The phrase Catch a Predator became synonymous with one of television's most controversial true-crime programs. The legacy of the series now provides the backdrop for Primetime, a film starring Robert Pattinson that examines the disturbing intersection of crime, television and entertainment.

The original To Catch a Predator aired as part of NBC's Dateline beginning in 2004. 

` `Hosted by Chris Hansen, the program used undercover operations to confront men who investigators and producers believed were attempting to meet minors for sexual purposes.

The televised confrontations became a ratings success while also raising difficult questions about journalism, entertainment and the boundaries of undercover reporting.

How To Catch a Predator Worked

The program worked with Perverted-Justice, an organization whose members posed online as minors and communicated with adults who expressed sexual interest in children.

The men were subsequently invited to homes equipped with hidden cameras, where Hansen would confront them after they arrived.

The confrontations became the show's trademark. Hansen would present transcripts of online conversations before police officers moved in to make arrests.

At its height, the program attracted millions of viewers and turned Hansen into one of the most recognizable investigative television journalists in the country. Time reported that the segments were drawing more than 10 million viewers at their peak in 2006.

The program's popularity also generated criticism.

Critics questioned whether television producers were crossing the line between journalism and law enforcement and whether some of the tactics amounted to entrapment.

The Controversy Surrounding To Catch a Predator

The most serious controversy involved Texas prosecutor Louis Conradt, who died by suicide in 2006 as police and NBC cameras were outside his home during a sting operation.

Conradt's sister later filed a $105 million lawsuit against NBC. The case was settled out of court, and the program was discontinued in 2007.

The controversy contributed to a broader debate over whether programs such as To Catch a Predator served the public interest or transformed serious criminal investigations into television spectacle.

Time also reported that advertisers became increasingly uncomfortable with the program's content as controversy surrounding the series grew.

Robert Pattinson and Primetime’s To Catch a Predator

Primetime revisits that uncomfortable period through a fictionalized entertainment lens, with Pattinson portraying a figure connected to the sordid world of sensational television.

The film's premise taps into a larger question that emerged during the rise of reality television and televised true crime. 

How far can a program go in pursuit of ratings when the subject matter involves real victims, alleged offenders and potentially devastating consequences?

That tension gives Primetime its unsettling quality. Rather than simply revisiting the notoriety of To Catch a Predator, the movie explores the machinery behind sensational television and the people willing to participate in it.

Chris Hansen's Television Legacy

Before becoming associated with To Catch a Predator, Hansen had an extensive career as an investigative journalist.

He covered major stories including the Columbine shootings, the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a 2015 Time profile. He had also won multiple Emmy Awards for investigative reporting.

The success of To Catch a Predator eventually became one of the defining chapters of his career. Hansen later moved into other true-crime programming, including Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen.

The program's legacy remains complicated.

Supporters argued that it exposed adults attempting to sexually exploit children and brought public attention to online dangers. Critics maintained that the televised stings blurred the distinction between investigative journalism and entertainment.

Additional Information

For historical background on Chris Hansen and To Catch a Predator, readers can consult Time's profile of Chris Hansen and the program.

Additional coverage of the controversial television format is available through Time's examination of Dateline's undercover reporting and Time's discussion of the cultural impact of To Catch a Predator.

For related crime reporting by Jackie Allen, see Coffeehouse Crime Examines Tennessee ‘House of Secrets’ Murder Cases at USA Herald.

Readers can also find Jackie Allen's USA Herald author page, which includes her reporting on crime, investigations, technology and other subjects.