Maybe-Maybe Not

In the US most television game shows, and "reality" series began life somewhere else, probably Britain. To mix the market up a bit, Chinese television is importing one of its more popular educational Saturday night programs to the UK, The Execution Factor. BBC2 will present it as part of a documentary soon. When it eventually arrives in the US, it's bound to be the greatest hit since Deal or No Deal.

In the Chinese version, Ms. Ding Yu (shown above) shows up at a prison to interview a death row inmate about his crime. She begins slowly, with a few innocuous questions, steadily building until she gets her guests to talk about their crimes, after which the perp sometimes apologizes to their victims or victims families and on a good day may even ask the forgiveness of their own family. You're thinking Connie Chung does this every week, what's the big deal.

Naturally, there's a catch, custom made for the law and order crowd. After Ms. Ding finishes the interview, her guest is taken out back and shot.

Dead Man Talking

And you said there was nothing on Saturday night. Bah

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