# Could you have a reality show in which people were almost certain to die? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597 "2006-04-06T16:27:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/21 "2006-04-06T22:20:15Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] If you want reality, here it is: the family of the first person to die would sue the producers, the network, and anyone else it could find into bankruptcy. Almost certainly. 😃 [/QUOTE] Which is _why_ you would have all the members of the same family compete against each other! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/22 "2006-04-06T22:50:27Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] So, how is NASCAR not the answer to your question? 😕 [/QUOTE] You’re joking, right? Deaths in televised NASCAR races are actually pretty rare – it makes the news whenever it happens. Heck, checking the statistics would probably show that there is a highter chance of a spectator dying in a car crash on the way to or home from the racetrack than that of one of the NASCAR drivers dying in the race. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/23 "2006-04-06T23:00:00Z")
I’m pitching a show at CBS tomorrow: “Drunk, Failed Suicide NASCAR.” Basically, the idea is to get a bunch of unsuccesful suicide patients, get them drunk, and have them race around in the rain. I’ll let you know how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/24 "2006-04-07T00:46:48Z")
You could have a sport that is near-suicidally risky, something for people who consider being NASCAR drivers or test pilots too dull. Provided the organizers were not deliberately negligent, I don’t think they could be prosecuted. I had an idea for a real-life version of something like the pod racing in _The Phantom Menace_. There are vehicles called [Wing In Ground](http://www.se-technology.com/wig/index.php?open=home) (a.k.a. Ram-Wing or Ekranoplan) that are sort of a cross between hovercraft and ultra-low altitude aircraft, with top speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour. They’ve been primarily used as water craft but can in principle operate on land as well. Grade a 500 km racecourse in the desert somewhere, and see who can run it the fastest. I think the motto of Ram-Wing racing would become “if no one dies, it was a dull race”. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/25 "2006-04-07T02:52:50Z")
What is “almost certain to die”? An episode of Fear Factor where they play Russian Roulette? Episodes of the Real World where they get the housemates fucked up on drugs and alchohol and leave loaded guns around? IANAL but I’m pretty sure some of that would come close to manslaughter or negligent homicide. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/26 "2006-04-07T02:53:04Z")
I think the early days of Formula One racing in the 50’s and 60’s would pretty much meet your criteria. The fatality rates were comparable to WW2 pilots. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/27 "2006-04-07T05:23:40Z")
Does Court TV ever run capital cases? ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/28 "2006-04-07T14:55:33Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] If you want reality, here it is: the family of the first person to die would sue the producers, the network, and anyone else it could find into bankruptcy. Almost certainly. 😃 [/QUOTE] Unless you used Death Row inmates, last one standing gets to go free a la The Running Man… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/29 "2006-04-07T15:02:25Z")
[QUOTE=t-bonham@scc.net] You’re joking, right? Deaths in televised NASCAR races are actually pretty rare – it makes the news whenever it happens. Heck, checking the statistics would probably show that there is a highter chance of a spectator dying in a car crash on the way to or home from the racetrack than that of one of the NASCAR drivers dying in the race. [/QUOTE] Whoops. My bad. I only got the first half of the OP, were he asked if there were reality shows which included the possibility of death, and not the second half, where he asked whether it would be illegal to guarantee a death, without necessarily specifying whose. In that case, my answer would be, “I don’t think there are enough 'duh’s in the world…” and no, NASCAR is not an example. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/30 "2006-04-07T16:00:56Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] What we’d need to know is how many NASCAR races there are per year, how many contestants there are in each race, and how many fatalities per season. . [/QUOTE] 36 points paying races, 1 allstar race, 2 qualifying races @ Daytona. Points race = 43 cars Qualifying races (Daytona 500 only) - 29 per race in 2006 AllStar race - about 20 cars. (This is the Nextel Cup series only) Last death - Dale Earnhardt, first race 2001. The one previous to that was May 2000. It’s dangerous, guys get hurt, but the fatality rate is relatively low… I’d love to see the comparison between other sports/occupations. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/31 "2006-04-07T16:04:43Z")
Let’s cut to the chase: Gladiatorial combat as reality show. Legal? Feasable? Marketable? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/32 "2006-04-07T16:19:40Z")
No, gladiatorial combat to the death wouldn’t be legal, because you can’t sign away your right not to be murdered. Similarly, if I challenged you to a rapier duel to the death, I would go to jail if I killed you, despite the fact that you agreed to fight me. I wouldn’t even have a self-defense defense, because you can only meet deadly force with deadly force if there is no way to safely retreat. No showing up for the duel is a good way to avoid that deadly force. People do die in dangerous sports and stunts, but there are no sports or stunts that intentionally kill people, and there won’t be as long as our legal system is anything close to what it is now. Even if there were ways to avoid criminal prosecution, the producers of the show would face horrendus civil liability. How much liability do you think NBC is going to accept for one of those shows? There’s no money in it, because however much money you might possibly make in subscribers would be taken by lawsuits. And who would advertise on such a show? I don’t think the market for such a show is very large. How much advertising money do penis enhancement companies throw around? Only bottom feeding marginal companies would dare to advertise on such a show, which means very low ad revenue. Low advertising pool combined with small market means not much revenue. And you’re in constant danger of losing your whole company in lawsuits, plus the FCC shutting you down (you’d have to do webcasts or DVDs) plus fending off criminal indictments. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/33 "2006-04-07T16:25:27Z")
[QUOTE=butler1850] 36 points paying races, 1 allstar race, 2 qualifying races @ Daytona. Points race = 43 cars Qualifying races (Daytona 500 only) - 29 per race in 2006 AllStar race - about 20 cars. (This is the Nextel Cup series only) Last death - Dale Earnhardt, first race 2001. The one previous to that was May 2000. It’s dangerous, guys get hurt, but the fatality rate is relatively low… I’d love to see the comparison between other sports/occupations. [/QUOTE] I make that as 1626 participant-races per year, or 9756 since 2000. That makes the odds of getting killed for each race you participate in 2/9756, or 1 in 4878. That actually seems pretty dangerous, but hardly a guaranteed death. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/34 "2006-04-07T17:19:17Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] Finally, _The Long Walk_ made real! [/QUOTE] Or even better, [Series 7- The Contenders](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251031/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9c2VyaWVzIDd8ZnQ9MXxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8Y289MXxodG1sPTF8bm09MQ__;fc=5;ft=23;fm=1) ! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/35 "2006-04-07T18:49:21Z")
[QUOTE=EJsGirl] Or even better, Series 7- The Contenders! 😃 [/QUOTE] A sick, sick little movie. It shows exactly what the OP posits – a reality show version of “Assassin” with real deaths. And Brooke Smith (the “it” in “it puts the lotion on its skin”) is great in it. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/36 "2006-04-07T19:12:42Z")
[QUOTE=Birdmonster] I’m pitching a show at CBS tomorrow: “Drunk, Failed Suicide NASCAR.” Basically, the idea is to get a bunch of unsuccesful suicide patients, get them drunk, and have them race around in the rain. I’ll let you know how it goes. [/QUOTE] You’ve made my day! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tygerbryght](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@tygerbryght](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygerbryght)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/37 "2006-04-07T19:44:23Z")
IANA TV watcher, but the OP’s premise is very much like several SF short stories over the years. Maybe he(?) should ask in CS, if the titles/authors of said stories are of interest. It’s not a new idea, fershure. Given the steadily decreasing respect/concern for life of popular culture, I’d say that someday such a show will air because it would certainly draw a big viewership, and the media execs will grow ever more desperate for viewers as entertainment moves to the web. Of course, there are countries where such shows could be made now, no question about it. – TB, in a cynical vein today ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/38 "2006-04-07T20:11:26Z")
Suppose there are places where such a spectacle could be filmed. How does a US media company profit from it? You can’t just take people to Somalia, kill them, then return to the US with the videotapes. You’d go to jail, even though the murders took place in Somalia. And you’d be sued, even though the murders took place in Somalia. The only way this could work is for the killers/producers to be based outside the United States in Somalia, and selling it via pay per view webcasts. Except the producers would have to live in Somalia, if they entered a first world country they’d be arrested. And exactly how much money do you expect this to make? Is there a “steadily decreasing respect/concern for life of popular culture”? Cite for that? I don’t see it. There is only a very small viewership for this kind of stuff, mostly adolescent males. There is the possibility of criminal prosecution. There is the possibility of limitless civil liability. There are very few advertisers who would touch this. If there is so much disrepect for life in today’s media, please show some examples. How many TV shows play up murder and deadly accidents for laughs? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/39 "2006-04-07T22:26:24Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] Eco Challenge was the hardest “show” I’ve seen. I was stunned to learn Mark Burnett stopped doing it. I remember one year when a contestant’s brain was swelling and it took a long time to helicopter him out. [/QUOTE] There was a death in 2004’s _ **Primal Quest** _ race in Washington, and the event took a year off because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597/40 "2006-04-07T22:30:59Z")
I remember feeling really let down when I found out that _Survivor_ wasn’t going to consist of a group of people dropped off on an island with no food… and one knife. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-have-a-reality-show-in-which-people-were-almost-certain-to-die/351597.md?page=3)