With documentaries about the rise and fall of Johnny Football, the quick ascent of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, and the unforgettable saga of a Manti Te’o’s girlfriend who didn’t exist, Netflix’s Untold series has brought stories regarding some of biggest scandals and notorious figures in the sports world to anyone with a Netflix subscription.
That trend continues with the new Netflix arrival, Untold: Hall of Shame, a quick yet comprehensive chronicling of a decades-long, multi-sport steroid scandal. If you saw the new documentary pop up on your homepage but aren’t sure if you should check it out, stick around, because we’re about to break down five things you should know about the whole affair.
Untold: Hall Of Shame Chronicles The BALCO Steroid Scandal
Like previous installments in Netflix’s Untold series of documentaries, Hall of Shame has a single focus: a massive steroid scandal that touched multiple sports over the course of several decades. This feature-length documentary chronicles the role Victor Conte, the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), played in the lives and careers of athletes as they fought to get the upper hand on their competition and become the best of the best, no matter the cost.
Barry Bonds And Tim Montgomery Are Two Of The Athletes Whose Stories Are Told In Hall Of Shame
In addition to telling Victor Conte’s story, Untold: Hall of Shame breaks down the careers of those who employed his services throughout their careers. This includes Olympic gold medalists Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones, who both found great success in track and field after working with BALCO. Though Jones didn’t participate in the documentary, Montgomery’s interviews play a major role in piercing together the story.
Barry Bonds, an athlete who should get his own documentary, and his alleged use of performance-enhancing substances like those offered by BALCO is another major aspect of Hall of Shame. Throughout the documentary, it is alleged that the MLB all-time home run leader (both career and single-season) employed the services of Victor Conte’s lab in the second half of his career.
A Sports Documentary With True Crime Elements
On one hand, Untold: Hall of Shame is a sports documentary in that it highlights the successes of major athletes who set records in their respective disciplines. At the same time, it very much feels like one of Netflix’s true crime documentaries, especially when the focus shifts to the IRS and anti-doping specialists who started to investigate BALCO in the early 2000s. As the doc goes on, it becomes less about sports and more about the alleged criminal element of the operation, which unfolds in the court of law.
The Documentary Is Just Under 80 Minutes Long
You won’t have to dedicate hours of your time to see how Untold: Hall of Shame unfolds, as the documentary consists of a single 78-minute episode. Despite the short length, director Bryan Storkel is able to include a ton of information, all while not feeling rushed.
Untold: Hall Of Shame Is Rated TV-14 For Language
Unlike other installments in the Untold series, which tend to lean more towards the TV-MA side, Hall of Shame is a little less extreme and has a TV-14 rating. This is mostly due to the language throughout the documentary and talk of the use of substances.
If all of this sounds good to you, go ahead and give Hall of Shame a shot now that it’s streaming. Also, prepare yourself for the next addition to the Untold series, Swamp Kings, a documentary about the 2000s-era Florida Gators that could very well be the craziest addition to the 2023 Netflix TV schedule.
