What is BS High about? HBO Bishop Sycamore documentary explained

❘ Published: 2023-08-04T11:43:08

HBO

BS High, an upcoming HBO documentary about the Bishop Sycamore High School scandal, is set to arrive later this month – so, here’s what it’s about, who it will feature, and if it’s worth watching.

Sports documentaries are all the rage right now. Just take a look at Netflix’s unscripted category as an example; some of its most popular recent entries include the likes of Full Swing, following the world’s best golfers, Drive to Survive concerning Formula 1, and the NFL docu-series Quarterback.

But the interest in the world of sports reaches even further when centering on a scandal, with documentaries such as Icarus, Red Army, and The Armstrong Lie encompassing viewers’ fascination with celebrity, human drama, and societal issues.

So, it’s no surprise that an upcoming HBO documentary film about the Bishop Sycamore High School football scandal is receiving plenty of hype, especially now that the trailer has arrived. Ahead of its release, here’s everything you need to know about BS High.

What is BS High about?

BS High explores the scandal of Bishop Sycamore High School, a fabricated institution in Columbus, Ohio, led by head coach Roy Johnson, which duped the high school football world.

Check out the trailer below:

As per the official synopsis: “On August 29, 2021, a nationally televised high school football game between top-ranked IMG Academy and unknown Bishop Sycamore High School ended with multiple injuries on the field and a 58-0 blowout win for IMG Academy.

“The fiasco ignited a media circus as fans and audiences questioned the legitimacy of the Bishop Sycamore program and its head coach, Roy Johnson.

“Revealing one of the most intriguing sagas in the world of high school sports in years, BS High explores the lucrative and cut-throat world of football prep programs, where careers and reputations can be made, and the dreams and well-being of young athletes hang in the balance.

“With unparalleled access to Johnson, BS High tracks the origins of a fabricated high school that grew from the determined imagination of a self-described ‘honest liar,’ a man with an inimitable storytelling style but with a lack of academic credentials and seemingly no football coaching experience.

“At turns charmingly avuncular and menacingly unrepentant, Johnson’s pursuit of the spotlight stands in contrast to the stories of the many lives he impacted, as he dashed the hopes of his teenage wards, left their reputations in ruins, and swindled their families.

“BS High shines a light on the intense competition for football glory, the lack of accountability for wide scale fraud, and the devastation that one man’s pathology can leave in its wake.”

Who is in BS High?

BS High features commentary from the coach at the center of the scandal, Roy Johnson, who by the looks of the trailer is in for some tough questions.

The documentary will also include insights from former colleagues John Branham and Andre Peterson, as well as journalists Andrew King and Bomani Jones, high school sports investigator Ben Ferree, and former Bishop Sycamore players and their families.

As for the crew, the Oscar-winning filmmakers behind Two Distance Strangers, Martin Desmond Roe and Travon Free, are on directing duties.

The film is executive produced by Adam McKay and Todd Schulman for Hyperobject Industries, as well as SMAC Entertainment’s Michael Strahan and Constance Schwartz-Morini and Matador Content’s Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin.

When is the BS High release date?

BS High drops on HBO on August 23 at 9pm ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max shortly after.

The global release follows its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival in June.

Is BS High worth watching?

Unfortunately, it’s too early for any major reviews or Rotten Tomatoes score, but there’s plenty of hype surrounding BS High, not least because of people’s fascination with the Bishop Sycamore scandal.

Then there’s the fact that the documentary has some incredible talent within the crew, is being produced by HBO, and features never-before-seen commentary from Johnson.

Following its Tribeca Film Festival preview, Berkreviews wrote: “BS High is well-made and shines a light on a multitude of topics. This specific story is horrifying but should open the eyes to the dangerous lack of regulations regarding our youth.”

Elsewhere, Disappointment Media said: “BS High is an entertaining documentary, and while it doesn’t always prove to the audience why they should be watching this story, they will be hooked to the screen nonetheless. It’s the type of ‘comfort food’ weird-but-true documentaries that viewers love to stream.”

Taking to the comments section of the recently released trailer, one viewer wrote: “This one is going to be WILD.” Another said: “This is the biggest story of the past 30 years.”

A third added on Twitter: “I definitely will be watching. Buddy said that he’s a liar but not a con man.” And a fourth chimed in: “Now I will subscribe to your HBO max.”

BS High drops on HBO on August 23. Until then, you can check out some of our other documentaries coverage below: