Louis Theroux's new documentary series Forbidden America is heading to BBC2 soon, where he'll be meeting content creators who promote far-right views, and whose work involves them promoting and enacting the most risqué, immoral and illegal behaviour.
Speaking about the three-part series, Louis says: "The world has gone through massive changes in the last few years, in particular from the effects of social media. This new series looks at the way those changes have affected people in America who are in different ways involved in dangerous, extreme, or morally questionable lifestyles.
"Far-right groups that have found new influence through gaming and streaming services. Porn performers who have seen power shift to them as they’ve embraced creator-controlled apps and called out alleged predators in the industry. And in the rap world young men with big dreams caught up in feuds and high-risk behaviour in the click-driven world of social media."
📹 @louistheroux is back - with a powerful trilogy of films for @BBCTwoIn Forbidden America, Louis explores how online has collided with the real world, helping the far-right build solidarity, creating power shifts in the porn industry & seeing rap artists live-streaming feuds.September 27, 2021
He adds: "These three documentaries were tough to make. They required delicate access conversations. They feature scenes and confrontations that are shocking and upsetting. But they are also powerful depictions of a world that has become strange in ways we could never have imagined just 10 years ago. They show the dangers of the technotopia we all now inhabit, where extremist content can be piped directly into the phones and laptops of millions of children. But they also illustrate some of the positive opportunities the new world has created by disrupting old hierarchies of power.
"I’m very proud of all three programmes and hope viewers will find them as thought provoking to watch as I did making them."
The first documentary sees Louis meeting the young and highly inflammatory figures from the far right, including those who recently came to the broader public's attention through the notorious Capitol Hill riots. In another, he immerses himself in the new world of rap and hip-hop in the southern states of America, and in particular Florida.
Finally, a third instalment explores the porn industry as it grapples with its own Me Too movement. This includes an exploration of OnlyFans which has given adult performers the opportunity to have more freedom and control over their content.
A release date for the documentaries haven't been announced yet, but there's plenty of Louis Theroux documentaries available on demand via BBC iPlayer. His podcast Grounded with Louis Theroux is also available, where he's interviewed a variety of celebrities during lockdown.
