NBC quietly canceled the Chris Hansen-starring reality vehicle To Catch A Predator. Now it is planning to launch a similar sort of program in War Criminals which tracks down war criminals (obviously) and arrests them on camera.

Didn't these guys learn their lesson the first time around? Vigilante justice with a camera is still vigilante justice, and vigilante justice only works well in the comic books and movies. It works on television too, but only in the scripted variety and not like this.

Granted, prostitution with a camera is called pornography, but that's legal. It has a system to govern it and make sure it doesn't reach children or other inappropriate people (how effectively it works is another discussion). Even the government has expressed concerns about televised sting operations interfering in the legal apprehension of criminals.

While this may bring some short-term ratings to NBC, I don't see it lasting long. The last thing they need is another Bill Conradt-style lawsuit.