‘Take the Money and Run’ is ABC’s New CSI Reality Show, Did You Watch?
It escapes me now, but a few weeks ago I watched and or read something where the prominence of reality shows was foretold to great, chilling effect.
Was it Beavis and Butthead? Can’t recall. Anyway, it also all seems to go back to the fear instilled by The Running Man, as the reality genre pushes more boundaries and becomes more grotesque. Okay, no one gets murdered or killed on Take the Money and Run, but the use of real law enforcement agents to interrogate contestants is a bit skin crawl-inducing.
The premise is this- you get a briefcase crammed with 100 large. You’ve got an hour to-with your partner- hide it somewhere. Cops, in turn, have 48 hours to locate it. If they find it, they get to keep the $100 grand. If you manage to hide it well enough, you’ve got the $100 grand.
So the contestant gets a running start, and the cops get to dump their cellphones, track their cars with a GPS and interrogate them… for 48 hours. One critic points out how it’s there that Take the Money and Run kind of falls apart:
The interrogators are essentially actors who carry over from episode to episode — Detective Paul Bishop and Deputy District [Attorney[ Mary Hanlon Stone. They’re not in the running for the money and they’re clearly playing up their roles for the camera as the action of the premiere starts to weigh heavier and heavier on their faux interrogations. I say “faux” because there’s a basic oddity to what’s happening here that the producers of the show just can’t overcome. Watching fake criminals interrogated by people who can’t really arrest them (because they haven’t actually [committed] a crime) is just weird, especially when the criminals start to crack under the pressure. Isn’t the mental pressure of interrogation heavily dependent on actually going to jail? There’s NO CRIME here. Would you really have difficulty maintaining your cool for 48 hours if 100K was on the line? Would you really “break”?
Well, would you? I can’t imagine being tempted, but then again, if people weren’t, the show wouldn’t work for very long- so either the cops are good fake interrogators or you are supposed to play up the drama. Did you watch Take the Money and Run last night? Did you find it compelling, or was it a bit too staged for your tastes?
Tags : take the money and run, Take the Money and Run ABC, Take the Money and Run contestants, Take the Money and Run reality show
Posted: August 3, 2011
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Aug 3, 2011
waaay too staged. I cannot see how someone cracked unless the pressure was so unbelievable and we didn't see it.
Aug 3, 2011
Worst show ever.
Aug 4, 2011
Maybe it is all too real for you ( as it is) What you see is real. Keep watching and you will be astounded. And have some fun with it. Its a competition show with ( once again) real detectives , real interrogators and real contestants.
Aug 4, 2011
Hi Tom from Niles pd the show looks great can't wait to see the Chicago episodes
Aug 4, 2011
hey there, " fake officer" !!! How is it Tom, thanks for watching the show!
Aug 4, 2011
All well in Niles????
Aug 4, 2011
The show and idea is great. I would love to see it. What would be really cool would be to flip the script one show and have the detectives hide the money and ordinary citizens use their "detective skills" to try and find the money. Kind of Like a DOUBLE PRIZE.. to outshoe the detectives.
Aug 4, 2011
Thanks for reading, Bertram- I'll watch next week
Aug 4, 2011
I am on board.
Aug 4, 2011
the pressure for some folks IS intense. It all looks easy;well you do it and see where it takes you.
Aug 4, 2011
And thank all for your comments.
Aug 4, 2011
It has been busy it's hot here so we have been very busy…. Everyone here loves the show!!! Did you put that sign on your door the one from are lockup???
Aug 4, 2011
Its in my office……."Caution…Combative"
Aug 4, 2011
good stuff.!!!
Aug 4, 2011
awsome congrats!!
Aug 5, 2011
I'm finding it hard to believe that anyone could crack under fake pressure. The only reason criminals crack is cause their are very real consequences, the only consequence in this game is they lose the money. Why would anyone, in there right mind give up the location. Either that guy has the nerves of a six year old girl or the thing was staged. It could just be you have not shown the viewers all that is necessary but until you do I will continue to believe it is staged.
Aug 5, 2011
Snap!
Aug 5, 2011
Kim: Did you watch the first show? One of the contestants does break. This show is brilliant, amazing. Sure, after a few seasons the contestants figure out how to win most of the time. However, even then with correct casting of the contestants, as we see in the first show, some will still break. Again, a great show.
Aug 5, 2011
Great job! Enjoyed the show very much.
Aug 6, 2011
Lisa, trust me, the guy could not handle the situation. We were as surprised as you are. And so was his brother, who took it really well……….
Aug 10, 2011
I watched a little of the show and it is plain fake. every single page on the internet I found, almost no one says anything nice about it. I think what I read the most from every site with comments was "worst show ever". If ABC was smart, they would just stop showing it all together. nothing any of you who works for ABC can make anyone with common sense believe its real. you took a brilliant idea and completely screwed it up. why would you tell the truth if you commited a crime. even while being fake, the rules are dumb also and stacked in the cops favor. ill stick to watching Wipeout and then change the channel today. the guy is an actor, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3580041/.
Aug 10, 2011
sux balls
Aug 11, 2011
I am going to have a hard time believing his brother is going to forgive and forget this. It seems to me that this might cause a real problem in a real life situation.