You Can’t Make This Up

They train for a lifetime, all for ten seconds at glory. But who will take the gold on track’s biggest stage: the Paris Olympiad? Will it be the brash Noah Lyles, the earnest Kenny Bednarek, or the enigmatic Kishane Thompson? Can Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce grab a medal at her fifth games? Or will up-and-comers like Sha’carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson take her place at the top of the sport? Or will Julien Alfred shock the world by earning her tiny island nation’s first ever Olympic medal? The Netflix sports series SPRINT Part 2 delves deep into the psyches of those elite competitors who train to be the fastest person on the planet.  It’s an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the high stakes and the mental toughness of the sprinters whose professional futures are decided in just fractions of a second.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive Producer Warren Smith and Showrunner Suemay Oram. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched SPRINT Part 2 yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In this episode, we’re turning things over to one of our sister shows, The Diplomat: The Official Podcast. Host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika talks with actors, producers, and real-life diplomats for a deeper look into the show's creation and the real-life inspirations that shaped the storylines in season 2 of The Diplomat. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Diplomat season 2 episode 2, titled "St. Paul's," make sure to add it to your watch list on Netflix before listening to this episode. You can listen to The Diplomat: The Official Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen to your podcasts. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

After a 2020 Olympic performance marked by disappointment, questions lingered on whether the most decorated gymnast of all time would ever return to the world stage. But Simone Biles was determined to go out on top and capture gold in Paris. With the glare of the world upon her, and not feeling 100%, Biles took this summer’s XXXIII Olympiad by storm.  Her story resumes in Simone Biles Rising Part 2. The series follows the acclaimed athlete as she overcomes challenges both physical and personal. It provides an intimate portrait both on and off the mat as she completes her triumph in France and removes any doubt that she’s the greatest of all time. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Katie Walsh. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Simone Biles Rising Part 2 yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Mats Steen appeared to live a life of isolation. A Norwegian teen suffering from a degenerative muscle disease, reliant on adaptive technologies, Mats spent all of his time on his computer. It wasn’t until he died at age 25 that his parents learned what he’d been doing.  The gamers did not know Mats’s medical condition. Instead, they knew him as Ibelin: a brawny medieval nobleman in search of adventure. The online players regarded Ibelin as a caring friend, a ladies man, and someone whose advice changed them in real life. It wasn’t until his passing, Mats’s impact on both worlds was revealed. The Netflix documentary film The Remarkable Life of Ibelin uses game logs and code to digitally recreate Mats’s online journey. Through Ibelin, he experiences companionship, romance, and acceptance in a community where he could be his true self. The film asks questions about the nature of friendship and what it means to live a quality life - even one in a virtual world. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Benjamin Ree. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Remarkable Life of Ibelin yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

What goes through the mind of a killer just as they take a life? And how do they feel about their actions after spending years in prison? Season five of the Netflix documentary series I AM A KILLER explores those questions, allowing admitted killers to talk about their crimes and reflect on how taking a life has changed them.  But their tales don’t go unchallenged. Investigators, prosecutors, and loved ones hear their words and respond - some with forgiveness, some with a fact check on what really happened. What are the inmates looking for? Understanding? Redemption? A chance to rewrite their violent histories? Or simply the opportunity to tell the world “I am a killer.” In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producers Ned Parker and Danny Tipping. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched I AM A KILLER yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.