ABC wants to put you in a Golden Cage

Dutch reality mogul John de Mol (pictured) has sold yet another series to ABC. (Can anyone explain to me why the Dutch have such a stranglehold on innovation in reality television?) This one is called The Golden Cage. It's a touch Big Brother, a touch Dynasty, a touch white collar prison. Here's the skinny. Ten people, who have each paid $14,000 to participate, are put in a luxury mansion. They have servants, throw lavish parties and, in the Dutch version at least, have sex with prostitutes. Whoo-hoo!

The downside is that they win contact with the outside world, friends and family through competitions, and they are filmed 24/7. Participants can be sent packing if every single person in the house agrees to boot them, but that's the only way. Otherwise, a participant must decide to leave. The last person standing wins the house and a cash prize. The twist on The Golden Cage is that the length of the show is indeterminate. It could last a few weeks. It could last years. Years, people, years. It's like a horrible experiment. Someone's going to have a baby while they're in there, and the baby will never know what it's like not to live under 24 hour surveillance. Oh wait, that's the whole world now. My mistake.