The TV Column

60 Days In 'docu-series' puts 8 civilians in lockup

Season 2 of A&E’s undercover prison “docu-series” 60 Days In premieres at 8 p.m. today with a two-hour episode.
Season 2 of A&E’s undercover prison “docu-series” 60 Days In premieres at 8 p.m. today with a two-hour episode.

The obvious question is, "Who is nuts enough to go to prison when they don't have to?"

Season 2 of A&E's "docu-series" 60 Days In premieres with "a two-hour event" at 8 p.m. today.

(Aside: It's odd how TV no longer simply has episodes. Everything now is an "event." When everything is an event, nothing is.)

In addition, at 9 p.m. Aug. 25, Behind Bars: Rookie Year kicks off its second season. That series highlights correctional officers during their first year on the job.

60 Days In follows the experiences of eight civilians as they go undercover and pretend to be inmates "for a first-hand look at the dangerous world of incarceration" and to take "a deeper dive into the drugs, violence and internal corruption exposed during Season 1."

The stated purpose for this crew is to shed light on local and national issues in the corrections system. But what if the real inmates discover their secret? Bad, bad things could happen.

The five men and three women were chosen to participate by Sheriff Jamey Noel of Indiana's Clark County Jail, and theoretically have an interest in the criminal justice system and not death wishes. A&E informs us that the Clark County Jail "houses approximately 500 prisoners -- from first-time offenders to inmates charged with drug dealing and capital murder."

Allegedly, no actual inmates, officers or prison staff knew about the eight pretenders as they are followed 24/7 for two months by more than 100 prison cameras.

"The only way to truly understand what was going on in the jail was to implement innocent participants into the system to provide first-hand, unbiased intelligence," Noel told A&E.

Meanwhile, Behind Bars: Rookie Year will again feature the New Mexico Corrections Department which, A&E says, "is one of the most notoriously dangerous prison systems in the country."

Fewer than 1,000 officers must deal with more than 7,000 inmates.

For added drama, the prison gang Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico "has declared war on law enforcement" making it a dicey time to be a rookie in the system.

The season premiere begins at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility, where there have been two inmate murders in the past 18 months and 85 percent of the inmates are involved in prison gangs.

Other featured officers work at the Western New Mexico facility and the Penitentiary of New Mexico featured in Season 1.

TCA TIDBITS

Here are a few more insider notes from the recent Television Critics Association summer press tour, as reported by The Associated Press.

MacGyver. This CBS remake of the 1985-1992 fan favorite will star Lucas Till as the title character and CSI's George Eads as his buddy Jack Dalton.

MacGyver will still solve sticky situations without guns, but Dalton, who has a military background, will not eschew firearms.

Live Late Show. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert again will air live on CBS. This time it's after the presidential debates (Sept. 26 and Oct. 19), and following the veep face-off on Oct. 4.

JonBenet. It's been almost 20 years since the beating and strangulation murder of 6-year-old child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey and three networks are set to re-examine the unsolved case.

CBS will air a six-part documentary, The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18. The series will present new experts with modern forensics and offer new theories.

Lifetime has the film Who Killed JonBenet? in the works. No date has been set, but it's expected this fall.

And cable's Investigation Discovery will air a three-night series, JonBenet: An American Murder Mystery, beginning at 9 p.m. Sept. 12.

Kevin Can Wait. Kevin James (The King of Queens, 1998-2007) has this new CBS sitcom set for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19. This time he plays a retired cop (not a mall cop) who busies himself with a variety of jobs. Erinn Hayes (Childrens Hospital) plays his wife.

Michael Weatherly. About NCIS, Weatherly said, "I really felt happy with the resolution of the character [Anthony DiNozzo] and my time on the show. I wasn't burnt out, but I was ready for a new challenge. Sometimes a change is as good as a rest."

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Weekend on 08/18/2016

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