Netflix adds doc about how real-life Charlie's Angels reality show ended in scandal
P.I. Moms sounded too good to be true...

Netflix has added Trainwreck: P.I. Moms, a new documentary about how a planned reality show about a private investigation agency staffed by soccer mums ended in scandal.
In 2010, Lifetime Channel commissioned a reality show about the San Francisco-based agency, which seemed like a real-life version of Charlie’s Angels run by a man called Chris Butler.
For his company Butler & Associates, charismatic former cop Chris had his team of female private eyes mounting undercover surveillance and running sting operations against husbands suspected of cheating. They'd also conduct general investigations like looking into insurance scams.
Chris even turned up on the Dr. Phil show. When asked on the show about why he picked soccer moms, he said (quotes via CBS): "...they come into this field prepped for the type of work that they're gonna be encountering...they're very good listeners. Adding: "They're probably more sensitive to people lying to them."
Not surprisingly, everyone believed a reality show about the soccer mums turned private investigators would be a big hit; however, the production team then started noticing something wasn’t quite right.
As Netflix puts it: “The moms’ investigations keep falling apart, leading to allegations of sabotage. At the same time, a mysterious informant accuses the agency's boss of running an illegal drug operation on the side, abetted by a corrupt cop.
“For both the TV series and the criminals dealing drugs, it is only a matter of time before things fall disastrously apart.”
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The reality show never aired as the producers of the show and journalists got to the truth about what was really going on. It's not clear from the trailer for the documentary which of the mums who took part in the reality show are interviewed. But it is clear that some of the production team are interviewed in the documentary.
It's the latest in a string of Trainwreck documentaries added to Netflix that prove life can often be stranger than fiction. Personally, I especially loved the Poop Cruise episode about how a fun-sounding cruise turned very smelly when the ship's toilets stopped working.
Is Trainwreck: PI Moms worth a watch?
Yes, we 100% reckon you should give P.I. Moms a watch. Part of the appeal of this will be seeing how the whole thing unravelled. The Trainwreck franchise has proved time and time again it can produce enthralling documentaries. If you've looked at the Netflix Top 10 shows list much in recent times, you'll keep seeing Trainwreck documentaries in the Top 10.
Probably the biggest of the bunch has been the Poop Cruise, which hit the number one slot on both sides of the Atlantic.
Trainwreck: PI Moms is on Netflix now. See our best series on Netflix guide for more shows to enjoy.

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.
Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough.
David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.
Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!
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