The Way Down (TV series)

The Way Down is an American documentary television miniseries directed and produced by Marina Zenovich. It follows Gwen Shamblin Lara, the founder of a diet program Weigh Down Workshop, and Remnant Fellowship, a new Christian group led by Shamblin Lara and located in Brentwood, Tennessee. It consists of 5 episodes and premiered with the first three on HBO Max on September 30, 2021, with the last two premiering on April 28, 2022.[1][2]

The Way Down
GenreDocumentary
Directed byMarina Zenovich
Music byIsobel Waller-Bridge
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
  • Marina Zenovich
  • P.G. Morgan
  • Nile Cappello
  • Ross Dinerstein
  • Luke Dillon
  • Chrissy Teigen
Producers
  • Ann Finnegan
  • Gina Scarlata
CinematographyNick Higgins
Editors
  • Erin Perri
  • Natalie De Diego
Running time40-55 minutes
Production companies
  • Campfire
  • Huntley Productions
  • PMZ Pictures
Original release
NetworkHBO Max
ReleaseSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30) –
April 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)

Plot

The series follows Gwen Shamblin Lara, the founder of a diet program Weigh Down Workshop, and The Remnant Fellowship, a church founded by Shamblin Lara.[3]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"The Kingdom"Marina ZenovichSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30)
2"A Family Affair"Marina ZenovichSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30)
3"Seen But Not Heard"Marina ZenovichSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30)
4"Revelations"Marina ZenovichApril 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)
5"The Way Forward"Marina ZenovichApril 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)

Production

Nile Cappello began researching Gwen Shamblin Lara and The Remnant Fellowship, spending months getting to know former members.[4] Cappello brought the project to Campfire, who agreed to produce the series, and asked Marina Zenovich to direct.[5]

The producers had reached out to Gwen Shamblin Lara and The Remnant Fellowship for an interview, but all declined.[6] However, the church posted a response to the miniseries on the RemnantFellowship.org website.[7] During the final stages of post-production on the series, Gwen Shamblin Lara died in a plane crash. Afterward, people who had been unwilling to speak about their experiences with Shamblin Lara and The Remnant Fellowship reached out to Zenovich.[8]

References

External links