February 3 (2020-02-03) – March 9, 2020 (2020-03-09)
McMillions (stylized as McMillion$) is a documentary miniseries about the McDonald's Monopoly promotion scam that occurred between 1989 and 2001. Directed by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte, the series details how the scam was perpetrated by Jerry Jacobson,[1] the head of security for the agency that ran the promotion, and how he recruited a wide range of accomplices. The series premiered in the US on February 3, 2020, on HBO, and all episodes were made available in the UK on May 27, 2020, on Sky Documentaries. McMillions was nominated for five Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
McMillions "examines the $24 million worth of fraud that corrupted the McDonald's Monopoly game between 1989 and 2001, in which there were almost no legitimate million-dollar winners in the contest."[2] Through six episodes, the documentary introduces the FBI and other legal authorities who investigated the Monopoly game heist, as well as the bogus winners and the perpetrators. Using in-depth interviews with those involved in every aspect of the crime, McMillions offers an insider's view into one of the most notorious fraud cases of the 1990s and early 2000s.
An anonymous tip to FBI agent Doug Mathews speaks of a con surrounding the much-beloved McDonald's Monopoly game and its mysterious mastermind, a man going by the moniker of "Uncle Jerry".
Hoping to unmask "Uncle Jerry", the FBI investigates two prominent figures they believe are connected to the scam. Agent Mathews and McDonald's employee Amy Murray pay a visit to a prior winner, who sweats and mumbles as their cameras roll.
Frank Colombo reveals how "Uncle Jerry" would sell the winning tickets to his brother, Gennaro "Jerry" Colombo, for a premium. The undercover FBI video crew interviews a winner who tries to obscure the origins of her million-dollar game ticket.
Gennaro "Jerry" Colombo lands in the ICU, leading Jerome "Jerry" Jacobson to scout for new recruiters. Dwight Baker and others join the operation. The FBI gathers intel on "Uncle Jerry's" middlemen and ends up tailing Dwight to the airport.
Focusing their attention on Dwight Baker, the FBI intercepts a call with "Uncle Jerry" that leads them to capture evidence of a game piece exchange. The FBI works overtime to launch a coordinated cross-country day of indictments.
As the trial nears, many of the defendants take plea deals, but George Chandler and others decide to fight to prove their innocence. When Jerome "Jerry" Jacobson takes the stand, the remaining details of how he pulled off his scheme are disclosed.
Production
The series is executive produced by Unrealistic Ideas' Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips and written, directed and also executive produced by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte.[10][11][2]
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series had an 87% rating with an average score of 7.29 out of 10 based on 31 reviews. The site's critical consensus read: "Like something out of a movie, McMillions effectively — if not always artfully — captures the chaos of this once-in-a-lifetime, very real con and the colorful cast of characters at its center."[12] On Metacritic, it had a score of 72 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]
