Louis Theroux

Duggy747 · 27-02-2014 2:45pm

For those who don't know yet, this was posted on Theroux's FB page saying 3 new documentaries coming next month (hopefully)

We are really excited to tell you that Louis is set to return to BBC Two (UK only at the mo) this Spring with “Louis Theroux’s LA Stories” - three new films putting Los Angeles under the microscope. Continuing his diverse exploration of life in America, Louis looks at LA’s problem with neglected and feral dogs; the experiences of patients with life threatening conditions at the city’s most famous hospital; and examines how California deals with sex offenders after they are released from prison.

The three films will offer a unique insight into LA:

In “City of Dogs” Louis heads to one of the toughest neighbourhoods in the south of the city to investigate how hundreds of neglected and often dangerous dogs roam the streets or suffer mistreatment in chaotic homes. Louis joins dog catchers from the city’s biggest pound as they enter some of the roughest districts to capture or seize dogs. Thousands are euthanized in LA each year, while others are put up for rescue or adoption. In some of LA’s more affluent neighbourhoods Louis meets the dog-lovers and trainers trying to rehabilitate troubled dogs, while back in South LA we also meet a former gang member who helps turn dogs into weapons.

In “Edge of Life” Louis heads to Hollywood’s Cedars Sinai Medical Center to experience the American way of death. A huge amount of money is spent on treatment during the last year of life and Louis follows the stories of three patients as they grapple with their seemingly terminal conditions. Should they accept the odds are against them and try and pass away in as dignified way as possible? Or should they keep fighting, trying every last treatment no matter how unlikely it is to succeed or how bad the side effects may be? In America – a country that leads the world in spending on end of life care - it is often the latter. With extraordinary access to families and patients in deep crisis, Louis will ask difficult questions about health care for terminal patients in the US.

In “Sex Offenders” Louis looks at how California deals with sex offenders after release from prison. Under strict parole conditions they are tagged with GPS devices and kept under constant watch. Under Megan’s Law, they are placed on a register for life, and anyone can find out their identity and learn about their past crimes, while under Jessica’s Law, they cannot live near parks or schools and many are separated from their families. Louis enters the twilight world of hostels and homelessness and talks with extraordinary openness to convicted sex offenders and those charged with monitoring them to ask questions about the effectiveness of these laws.

We'll let you know broadcast dates soon.

Basq · 27-02-2014 9:13pm

Excellent!

Been doing some re-watching on Netflix.. so would love some new stuff!

take everything · 04-03-2014 10:51pm

Love Louis.
One of the good guys.

Duggy747 · 13-03-2014 12:39pm

Another update:

We've got exciting news for fans in the UK – ‘Louis Theroux's LA Stories’ begins in a week and a half! ‘City of Dogs’ will be broadcast on BBC2 on Sunday 23rd March at 9pm.

Yay!

My name is URL · 13-03-2014 2:03pm

Whatever happened to the episode he was supposed to do with Irish Travellers?

Great to see he has a new series coming out anyway.. it's been too long.

mikom · 13-03-2014 2:11pm

My name is URL wrote: »

Whatever happened to the episode he was supposed to do with Irish Travellers?

Great to see he has a new series coming out anyway.. it's been too long.

He spoke about it on the Joe Rogan podcast.
His inside traveller man was fucking him around I think, as in just when he thought he was getting to the truth it turned out to be another bundle of lies.... rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat....
He has all but given up on it now as he feels he could never match the "Knuckle" docu that has been since made.

He is working on a scientologist one now though.

BaZmO* · 13-03-2014 2:46pm

mikom wrote: »

He is working on a scientologist one now though.

Wow. Really?

Can't see them letting him into their world in any way that would give us an insight into how they do things.

mikom · 13-03-2014 2:51pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

Wow. Really?

Can't see them letting him into their world in any way that would give us an insight into how they do things.

Yep, he's working on one.

He was also working on one about stand up comedians, but that fell by the wayside as well.
I'd say there is a lot of stop/start before you get a good bite into a subject.

Scar Tissue · 14-03-2014 12:06am

Trailer is up lads!

BaZmO* · 14-03-2014 12:20am

Scar Tissue wrote: »

Trailer is up lads!

Is that car seat wearing a jumper?

BaZmO* · 20-03-2014 3:52pm

"'City of Dogs', the first episode in the new series "Louis Theroux's LA Stories" will be broadcast in the UK this Sunday (23rd March) on BBC2 at 9pm - and we have a sneak peek for you."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqQORiT68MQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqQORiT68MQ&list=UUCj956IF62FbT7Gouszaj9w&feature=share&index=3

mikom wrote: »

He is working on a scientologist one now though.

He was on the One Show the other night talking about this. Said it was a film he was making. Not sure if he meant it was just a documentary with a film running time or just a standard 1 hour long documentary.

FouxDaFaFa · 23-03-2014 11:08pm

What did everyone think of City of Dogs?

I enjoyed seeing Louis back again but I think it was one of his weaker ones. I would have liked if he could have touched a bit on the disparity between how these street dogs are treated and how the obscenely wealthy treat their dogs as fashion accessories/surrogate children and selectively breed them to the detriment of the breed.

My name is URL · 23-03-2014 11:22pm

That fella that calmed down the white GS is some sort of wizard... that's about all I took from the program.

maximoose · 24-03-2014 9:54am

I enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for dogs though - found the first 10-15 mins heartbreaking!

I could be wrong, I'm basing this only on reading boards as I see it come up a lot - hasn't the whole "pack theory" thinking been debunked in studies?

Da Shins Kelly · 30-03-2014 10:17pm

The new one tonight about terminally ill patients was heartbreaking.

adox · 30-03-2014 10:21pm

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

The new one tonight about terminally ill patients was heartbreaking.

Thought it was brilliant. I was in tears but also uplifting as well in one case.

Thought Louis handled it very well.

Paco Rodriguez · 30-03-2014 10:34pm

I don't usually get emotional from the tv but that was tough to watch. When the grandmother was saying those prayers for her grandson was very sad.

Da Shins Kelly · 30-03-2014 11:00pm

adox wrote: »

Thought it was brilliant. I was in tears but also uplifting as well in one case.

Thought Louis handled it very well.

I really enjoyed it and was quite surprised about the ultimate outcome (how that family managed to keep hope was very admirable, I would have been despairing against those odds), but there were some moments that were truly hard to watch. The young guy

being told that his surgery wound wasn't healing and that nothing more could be done for him was terribly sad. Seeing him sobbing into his blanket was heart-wrenching.

FouxDaFaFa · 30-03-2014 11:03pm

It was a difficult watch (I just started shaking when

Javier wasn't able to kiss his bride

) but it was very well-made.

I know a lot of you are long-term fans of Louis and will have seen his docs where you could praise him for his bravery in the face of danger (like the one in Johannesburg) but this week, I honestly don't know how he did that. Witnessing people be told they are going to die...

On a lighter note, I'm convinced the reason

Thurston woke up was because his Grandmother told him to. You don't disappoint that woman!

adox · 30-03-2014 11:04pm

I shed a tear a couple of times.

The one you spoilered and also when the guy with leukaemia was getting married in the hospital. So bitter sweet.

Da Shins Kelly · 30-03-2014 11:13pm

I thought it was done as tastefully as it could be. My dad thought that filming the football player in a coma was invasive since he wasn't conscious to consent to that, unlike the other patients who could at least talk and agree to be filmed. Although his family seemed to have no doubt that he was going to wake up!

It's difficult to make a documentary like that though without feeling like you're crossing a line and really intruding on something, and the dying process is deeply intimate. I think Louis was as respectful as he could be in the circumstances.

So far, I'm enjoying the series. I thought the ones about the dogs was very sad too, in a different way. Just so many irresponsible owners and so many animals with no quality of life or even a chance at a decent quality of life. The fact that so many sound animals who could have the potential to make great pets get euthanized every year is really kind of awful to think about.

Zascar · 01-04-2014 10:02am

I absolutely could not believe it at the end when

Langston was up and walking. I had him as an absolute Gonner! I thought his family were being a bit crazy holding on when the doctors said there was no hope whatsoever. Amazing!

It is amazing the lengths they go in America for a wing and a prayer. Louis summarized it well on their "Can do attitude"

BaZmO* · 01-04-2014 10:34am

Unfortunately I knew the result of Langston's treatment because the TV guide gave it away. :rolleyes: Still a great documentary though.

What amazed me about Langston's familys' attitude, and in particular his sister, was that they were just so blazé about he chances of him getting better. Remaining ill just wasn't an option. You could tell that they weren't considering the prospect of failure, which was in stark contrast to the other lady that had been caring for her father for the last 3 years, she just seemed defeated.

I'd say it'll be a real toughie for Langston's doctor/liason officer the next time she's advising families in a similar situation.

Did anybody else think that it was strange that the guy with the glasses (Donta) was told the bad news in front of everybody without having any family present?

Duggy747 · 01-04-2014 5:53pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

Did anybody else think that it was strange that the guy with the glasses was told the bad news in front of everybody without having any family present?

While all the stories were bad (Bar Langston's), his was the saddest to watch. He was clearly a shell of a person who had a prosperous future ahead of him, withered in bed, gaunt, lost his hair, and his only few chances diminished when told his fecking wound wouldn't heal.

Seeing him cry into his blanket after that felt awful and being left to himself must've been an unimaginably horrible feeling.

micar · 01-04-2014 6:02pm

Duggy747 wrote: »

While all the stories were bad (Bar Langston's), his was the saddest to watch. He was clearly a shell of a person who had a prosperous future ahead of him, withered in bed, gaunt, lost his hair, and his only few chances diminished when told his fecking wound wouldn't heal.

Seeing him cry into his blanket after that felt awful and being left to himself must've been an unimaginably horrible feeling.

I felt that the Doctor did not explain to him clearly that there were no hope.

It was only when she was being interviewed by Louis in the corridor that she said that she explained what his prognosis was and that he had 2 choices

1) die in hospital
2) die at home.

But she did not actually tell him this. She said it in a roundabout way. She said that his bloods came back 95% something. By that statistic, you know that there was only one outcome.

BaZmO* · 01-04-2014 6:18pm

micar wrote: »

I felt that the Doctor did not explain to him clearly that there were no hope.

It was only when she was being interviewed by Louis in the corridor that she said that she explained what his prognosis was and that he had 2 choices

1) die in hospital
2) die at home.

But she did not actually tell him this. She said it in a roundabout way. She said that his bloods came back 95% something. By that statistic, you know that there was only one outcome.

Donta was the guy with the glasses, but you're thinking of Javier. I agree with you though, the doctor wasn't clear enough.

My name is URL · 01-04-2014 6:44pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

Did anybody else think that it was strange that the guy with the glasses was told the bad news in front of everybody without having any family present?

Seemed to me like they consciously made the decision to speak to him with no family present. They probably felt that he'd absorb what they were telling him better that way.. without deferring to a family member, or relying on them to listen on his behalf.

It was a very tough episode to watch in parts. Can't believe yer man made such a huge recovery.. another bloody wizard!

I lile that Louis is doing some serious documentaries but I'd love to see him do a few more 'Weird Weekends' gonzo-style ones too.

BaZmO* · 01-04-2014 7:47pm

My name is URL wrote: »

Seemed to me like they consciously made the decision to speak to him with no family present. They probably felt that he'd absorb what they were telling him better that way.. without deferring to a family member, or relying on them to listen on his behalf.

I dunno, if it was hospital policy they would've done the same for Javier. Plus, he didn't seem to need a lot of convincing.

My name is URL · 01-04-2014 9:35pm

Just the impression that I got, but Javier seemed to understand and acknowledge the fate that awaited him, he knew that further treatment would only extend his life. Dante didn't get that imo.. he was still speaking about going home as if it was to convalesce rather than die.. and that was after his medical team had spoken with him.

I wouldn't say it's hospital policy for them all to speak with a patient at once.. probably just something that his main physician thought would help.

Da Shins Kelly · 01-04-2014 10:31pm

I think Donta's doctors were fairly upfront with him, he just had trouble processing it, understandably enough. I can't imagine it's easy to fathom the implications of being told that basically everything that can be done has been done and there are no more options. I wouldn't say there are many young people like him who would just accept death. I think most of us would hold out hope that something will miraculously change. I really, really felt for Donta. He knew it was over deep down, but it just doesn't bear thinking about. He also didn't seem to have much family either. I know his aunt was there and cared for him as he died, but it seemed quite sparse compared to Langston who was just surrounded by love all the time.

Javier's doctors, on the other hand, not so great, I didn't think. They were just throwing around false hope all over the place, telling him one thing and Louis another.

To be honest, I think the whole idea of hope was one of the central ideas of the documentary. The unbridled hope that something may change and you or your loved one may recover. And as we saw with Langston, sometimes it does work out okay.

Louis Theroux

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