Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’s 1988 Olympic scandal gets satirical retelling in new mockumentary

Sometimes called “the dirtiest race in history,” the 1988 Seoul Olympics men’s 100m final was a significant one for Canadian’s; first when Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won gold, then when it was taken away from him after he tested positive for stanozolol, a type of steroid.

Now almost 40 years later, Ben Johnson is finally telling his side of the story, through an unusual way.

“The young generation will learn and know who Ben Johnson is, and it’s a great thing, and they could watch the series and laugh about it,” Johnson told Now Toronto at the series’ world premiere on Wednesday in Scarborough, Ont.

See the full post from NOW Toronto here.

The series was created with a team of notable Canadian actors and crew, including writer Anthony Q. Farrell, who wrote on the U.S. version of the sitcom “The Office,” Toronto-born actor and comedian Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor, and Scarborough-born actor Shamier Anderson.

Other significant Canadian cast members include Karen Robinson, Mark McKinney and Andrew Phung.

The series follows Johnson’s account of events, with Anderson portraying Johnson, as he films a documentary within the show on his side of the story.

Anderson, who is also the series’ executive producer, told Now Toronto the story was long overdue, and needed a comedic twist.

“This story is sad, and we wanted to find a way to laugh at it, laugh with it, but also be able to make it palpable for audiences today, which I think is really important for a younger generation,” he explained. “I think for me, biopics sometimes can be boring and mundane, and this one, we wanted to feel fresh and exciting.”

The series was primarily shot in Johnson and Anderson’s hometown, Scarborough, where they also chose to hold the world premiere.

“We gotta do this in Scarborough for the people,” Anderson told the premiere crowd on Wednesday.

The first two episodes consisted loosely on how Johnson was scouted by his coach and former Olympian sprinter Charlie Francis. The two then get into antics, as Johnson recounted during his documentary taping how he attempted to beat his American rival Carl Lewis, eventually resorting to performance-enhancing drugs.

The two episodes were received with applause by a packed theatre at Scarborough Cineplex Cinemas.

Johnson told the audience it had been a long time since the initial incident happened and he was happy he was able to share this perspective.

“The time has come, and the time has passed to share my story and it’s a very good feeling to be a part of it and be alive to be a part of it,” he said.

Anderson said that when the series is shared with the public, he hopes fans reflect on the past.

“I think [Canadians can take] compassion, I think Canadian pride and also accountability [from watching the show],” he explained. “I think this country put [Johnson] through a lot, he was definitely the scapegoat. So, hopefully we’re able to look back at this moment and understand what we can do better in the future.”

The mockumentary-style series will consist of 6 episodes, with the first two dropping March 26 on GameTV, and on March 27 on Paramount+.