Boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and 'n Sync have fought hard to be perceived as a authentic musicians rather than manufactured puppets assembled by record executives. O-Town doesn't have to worry about that, after having the formation of their boy band chronicled in the ABC reality series Making the Band, O-Town wears their pre-packaged label with pride.



Making the Band was the brainchild of teen-pop Svengali Lou Pearlman, the former manager of The Backstreet Boys and 'n Sync. Equal parts The Monkees and MTV's The Real World, the show offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a boy band, from their first audition to the signing of their first record deal. The show was a modest hit for ABC. More importantly for Pearlman, the show created legions of fans for O-Town before they even released their first album.