Learn about the 1990s McDonald's Monopoly Fraud and how it was exposed as we discuss McMillion$.
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The HBO documentary miniseries McMillion$ tells the gripping tale behind the McDonald's Monopoly promotion scam. Between 1989 and 2001 a criminal ring defrauded more than $24 million in prizes from McDonald's. If not for a tipoff to a backwater FBI office, McDonald's never would have found out about the fraud. The ensuing investigation resulted in the arrests of over 50 people.

Directors and executive producers James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte bring this incredible story to life. They share how they developed the project. James and Brian also discuss the series' entertaining cast of characters, including the FBI investigators who broke the scandal. McMillion$ has earned five primetime Emmy nominations and scores of rave reviews. It is a refreshingly funny docuseries that captures the activities of a criminal syndicate, and it also has something to say about our willingness to believe the unbelievable.

“Some people knew what they were doing, but some people were legitimately duped into participating and claiming prizes, without ever knowing that this was a federal crime they were participating in.” - Brian Lazarte

Time Stamps:
00:00 - Guest introduction and film trailer.
02:38 - Where to watch the documentary McMillion$.
03:13 - How the release of the series went and how successful it was.
04:10 - A brief synopsis of McMillion$.
07:15 - How the game massively affected McDonald's sales.
09:37 - Who tipped off the authorities about the criminal gang.
10:29 - How the FBI pursued the investigation.
14:06 - What it was like meeting FBI agents for the first time.
16:57 - How James got the idea to make the film.
18:42 - Brian’s first reaction when he heard the game was rigged.
22:49 - When James realised that the film was going to be successful.
24:32 - How they made an old story feel gripping and relevant.
29:35 - Why they decided to use re-enactments in the film.
33:55 - What it’s like being nominated for five Emmys.
35:40 - The companion podcast they did alongside the series.
41:06 - The next project they are working on.
42:58 - What drew them both to work on dark comedy documentaries.
45:44 - The difficulties involved with pitching dark comedy documentaries.
47:10 - Lessons Brian and James have learned from the project.

Resources:
McMillion$ (2020): [ Ссылка ]
McMillion$ Podcast: [ Ссылка ]
Shamrock Productions: [ Ссылка ]
This is Distorted: [ Ссылка ]

Connect with James Lee Hernandez:
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Connect with Brian Lazarte:
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Connect with Matthew Sherwood:
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#mcdonalds #monopolygame #scandal

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Factual America explores the themes that make America unique through the lens of documentaries about America. Each episode a guest chooses a film and then discusses it with host, Matthew Sherwood. Guests include leading documentary filmmakers as well as experts on the American experience.

Matthew Sherwood was born and raised in Texas. He came to the UK in 2001 to work for The Economist. Matthew has worked in journalism and publishing and has a wealth of experience writing for publications, interviewing world leaders, and chairing conferences. Formally he spent his time helping diverse audiences understand the global trends impacting upon their lives.

Emmett Glynn is the producer of Factual America. Known to many in the broadcast world, Emmett is a London-based sound designer and producer who has delivered over 100hrs of TV documentaries for Channel 5, Channel 4 and the BBC. He produces three other podcasts and is developing documentaries alongside Alamo Pictures.

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