Death-row TV show is a hit in China

13 March, 2012

There was a TV reality show 'Sach ka Saamna' which was unable to get acceptance of Indian viewers. The conservative Indian culture did not take kindly to topics like extra marital relationship and..

BUT CHINA has hit upon a unique idea to grab the honors of the most viewed TV show with highest TRP ratings. It is a weekly show on Monday mornings in Henan province broadcast on the Human Legal Channel.

It had started on 18th of November 2006 and is about the last words of the person in Death Row – it has been labeLled as a TV reality show with a difference. Ding Yu is the woman who hosts the show where she interviews the person who has been sentenced to death. Through such interviews she tries to get across the message that ‘crime does not pay’.

She also, simultaneously, tries to enter the minds of the death row inmates and findS out why and what they did. Death penalty in China is awarded to 55 different types of crimes – some of these are murder, treason, armed rebellion, bribery and smuggling. Another 13-type of crimes have been removed from the list – these are frauds with VAT, smuggling of relics and credit fraud.

However, the TV show ‘Interview before Execution’ deals only those convicted of murder. Of course, there are not such a huge number of death-row inmates in India and such a program would not succeed. But – TV producers in India are an innovative lot – they can suitably modify the script to suit the Indian audience and its taste.