Louis is back with a new documentary trilogy.

By Joe Julians

Published: Monday, 27 September 2021 at 12:00 am


If you are anything like us, then you will always look forward to more content from Louis Theroux who has given us some of the best documentaries of recent times. From his three trips to spend time with the Westboro Baptist Church to trying to learn about the inner workings of Scientology, his shows and movies are as addictive as they are enlightening.

The good news is that we have another coming to the BBC and have been given a brief synopsis for it. “In 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.”

The BBC added that the new documentary will be a “trilogy of films”, which is not too surprising as, by the brief summary alone, it is clear that Louis will have more than enough to investigate and show us to fill the three hours.

???? @louistheroux is back – with a powerful trilogy of films for @BBCTwo

In 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.

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) September 27, 2021

Louis himself has shared some thoughts about what we should expect from the new series, saying: “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.”

“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.”

The series will air on BBC Two at a later date, although we have not been given any more specifics as to when we will be able to see it. There are, however, plenty of Theroux’s adventures to watch on BBC iPlayer if you find yourself in need of a Louis fix.

For more to watch, check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.