E! True Hollywood Story

The world is obsessed with Hollywood and Hollywood stars and starlets, so it should come as no surprise that a television show focusing on the salacious and tragic details of a star's life would be popular. "E! True Hollywood Story" is a weekly biographical television series that breaks down the details of a star's life from birth to their present day success and all the steps along the way. Some episodes focus on the salacious details of the most scandalous of stars; other episodes focus on the wholesome details of a drama-free starlet's upbringing.

The show began in March of 1996 as a series of specials; by October the network had picked up the show for a regular run and it has been on the air since. The first episode focused on the career and tragic death of Rebecca Schaeffer; an up-and-coming star who was murdered by an obsessed fan in the late 1980s. Each episode focuses on a different star and pulls footage from press events, as well as interviews with friends, family and the star to fill in gaps and share intimate details of their day-to-day experiences. The show skyrocketed to popularity early on in its run and has remained popular since; likely because the show allows the Hollywood-obsessed public a glimpse into a world that is elite and, seemingly, off limits.

To date, over 500 "E! True Hollywood Story" episodes have been aired. The show, originally dealing with movie and TV stars has expanded to include athletes, directors, socialites, comedians, TV series, and famous families. The Simpson family, for example, was featured in an "E! True Hollywood Story" episode, as was the Hilton sisters; Paris and Nicky. Notorious Criminals had originally been featured on the show but were later removed from future lineups.

In more recent years, a spin-off of the show was created to deal with more serious topics and the more scandalous news that hits Hollywood. The Spinoff "THS Investigates" deals with true crime, the dark underbelly of Hollywood, and current trends.