Telly Review: Pepsi, Where's My Jet? is a refreshing David and Goliath tale

Todd Hoffman in Pepsi, Where's My Jet?

You want something different over Christmas. An out of the blue show that will draw you in and fill a Scots Clan afternoon between The Big Day and New Year’s Eve.

Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? (Netflix) might be just the thing. My wife threw on this four-parter two nights ago and we’re glued to our seats. 

I didn’t warm to it at first because I’m too cranky to concede that my wife could have found a really good TV show.

It’s the story of John Leonard, who watched a Pepsi ad promising a fighter jet if you collected seven million points, and did the maths. 

You got a point for each 10c spent on Pepsi, so you needed 700 grand to get a jet with an estimated value of $32 million.

20-year-old Leonard lined up investors to raise the 700 grand and then contacted Pepsi asking 'when can I collect my jet?'. 

They argued it was a joke, and said no jet. What follows is a David vs Goliath series of lawsuits, offers and a sort of happy ending.

I ended up glued to this show because of the characters. 

Leonard isn’t someone you’d imagine being played by a demented Leonardo DiCaprio, driven by lust and greed. 

He’s a quiet, ordinary American Dad with a good line in self-awareness. 

His older friend and main investor, Todd Hoffman, is the real star for me. 

He’s the eternally young ruthless hippy capitalist, Richard Branson but much cooler and with whiter teeth. 

The two men remain friends today, climbing mountains and goofing around.

We also meet the Goliath side of the camp, with regular contributions from Pepsi executives and the guy from the agency that made the ad. 

And then there’s Michael Avenatti, a celebrity lawyer hired by Leonard, who was filmed while wearing an ankle-tag because he had been charged with financial impropriety. He was subsequently sentenced to 14 years. 

Avenatti is brash and funny, a very attractive character when he’s not funnelling your money into his own account. I can see DiCaprio playing this in his sleep.

The show works because there is very little at stake. Leonard takes a punt that a court will find for him in the end and force Pepsi to hand over a jet. 

Hoffman likes the thrill of the ride. The Pepsi execs and advertising agency guys are filmed in plush looking houses, no harm done there.

They admired Leonard’s chutzpah, while he just shrugged his shoulders and got on with his life. 

It’s actually a feel-good documentary about a guy who doesn’t become fabulously wealthy.

Sure, what else would you want to watch over Christmas?