Boybands Forever review – behind the scenes of Take That’s topless, muscled kingdom

Full of gossip, confessions and revelations, this documentary is packed with all you ever wanted to know about the peaks – and troughs – of British boyband culture. Yes, even that infamous jelly video

Boybands Forever hits every sweet spot of the modern documentary. It’s a lively tale stuffed with 90s nostalgia and tabloid culture mea culpas, which means it can tell outrageous stories and still feel a bit bad about telling them. Over three substantial episodes, it features excellent interviewees (including a couple of Guardian contributors) and maintains a nice, conversational pace, homing in on the details pop fans will want to know, particularly this: what is Robbie Williams’ honest assessment of the infamous Take That jelly video, which is even more bizarre now than it was in 1991?

Made by Mindhouse, the production company set up by Louis Theroux, this is predictably well put-together and follows a similar format to its Gods Of ... series. Whereas Gods of Snooker was an expert retelling of a story that seemed vaguely familiar, but polished up and presented in a dazzling new way, this quickly settles down into more recognisable territory.

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