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Boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync fought hard to be perceived as musicians rather than manufactured product assembled by record executives. O-Town didn't have to worry about that, as the group's entire formation was chronicled in the ABC reality series Making the Band in 2000. The brainchild of teen-pop Svengali Lou Pearlman (former manager of the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync), Making the Band offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a boy band, from the singers' first audition to the signing of their first record deal. The show was a modest hit for ABC. The person who truly benefitted from its popularity was Pearlman, however, whose newest group was able to amass legions of fans before ever releasing a single. The program started with a cattle call of over 1,800 applicants. With television cameras rolling, the group was pared down to 25 contestants, then down to eight, then down to the final five members. After months of auditions, Pearlman and his team ...