998 Irish boy band Westlife, is also said to appear, per The Hollywood Reporter. 
Produced by Mindhouse Productions, Boy Bands Forever will cast a spotlight on the most celebrated pop stars in the U.K. and Ireland. Theroux, best known for 2015’s My Scientology Movie, and wife Nancy Strang will take over as producers and EPs.
In addition to Cowell representing RCA Records and Williams’ take on pop group Take That, the docuseries will present interviews with music label heads and talent/band managers. Nigel Martin-Smith from Take That, Westlife’s Louis Walsh, Daniel Glatman from Blue, Chris Herbert from Five, and 911’s Steve Gilmour are all expected to appear for interviews along with industry insiders, journalists, and presenters.
The three episodes will tactfully explore strategies employed, the behind-the-scenes drama, and the unfiltered reality of boy bands and how they navigated extreme levels of fame when young. Members of the said bands will appear to reflect and share insights to paint a picture of the rise and fall of boy bands throughout the eras. :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(773x19:775x21)/simon-cowell-son-eric-americas-got-talent-premiere-091422-1-5dbb339a5a61483991bbf502474a5a9f.jpg)
“It’s a gripping fable about getting everything you dreamed of, and it not being what you imagined, centered on a generation of young men, and their managers, who were wildly successful and also immensely vulnerable, having the times of their lives and also in some cases cracking up,” Louis Theroux said, per the outlet.
He described it as an epic story of stars, star-makers over the course of 30 years, who collectively formed the golden years of multiple boy bands, including the ups and downs of their otherwise glitzy careers.
Boybands Forever will air on BBC Pop Music TV and BBC Two.
