VICE last week premiered ‘The Real,’ a digital series that investigates the real stories behind some of the most popular social TV shows (and films). New episodes will premiere every two weeks, and include looks at the characters and situations that have inspired ‘Weeds’ and ‘Eastbound & Down,’ among other shows.
In the first episode of the series, host Gianna Toboni heads to Ponchatoula, Louisiana to meet with the real detectives who investigated allegations of child molestation in the town’s Hosanna Church.
VICE visits the police station where members of the church confessed to satanic pedophilia, goes inside the D.A. storage unit where evidence from the case is still held, and witnesses the disturbing cartoons drawn by the church’s victims.
The series demonstrates the breadth of VICE’s ambitions. In addition to VICE.com, VICE Media now includes an international network of digital channels; a television & feature film production studio; a magazine; a record label; and a book-publishing division.
Below, the first episode of the series, ‘The Real True Detective?’