Netflix's Famous Last Words docuseries memorializes icons' final interviews

Over the years, Netflix has been known for its daring and innovative strides in content creation, especially in the unscripted space. The streaming service has produced some of the most ambitious, boundary-pushing, and heavily discussed documentaries and documentary series in a recent memory, and its newest upcoming docuseries will without a doubt go down as a real game-changer.

On July 29, 2024, Netflix announced the official order of the documentary series Famous Last Words, which is based on the Danish television interview series Det Sidste Ord. The unique series seeks to immortalize the final interviews of cultural icons and luminaries by giving them the space to reflect on their lives, careers, and impact before their death.

It's an extremely unusual concept for a talk show of sorts and sounds kind of morbid at first glance. After all, who's thinking about getting their final interview on camera before their death even occurs? But Famous Last Words wants to create an "intimate and safe space for the guest" and have a chance to control how the world remembers them following their passing.

You're probably wondering, "How in the world does this work?!" And you're not alone. Netflix explained that the subject and resulting interview will be kept under wraps until after they die. The interviews for Famous Last Words will be filmed in secret with only the subject and interviewer in a closed, private set featuring "remotely operated cameras." Only those two people know what's said during the interview.

The result will be something of a "time capsule," as Netflix describes it, for the legacy of the subject. As if it wasn't made clear, we will not know who will be interviewed for Famous Last Words. There's no specific release schedule. We might not even know who's conducting the interview of each episode. The world will be kept in the dark until it's time to honor the life of a celebrated public figure.

Based on who has appeared on the Danish version, Famous Last Words will likely feature a mixture of different cultural icons, but that also depends on who consents to appearing on the show. We could see musicians, politicians, actors, athletes, and all kinds of major individuals who have left their mark on the world somehow.

The series is executive produced by Brad Falchuk, the co-creator of such massively popular television show as American Horror Story and 9-1-1. It's Falchuk's second series on Netflix under his deal with the streamer after the short-lived The Brothers Sun. Here's what Falchuk said about the upcoming docuseries:

"From the moment that Mikkel Bondesen brought the format to our company and Netflix, everyone was on board. Netflix is the perfect place for this unique show. The experience for the audience and the participant is moving, odd, and transcendent. It’s not like any other interview show that has ever been made. It’s a true celebration of life and the opportunity to have the last word."

- Brad Falchuk, executive producer

Before any episodes have been released, it sounds as though Falchuk, Netflix, and the whole team behind Famous Last Words are dedicated to getting this right and not exploiting the deaths of famous people. He even calls it "odd," so at least he knows. Will you check out the docuseries when the first episode releases sometime in the future, or is the concept just a little too morbid for you?

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