The Crime of the Century

Big Pharma sold America a lie and made a killing.

TV-MA2021•1h 58m•7.7/10

DocumentaryCrimeDrama

Ratings

🎬TMDb

7.7/10(45)

A searing indictment of Big Pharma and the political operatives and government regulations that enable over-production, reckless distribution and abuse of synthetic opiates.

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Production

Jigsaw Productions, Storied Media Group, HBO Documentary Films, The Washington Post

Language

Status

Ended

First Aired

May 10, 2021

Last Aired

May 11, 2021

Networks

HBO

Created By

Alex Gibney

Trailers & Videos

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

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Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

Part One

Air date: 2021-05-10

A look at how Purdue Pharma worked with the FDA to get OxyContin approved for wider use, promoting the highly profitable pain medication's safety without sufficient evidence, and creating a campaign to redefine pain and how it's treated.

Part Two

Air date: 2021-05-11

A spotlight on the mass marketing of the synthetic opioid fentanyl examines the connections between drug manufacturers and government policy. Video of sales retreats and promotional material reveals a deep cynicism among company employees and a disregard for the widespread, nefarious corporate practices.