

You Can’t Make This Up
Netflix
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. "You Can't Make This Up" is a co-production of Netflix and Partners in Crime Media.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 27, 2020 • 31min
Filthy Rich: Jeffrey Epstein
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.

May 20, 2020 • 34min
Trial By Media
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.

May 6, 2020 • 34min
The Innocence Files: The Prosecutor
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.

Apr 29, 2020 • 29min
The Innocence Files: The Witness
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.

Apr 22, 2020 • 30min
The Innocence Files: The Evidence
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.

Apr 8, 2020 • 33min
How to Fix a Drug Scandal
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.

Mar 24, 2020 • 35min
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
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.

Mar 18, 2020 • 26min
Lost Girls
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.

Feb 28, 2020 • 37min
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
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.

Feb 12, 2020 • 25min
The Pharmacist
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)


