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 "title": "Paul T. Goldman",
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 "excerpt": "Paul T. Goldman is a 2023 Peacock docuseries directed by Jason Woliner in which Paul Finkelman reenacts his memoir Duplicity, claiming his ex-wife ran an international crime ring, while the show investigates his story.",
 "snippet": "Paul T. Goldman is a 2023 Peacock docuseries directed by Jason Woliner in which Paul Finkelman reenacts his memoir Duplicity, claiming his ex-wife ran an international crime ring, while the show investigates his story.",
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 "markdown": "# Paul T. Goldman\n\n*Paul T. Goldman* is a six-episode American docuseries created and directed by Jason Woliner for the streaming service Peacock, in which a man named Paul T. Goldman stars as himself in dramatized scenes from his own self-published memoir while a parallel documentary records the making of those scenes and investigates how much of his story is true. It premiered on January 1, 2023.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/television/paul-t-goldman-01-02-23)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Hybrid of true-crime documentary, scripted reenactments of the subject's screenplay, and behind-the-scenes footage of the reenactments being filmed<sup>[3](https://www.slashfilm.com/1135906/director-jason-woliners-10-year-journey-to-make-paul-t-goldman-peacocks-most-unusual-show-exclusive-interview/)</sup> |\n| Premiere | January 1, 2023, on Peacock; TV-MA rating<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)</sup> |\n| Episodes | Six, running 31 to 63 minutes: \"BCBS,\" \"Moscow,\" \"Royce,\" \"The Trial,\" \"The Chronicles,\" and \"The Warrior\"<sup>[4](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/paul-t.-goldman/8543433662905608112)</sup> |\n| Source material | *Duplicity*, a memoir self-published in 2009 by the subject about his divorce and its connection to an international crime syndicate, followed by a screenplay<sup>[2](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/television/paul-t-goldman-01-02-23)</sup> |\n| Production span | Roughly ten years, from the subject's 2012 tweet to Woliner through the 2023 release<sup>[5](https://uproxx.com/tv/jason-woliner-interview-paul-t-goldman-peacock/)</sup> |\n| Executive producers | Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Loreli Alanis, Megan Ellison, Michael Sagol, and Bert Hamelinck<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)</sup> |\n| Reception | 76% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 17 reviews; Metascore of 60 on Metacritic from 12 critic reviews<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/paul-t-goldman/)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise\n\nThe series follows Paul T. Goldman, an unhappily single father in [West Palm Beach, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-palm-beach-florida), who says he discovered that his wife was living a secret double life and that she was at the center of an international crime ring. In his telling, the effort to uncover the truth transformed him, in his own words, \"from wimp to warrior.\"<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/1074197/paul-t-goldman-season-1-review/)</sup> [The Daily Beast](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-daily-beast)'s Nick Schager, an entertainment critic, describes the show's central claim: Goldman believes his ex-wife, [Audrey Munson](https://www.edgepedia.org/audrey-munson), is a prostitute-turned-madame who belongs to an international sex-trafficking ring, a story that also involves private investigators, the FBI, and a figure called Royce Rocco.<sup>[8](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/how-borat-2-director-jason-woliner-made-paul-t-goldman-tvs-strangest-show/)</sup>\n\nThe subject is an unreliable narrator by design. He states early in the series that his account is \"99% true,\" a figure he revises downward to 97% an episode later, and his real surname is not Goldman but Finkelman.<sup>[9](https://tvandcity.com/2023/01/01/paul-t-goldman-review/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.metacritic.com/news/borat-jason-woliner-paul-t-goldman-documentary/)</sup> Woliner said in a January 2023 interview that Goldman \"absolutely believes the story he's telling,\" and that part of the project became finding, as best he could, what was true and what was not.<sup>[8](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/how-borat-2-director-jason-woliner-made-paul-t-goldman-tvs-strangest-show/)</sup>\n\n## Origin and decade-long production\n\n**The tweet.** In 2012, Paul, then using the name Paul T. Goldman, tweeted at Woliner saying he had an incredible story and had written a screenplay he wanted help filming. Woliner noticed Paul had sent the same message to hundreds of other people, but after reading the book *Duplicity* and watching a video on Paul's website, he became interested, observed him for a while, and eventually met and interviewed him at his home with two or three friends.<sup>[5](https://uproxx.com/tv/jason-woliner-interview-paul-t-goldman-peacock/)</sup>\n\n**Building the project.** The production unfolded in stages over about a decade. In 2012 Woliner recorded an initial interview with three friends; the commercial production company Caviar, then starting a film wing, paid for a crew to film Paul in Florida in 2014; Paul was flown to Los Angeles for auditions; a pilot was shot in 2017 over four days with the documentarian Jason Tippet filming behind-the-scenes footage; and the main dramatized scenes were shot in 15 days in May and early June of the final year, with more than a hundred scenes and an 80-person crew. Woliner, who was also directing *Borat Subsequent Moviefilm* during this period, said the unusual format, in which an untrained non-actor starred in his own story, made financing difficult: pitching a documentary whose star was the subject himself routinely ended conversations.<sup>[3](https://www.slashfilm.com/1135906/director-jason-woliners-10-year-journey-to-make-paul-t-goldman-peacocks-most-unusual-show-exclusive-interview/)</sup> The project was first conceived as a movie and became a series as streaming grew; the CNN review by Brian Lowry notes the show itself jokes that its first serious interest came from Quibi, the short-lived streaming service, before [Peacock](https://www.edgepedia.org/peacock-streaming-service) took it on.<sup>[11](https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2022/12/30/paul-t-goldman-blends-fiction-and-reality-in-a-way-thats-as-odd-as-it-is-funny/)</sup>\n\n## Format\n\nThe show layers three registers on top of one another. It presents documentary interviews and verité footage of Paul's life; it stages dramatic reenactments of scenes from the screenplay Paul wrote based on his memoir, with Paul playing himself opposite professional actors; and it shows behind-the-scenes footage of those reenactments being made, including Paul's interactions with his confused but polite co-stars and his on-set attempts to change the script.<sup>[3](https://www.slashfilm.com/1135906/director-jason-woliners-10-year-journey-to-make-paul-t-goldman-peacocks-most-unusual-show-exclusive-interview/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2022/12/30/paul-t-goldman-blends-fiction-and-reality-in-a-way-thats-as-odd-as-it-is-funny/)</sup> Woliner appears regularly on screen fielding Paul's suggestions, and the series weaves in photos, video, and audio of real people connected to the story, sometimes with their faces obscured.<sup>[11](https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2022/12/30/paul-t-goldman-blends-fiction-and-reality-in-a-way-thats-as-odd-as-it-is-funny/)</sup>\n\nThe later episodes extend the fiction. Besides *Duplicity*, Paul wrote a wholly invented sequel series, *The Paul T. Goldman Chronicles*, in which his exploits as an everyman vigilante grow wilder and are no longer marked as factual; the show dramatizes material from both.<sup>[8](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/how-borat-2-director-jason-woliner-made-paul-t-goldman-tvs-strangest-show/)</sup> [The Boston Globe](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-boston-globe)'s Matthew Gilbert wrote that by the fifth available episode the truth had been filtered through so many points of view that it was even more unreliable than it was in Paul's memoir, and read the series as being about the trust viewers place in the makers of true-crime shows.<sup>[12](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/28/arts/off-the-rails-world-paul-t-goldman/)</sup>\n\n## Cast\n\nPaul T. Goldman plays himself. The dramatized roles are filled by professional actors, including [Melinda McGraw](https://www.edgepedia.org/melinda-mcgraw) as Audrey Munson, Christopher Stanley as Alan Elkins, W. Earl Brown as Royce Rocco, Michael Dempsey as Bob Thompson, Dennis Haysbert as Agent Portman, and Kue Lawrence as Johnny, with [James Remar](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-remar), Frank Grillo, Josh Pais, and [Dee Wallace](https://www.edgepedia.org/dee-wallace) in further roles.<sup>[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/paul-t-goldman/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[12](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/28/arts/off-the-rails-world-paul-t-goldman/)</sup> Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg serve as executive producers alongside James Weaver, Loreli Alanis, Megan Ellison, Michael Sagol, and Bert Hamelinck; production companies included Annapurna Television, Caviar, Point Grey Pictures, and Swindle Pictures.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/paul-t-goldman/)</sup>\n\n## Reception\n\nCritical response was mixed to positive. On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 76% Tomatometer from 17 reviews and a 67% Popcornmeter audience score; the critics consensus calls it a \"comedic docuseries-with-an-asterisk\" that some viewers may find ethically questionable but that makes an unforgettable impression.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)</sup> Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 60, labeled mixed or average, from 12 critic reviews.<sup>[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/paul-t-goldman/)</sup> IMDb lists a 6.8/10 rating from about 1,300 users.<sup>[13](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24328636/)</sup>\n\nReviewers divided over the ethics of the enterprise. Consequence gave the series a 91 and an A-, with Liz Shannon Miller reading it as a portrait of a man's desire for fame, revenge, or simply being seen; [Entertainment Weekly](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment-weekly)'s Kristen Baldwin argued the premise starts as a twist on true crime but drifts toward something between enabling and exploitation; Variety's Daniel D'Addario scored it 30, finding the motivation for casting Paul too thin; and Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall called it ridiculous, sad, and often deeply uncomfortable but never dull.<sup>[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/paul-t-goldman/)</sup> Woliner addressed the exploitation question directly, saying he never set out to destroy Paul, that any documentary involves an imbalance of power, and that Paul was aware some people found his story funny, at one premiere wearing a shirt reading \"What a schmuck!\" as a form of self-branding.<sup>[14](https://www.thedailybeast.com/paul-t-goldman-creator-jason-woliner-confronts-the-rehearsal-parallels/)</sup>\n\n**The finale.** The last episode, \"The Warrior,\" presents Paul with a different perspective on his story as the show's release approaches, including interviews that confront him with evidence contradicting his account. Woliner told [The A.V. Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-a-v-club) that the finale was his attempt to establish, as best he could, what was true, and that he still speaks with Paul almost every day.<sup>[4](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/paul-t.-goldman/8543433662905608112)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[15](https://www.avclub.com/jason-woliner-interview-paul-t-goldman-tv-peacock-1850012504)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[16](https://uproxx.com/tv/jason-woliner-paul-t-goldman-finale-update/)</sup> He has said he has no current plans for further episodes.<sup>[15](https://www.avclub.com/jason-woliner-interview-paul-t-goldman-tv-peacock-1850012504)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Paul T. Goldman, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paul_t_goldman)\n2. [Paul T. Goldman, The New Yorker (December 23, 2022)](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/television/paul-t-goldman-01-02-23)\n3. [Director Jason Woliner's 10-Year Journey To Make Paul T. Goldman, SlashFilm (December 30, 2022)](https://www.slashfilm.com/1135906/director-jason-woliners-10-year-journey-to-make-paul-t-goldman-peacocks-most-unusual-show-exclusive-interview/)\n4. [Paul T. Goldman Season 1, Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/paul-t.-goldman/8543433662905608112)\n5. [Borat 2 Director Jason Woliner On Peacock's Paul T. Goldman, Uproxx](https://uproxx.com/tv/jason-woliner-interview-paul-t-goldman-peacock/)\n6. [Paul T. Goldman Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/paul-t-goldman/)\n7. [Roush Review: Who's the Real Paul T. Goldman?, TV Insider (December 28, 2022)](https://www.tvinsider.com/1074197/paul-t-goldman-season-1-review/)\n8. [How 'Borat 2' Director Jason Woliner Made 'Paul T. Goldman,' TV's Strangest Show, The Daily Beast (January 7, 2023)](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/how-borat-2-director-jason-woliner-made-paul-t-goldman-tvs-strangest-show/)\n9. [Paul T. Goldman – Review, TV and City (January 1, 2023)](https://tvandcity.com/2023/01/01/paul-t-goldman-review/)\n10. ['Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' Director Jason Woliner Dissects His Documentary Approach to 'Paul T. Goldman', Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/news/borat-jason-woliner-paul-t-goldman-documentary/)\n11. ['Paul T. Goldman' blends fiction and reality in a way that's as odd as it is funny, CNN via KRDO (December 30, 2022)](https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2022/12/30/paul-t-goldman-blends-fiction-and-reality-in-a-way-thats-as-odd-as-it-is-funny/)\n12. [The off-the-rails world of 'Paul T. Goldman', The Boston Globe (December 28, 2022)](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/28/arts/off-the-rails-world-paul-t-goldman/)\n13. [Paul T. Goldman (TV Mini Series 2023), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24328636/)\n14. ['Paul T. Goldman' Creator Jason Woliner Confronts 'The Rehearsal' Parallels, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/paul-t-goldman-creator-jason-woliner-confronts-the-rehearsal-parallels/)\n15. [Jason Woliner on the hilarious, gripping, and cathartic Paul T. Goldman finale, The A.V. Club (January 22, 2023)](https://www.avclub.com/jason-woliner-interview-paul-t-goldman-tv-peacock-1850012504)\n16. ['Paul T. Goldman' Director Jason Woliner On What He Was Feeling During That Unforgettable Finale, Uproxx (January 30, 2023)](https://uproxx.com/tv/jason-woliner-paul-t-goldman-finale-update/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Documentary, docudrama, and lifestyle series › True crime and investigative docuseries › Premiered 2023 to 2026*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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