Two animated brains move over a line maze. Two chomping halves of an animated pink brain join together. Text on banners over the brain reads, “Hungry Brain!”

[Upbeat music plays]

A voice says, HUNGRY BRAIN!

[Slide whistle, upbeat music plays]

In animations, people stand beside easels with copies of famous paintings. A man stands beside a replica of the Mona Lisa.

A narrator says, THINK YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO COPY THIS PICASSO PAINTING? IS THAT A MONA-FIED... UH, BONAFIDE LEONARDO DA VINCI? ARE YOU READY TO FIND OUT? LET'S FORGE AHEAD. HERE'S THE TOP ON THE GREATEST FAKES IN ART.

Episode title: Top. The Greatest Fakes in Art.

[Dinging]

The number 3 appears.

Text reads, “The Painter Elmyr De Hory.”

The narrator says, NUMBER THREE: THE PAINTER, ELMYR DE HORY.

[Upbeat music continues]

Text reads, “Elemer Albert Hoffman.”

The narrator says, ELEMER ALBERT HOFFMAN, BETTER KNOWN BY THE FALSE NAME, ELMYR DE HORY, WAS, ACCORDING TO MANY, THE FORGER OF THE CENTURY.

The Hungarian flag appears. In an animation, Elemer paints on a canvas.

The narrator says, A HUGELY TALENTED HUNGARIAN PAINTER, HE DIDN'T COPY EXISTING PAINTINGS, BUT COPIED THE STYLES OF MATISSE, PICASSO, MODIGLIANI, AND OTHERS TO CREATE NEW ONES. FOR DECADES, HE HOODWINKED EXPERTS AND ART COLLECTORS ALIKE AND TOOK THEIR MONEY FOR HIS "MONETS."

[Cash register dinging]

The narrator, imitating an art collector, says, "SPLENDID, A NEVER BEFORE SEEN VAN GOGH! I'LL BY IT FOR TEN MILLION--NO, 15 MILLION! 153 MILLION!"

[Dinging]

The number 3 appears.

The narrator says, NUMBER TWO: LED ZEPPELIN: ROCK BAND.

Text reads, “Led Zeppelin. Rock Band.”

A drawing shows the four members of Led Zeppelin.

The narrator says, MEMBERS OF THE FAMOUS ROCK GROUP, LED ZEPPELIN, WERE PERHAPS A LITTLE TOO INFLUENCED BY THE WORK OF OTHER ARTISTS WHEN THEY COMPOSED SOME OF THEIR SONGS.

[Coughing]

The narrator says, PLAGIARISM.

[Coughing]

[Background grumbling]

The narrator says, OVER THE YEARS, SOME MUSICIANS HAVE ROCKED THE BOAT OVER THIS. LED ZEPPELIN SETTLED OUT OF COURT BUT WERE FORCED TO ADMIT WHO THE REAL AUTHORS WERE OF SOME SONGS AND PHONEY-- I MEAN PONY UP.

[Cash register dinging]

Text reads, “2016.”

The narrator says, IN 2016, HOWEVER, A JURY DECIDED LED ZEPPELIN HAD NOT PLAGIARIZED THE SONG "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN," ONE OF THE GREATEST SUCCESSES IN ROCK HISTORY.

A person shouts, YEAH!

[Dinging]

The number 1 appears.

The narrator says, NUMBER ONE: THE NOVELIST ROMAIN GARY, OR EMILE AJAR.

Text reads, “The Novelist Romain Gary or Émile Ajar.”

The narrator says, THE GONCOURT PRIZE IS A PRESTIGIOUS LITERARY PRIZE, WHICH CAN ONLY BE AWARDED TO A FRENCH-SPEAKING AUTHOR ONCE IN THEIR CAREER.

[Dinging]

The number 1 appears.

The narrator says, ROMAIN GARY WON IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1956 FOR HIS NOVEL "THE ROOTS OF HEAVEN."

[Dinging]

Text reads, “1956.”

The narrator says, BUT GARY WAS NOT HAPPY WITH JUST ONE PRIZE. TO FOIL THE RULES OF THE COMPETITION, HE INVENTED A PEN NAME, EMILE AJAR, AND ASKED HIS SECOND COUSIN, PAUL PAVLOWITCH, TO IMPERSONATE THE FICTITIOUS WRITER. HE SUBMITTED THE NOVEL, "THE LIFE BEFORE US," IN 1975 AND WON THE GONCOURT PRIZE A SECOND TIME.

Text reads, “1975.”

The narrator says, THE ONLY AUTHOR TO HAVE MANAGED THIS. DOUBLE WHAMMY.

A tombstone appears. Paul, wearing eyeglasses, a fake nose, and a moustache, takes off his disguise.

The narrator says, AFTER ROMAIN GARY'S DEATH, PAUL PAVLOWITCH REVEALED THE FRAUD AND ADMITTED TO THE PUBLIC AND PUBLISHERS THAT HE HAD SPENT THE PASSED EIGHT YEARS PRETENDING TO BE EMILE AJAR.

[Person gasping]

The narrator says, CHEATERS GONNA CHEAT, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. HARNESS YOUR ARTISTIC GENIUS AND... HUH? NOT BAD. YOU COULD WRITE THE CHEAT SHEET ON THIS.

In an animation, a woman holds a paintbrush with paint smeared on her face and arms. She stands beside a canvas with a self-portrait.

[Upbeat music continues]

End Credits. Narration: Iain O’Connor. Writer: Sébastien Guindon. Trio Orange. Member of the Association Quebécoise de la Production Mediatique. Copyright 2019. Logo: AQPM.