Channel 4 will air a three-part documentary series telling the story of Miriam Rivera.
It will explore the life of Miriam who rose to fame after appearing in controversial 2004 reality TV series There’s Something About Miriam.
Miriam: Death of a Reality Star, three hour-long episodes will detail “her life, her death, and her extraordinary legacy”. The TV show starts on Monday, 29 March at 9PM on Channel 4.
Narrated in Miriam Rivera’s own voice, this series positions her as the focal point of her narrative, highlighting her role as a pioneering transgender figure and an enduring icon within the transgender community.
In 2004, There’s Something About Miriam emerged as one of the most talked-about reality shows of the early 2000s. Filmed in a lavish Ibiza villa, the show featured six unsuspecting men competing for the affections of Miriam Rivera, a beautiful supermodel from Mexico. The show’s climax came with a startling revelation from Miriam in the final episode, where she disclosed that she was assigned male at birth.
The disclosure led to widespread controversy and harsh media scrutiny. Tragically, fifteen years later, Miriam was found deceased in her mother’s apartment, her death suspected to be a suicide, though there are conflicting views on this.
Miriam: Death of a Reality Star examines her life before, during, and after her stint on reality TV, set against the dramatic changes of that era in television.
The series is produced by Expectation Entertainment and Executive Produced by Colin Barr.
Barr commented: “Miriam’s story is a fable for the ages, not only shining a light on the perils of fame but our shifting attitudes to towards gender identity.
“This series is a chance to restore Miriam’s reputation as a true pioneer who was ahead of her time but was made to pay a heavy price for it.”
Alisa Pomeroy, Head of Documentaries at Channel 4, added: “Using popular culture as a lens to explore contemporary history has become something of a hallmark for c4 Documentaries, a lineage that started with our multi award-winning Jade: The Reality Star who Changed Britain.
“But Miriam’s story is particularly special and revealing as it’s one that is utterly unique to its time. Hers is a tale that couldn’t have pre-existed the early noughties, reminding us of a time that – although only 20 years ago – now feels lightyears away in terms of attitudes and representation.”
More on: Channel 4
