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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, August 25, 2023 20 By Caroline Collacutt TV Media Viewer's choice: Netflix is putting the power back in the viewer's hands, as the stream- ing platform is releasing its lat- est endeavor into the interac- tive format with "Choose Love," premiering Thursday, Aug. 31. Joining the likes of Netflix's other interactive program- ming, such as "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" (2018), "Cat Burglar" (2022), "Headspace: Unwind Your Mind" (2021) and "Trivia Quest" (2022), "Choose Love" comes from di- rector Stuart McDonald ("Cra- zy Ex-Girlfriend") and writer Josann McGibbon ("Runaway Bride," 1999), who both have ample experience in the world of romantic comedies – but never before like this. A "choose-your-own ro- mantic adventure," so to speak, this film welcomes viewers into the seemingly perfect life of Cami Conway (Laura Marano, "The Royal Treatment," 2022). She's working her dream job as a recording engineer, has a steady, long-term boyfriend she loves, and the future looks bright. That is … for now. What happens next is entirely up to you! As Cami's story continues, the film will inter- mittently prompt the viewer (you) with questions asking which direction Cami should go next. Should she choose a new career path? Rethink her relationship? The future is to- tally in your hands. As Netflix describes: "Cami feels like she's missing out on life, but she isn't quite sure how. Maybe she's afraid of set- tling down for good with her boyfriend, Paul. Or perhaps she regrets abandoning the sing- ing career she'd always dreamed of. What if Paul isn't meant to be her forever? What if Rex, the Brit musician, is? And what about Jack, the pro- verbial "one who got away, who's now suddenly back in the picture? As Cami faces an array of choices ranging from the seemingly innocuous to some major ethical dilemmas, viewers help her decide exactly what to do. The result? A bunch of possible storylines and end- ings, depending on what you pick." Thanks to "Choose Love," the future is what you make it. With endless rewatch poten- tial, and enough endings to ri- val 1985's "Clue," this foray into interactive romance also stars Scott Michael Foster ("You") as Paul, Cami's boy- friend; Avan Jogia ("Zom- bieland: Double Tap," 2019) as Rex Galier, the British rock star; Jordi Webber ("Power Rangers Ninja Steel") as Jack Menna, Cami's first love; and Megan Smart ("Class of '07") as Ama- lia, Cami's sister. The interactive journey be- gins (and begins, and begins again) when you press play on "Choose Love," streaming Thursday, Aug. 31, on Netflix. Phone frenzy: It's time to hang up the phone and spill the gossip: the third and final episode of "Telemarketers" airs Sunday, Aug. 27, on HBO, with episodes streaming on Max. Directed by Adam Bhala Lough ("Alt-Right: Age of Rage," 2018) and Sam Lip- man-Stern ("Live from the Streets") – the latter of whom uncovered the scandal in question – this eye-opening docuseries dives into the twisted world of telemarket- ing, exposing a billion-dollar scam that rippled through the industry at large. This limited series, accord- ing to HBO, "chronicles the 20-year journey of two un- likely employees who stum- ble upon the murky truth be- hind a seedy New Jersey call center," introducing viewers to two former telemarketing employees – Pat Pespas and Sam Lipman-Stern himself – who met while working in the telemarketing industry during the early 2000s. At the time, Lipman-Stern was a 14-year-old high school drop- out and Pespas a top sales- man dealing with addiction issues. But eventually, their unlikely partnership led to the discovery of mass corrup- tion and fraud throughout the industry: some taking place in their own backyard, as their own company adver- tised itself as raising money for charitable causes while in reality pocketing most of the money. After their workplace was shut down by an FBI investi- gation, the pair became whistleblowers and contin- ued their work bringing at- tention to the exploitative (and more often than not) il- legal practices used fervently across the telemarketing in- dustry, leading to (what HBO calls) "a madcap story of an unruly, low-wage environ- ment and two longtime office buddies who find themselves hot on the trail of a sobering look at the dark side of Amer- ican capitalism and the mis- use of consumer trust." "With raw eyewitness foot- age and a comedic cast of characters," says HBO, "this three-part documentary takes you from an anarchic boiler room filled with booze, drugs and debauchery to the halls of the United States Senate as a billion-dollar telemarketing scam unravels." From executive producers Benny and Josh Safdie (the Safdie brothers, both of "Uncut Gems") and Danny McBridge (creator of HBO series such as "Vice Principals" and "The Righteous Gemstones"), "Tele- marketers" airs its explosive fi- nal episode, Sunday, Aug. 27, on HBO, later streaming on Max. realtalk Laura Marano stars in "Choose Love"

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