EXCLUSIVE: As echoes of the Baby Reindeer scandal continue reverberating around the industry, the BBC has moved to nix a “true story” billing for Dopesick on iPlayer.
The British broadcaster has been streaming Hulu’s series since April, describing it as the “true story of the dealers, doctors and the billion dollar drug that fuelled America’s deadly opioid addiction.”
The BBC has removed the words “true story” from the description in recent days, however, and now bills it as “a story” about the opioid crisis.
The corporation acknowledged that Dopesick is “inspired by actual events,” but that “certain characters, characterizations, incidents, locations, and dialogue were imagined or invented for purposes of dramatization.”
It is not clear what prompted the amendment but it comes months after the saga over Baby Reindeer, produced by BBC Studios-owned production company Clerkenwell Films.
Richard Gadd’s hit series was described as a “true story” by Netflix, despite an addendum in the credits that states that elements of the story are fictionalized for dramatic purposes.
Netflix is now fighting a lawsuit from Fiona Harvey, who argues she is the victim of “the biggest lie in TV history” after claiming she was portrayed as stalker Martha. Netflix is vigorously defending the $170M lawsuit.
Netflix UK chief Anne Mensah backed Baby Reindeer at the Edinburgh TV Festival last month. “I stand by the fact we made the show,” said Mensah.
“It’s a drama, not a documentary, and that will be remembered.” She added Netflix takes safeguarding in all of its productions “incredibly seriously,” and noted a huge uptick in men calling sexual abuse hotlines in the wake of the show.
