Take a real story about a naive American traveling through a foreign country. Show him enticed by some devilish drug deal that is supposed to make him rich. Show him sell his soul to the devil as he tries what is supposed to be a "full-proof" drug deal. Render his gut-wrenching paranoia as he senses his misguided plan is not as airtight as he was led to believe. Then show him squirming and fighting for his life is some Prison Inferno in which the criminal kingpins actually run the prison. All the while, have your protagonist narrate his horrid tale from the standpoint of contrition and you have National Geographic's formula for Locked Up Abroad. I admit the show has all the markings of tabloid sensationalism. But I'm hooked. This is very addictive television.
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i watch about 2 hrs of television a week jeff and i must admit this one is a guilty pleasure. being done by nat geo seems to give it a little more creedence than the ususal neo-reality pap.
Posted by: gerald | April 10, 2009 at 04:30 PM
I got bored watching Frontline on PBS and switched to Locked Up. I was hooked.
Posted by: Jeffrey McMahon | April 10, 2009 at 04:49 PM
This is one of the most hilarious TV shows on air-the typical storyline is that of some whites, acting privileged and visiting a country where the people are NOT white, trying to smuggle drugs, getting caught and then acting completely surprised and awe stricken when their whiteness wont save them from jail/prison. "My cell was like a filthy cave" and "I couldn't believe I was facing so much time", - hilarity at its finest- it is jail/prison and you were busted smuggling-lose the sense of privilege! I love watching this show- my friends and I get a real kick watching these idiots who try so hard to convince the viewers that they should not receive the same treatment as everyone else (so I called my dad, says one idiot)- great programming- I recommend it to all my friends for its unintentional humerous content!
Posted by: bennet | May 10, 2009 at 04:18 PM
Yes, there's a certain element of schadenfreude watching the privileged, ever so naive and full of hubris, get a big fat reality sandwich and the cruel blast of justice. However, there are some episodes that branch out beyond the wannabe drug dealer. Many of the protagonists are innocent victims: they are framed or kidnapped, for example.
Additionally, the dupes who were once so sure of their privilege do seem a redeemed at the end and seem to have learned from their mistakes.
Posted by: Jeffrey McMahon | May 10, 2009 at 04:24 PM