The first episode of this two-parter was, as indicated above, very dull. It was a history of the show from its creation to the time of its greatest and most notorious success but really told us nothing that we could not have predicted or expected. The brilliance and amoral malignity of the executive producer, and his henchmen/women, came across chillingly effectively.
However, with the focus on one particular show and the tragic and traumatic outcome, the programme became markedly better. Springer did not come out well at all – he truly did ‘sell his soul to the devil for ratings’ and the devastating effect that one programme had on participants was well explored – and the effect that it had n at least one of the producers was truly grim.
Finally then, the programme was much better than expected – but as was indicated towards the end– the series and its nature and style was the start of the situation that we have now arrived in with Trump II/Musk/ etc. etc. etc. and all that is characteristic of the media-driven world today.