Award-winning screenwriter and producer Danny Strong and author Beth Macy on Dopesick and the Sackler family

Episode notes

When the miniseries Dopesick premiered on Hulu in late 2021, it was to a world reeling from the conclusion of Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy proceedings - a settlement that infamously absolved the Sackler family of any opioid-related liability. The show, based on author Beth Macy’s eponymous account of the opioid crisis and starring Michael Keaton in his Golden Globe-winning return to television, dramatizes the devastation left in the wake of OxyContin’s 1996 introduction to the market and is a powerful depiction of the consequences of corporate greed and government corruption. Join Elizabeth as she goes behind the scenes with Beth Macy and award-winning screenwriter and Dopesick creator Danny Strong in a conversation about the research that made the show possible, the corruption at the heart of the opioid crisis, and the responsibility they felt to amplify victims’ stories and portray their pain with empathy and unflinching honesty. Related reading: After you listen, explore these resources from Partnership to End Addiction to learn more about the topics and themes discussed in this episode.

• Carleah Summers: Helping Mothers Recover from Addiction by Keeping Families Together61 / 100
• Matt Dorsey's Journey Through Addiction, Relapse, and Helping San Francisco's Recovery Community53 / 100
• Author Lara Love Hardin’s Story of Addiction, Jail, and Redemption43 / 100
• Hootie & the Blowfish's Jim Sonefeld: From Rockstar to Recovery Advocate
• Dr. Kristen Gilliland: A Mother's Journey from Neuroscience to Advocacy