Moment of Truth

So JK2 and I watched Moment of Truth tonight. What a weird show. It's sort of a mix of Jerry Springer and "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" And I had to look on Wikipedia to understand the concept behind it. Apparently before the show, the contestant sits for a polygraph test, but is not informed of the results. Then on the show, the contestant brings her closest family members on the show and answers some of the questions again, either the same way as before, or differently. The polygraph test supposedly knows the truth. After each question, the person wins progressively more money if the test is true. The camera is sure to catch the looks on the family members' faces as they learn the truth about their loved one. You can watch their faces falling as the questions get more and more personal. The show always cuts to commercial right before the contestant answers a particularly juicy question. The woman tonight, for example, brought on her husband, father-in-law and best friend. She then admitted that she gave her kids objects that she shoplifted, that she had intentionally set a neighbor's photos on fire in revenge, and that she liked being a firefighter because other men besides her husband paid her attention.

Why would anyone do this? And if they did, why would they lie? And in particular, if you have a colorful past that your family doesn't know about, why would you bring them on the show? But apparently this woman lied. I think she got through about 8 questions before the polygraph test told everyone that she was a liar. Then, of course, there's the question about whether a polygraph test is an accurate measurement of truth anyway.

But then again, why would anyone go on Jerry Springer? It seems like maybe it's a combination of really, really, really wanting to be on TV and the chance to make a lot of money. Of course, with this show, you might win lots of money, but will you have a family to enjoy it with at the end of the show?

Has television devolved into reality-based, Jerry Springer-type shows? Is anyone out there able to write smart comedy or drama anymore? Or perhaps it's too expensive to hire writers for it?

We've been watching different TV series on Netflix for a couple of years now, after giving up cable. We've watched the entire series of Sex & the City, the West Wing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ballykissangel, Grey's Anatomy, and Scrubs. Now we've having trouble finding something entertaining to watch. Jim's got JAG, which I'm bored with, and Robin Hood, which is not my style. We rented the first season of "As Time Goes By" but it feels like such an elderly comedy ... although we've only watched 3 episodes, and I feel I need to give it a fair try, since my dad liked it. But I wish we could find a good series that wasn't so reality-based. I guess we'll keep looking.