Pitchfork

Dropping a former coke addict into the midst of the Colombian drug trade for television purposes doesn't seem like the smartest idea. But BBC America has done exactly that, and not with just any former coke addict. It was Blur bassist Alex James, who "once bragged that he spent over a million pounds on cocaine at the height of his addiction," according to a press release. Not only did James return intact, but the resulting documentary, Cocaine Diaries: Alex James in Colombia, sounds pretty excellent. So who are we to judge?

Cocaine Diaries: Alex James in Colombia tells the story of James' trip to Colombia, upon the invitation of the country's president, to better understand the origins and human cost of cocaine. Shooting for Cocaine Diaries took him to the source of his former addiction, "from riding shotgun with a drug kingpin's assassin to venturing deep into the rainforest to watch coca leaves being harvested and turned into narcotics."

In a press release, James is quoted as saying, "It's a long way from a cheeky line at a dinner party. It's terrifying."

Cocaine Diaries: Alex James in Colombia premieres as part of the BBC America Reveals documentary series September 3 on BBC America.