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.