History Series / Dateline

The series would ultimately return to the spotlight in 2004, when a segment Chris Hansen did with the group Perverted Justice catching online pedophiles (entitled "To Catch A Predator") garnered a huge amount of publicity. This led to a whole series of Dateline "To Catch A Predator" specials (and spin-off, "To Catch A Predator: The Raw Tapes", which shows longer versions of the confrontations between Chris Hansen and the pedophiles), which ended in 2008 due to cancellation and a fear that the show made pedophiles more wary and savvy. Chris Hansen has hinted at a return on his Facebook page, however, though that might be in jeopardy now that the ''National Enquirer'' caught him [[FunnyAneurysmMoment cheating on his wife in a hidden camera sting with a young television reporter]] himself (though she was well above age).

The series drew infamy with it's constant stream of fluff stories (a side effect of the program needing stories to fill up episodes) and screw-ups: most notably, an early 1992 episode of the show got into hot water when it falsely claimed that 1973-1987 GM pickup trucks have leaky and explosive gas tanks (when in reality, the only reason they exploded for the cameras is the remote controlled explosives the NBC crew put there).

The series was conceived in 1992 mainly as a cheap schedule filler and about the 73rd attempt to unseat ''SixtyMinutes'' from their dominance as NBC had gone through many failed newsmagazine concepts through their DorkAge of the 70 and 80s; it was hosted by Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips, the latter becoming the defacto face of the series due to his good looks. As stated, the series existed mainly to fill in holes into the programming schedule; a move that led to much over-saturation during the bulk of the 1990s. The same complaints now exist as archived crime stories are used for filler on MSNBC and TLC during dead periods.

The series was conceived in 1992 mainly as a cheap schedule filler; it was hosted by Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips, the latter becoming the defacto face of the series due to his good looks. As stated, the series existed mainly to fill in holes into the programming schedule; a move that led to much over-saturation during the bulk of the 1990s.

The series ultimately began to fade by the late 90s, as NBC began shoring up its late night line-up and phasing out Dateline (which these days is limited to Friday and Sunday nights). Stone Phillips left the series (Jane Pauly left several years earlier) and Anne Curry and Chris Hansen took over as main anchors for the series.

The series would ultimately return to the spotlight in 2004, when a segment Chris Hansen did with the group Perverted Justice catching online pedophiles (entitled "To Catch A Predator") garnered a huge amount of publicity. This led to a whole series of Dateline "To Catch A Predator" specials (and spin-off, "To Catch A Predator: The Raw Tapes", which shows longer versions of the confrontations between Chris Hansen and the pedophiles), which ended in 2008 due to cancellation and a fear that the show made pedophiles more wary and savvy. Chris Hansen has hinted at a return on his Facebook page, however.

The show and Chris Hansen ultimately achieved MemeticMutation, with parodies appearing on different shows like SouthPark, [[{{ptitlevmngga4bce7b}} It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia]], TheBoondocks, {{Squidbillies}}, etc. "To Catch A Predator" is also the name of an InsaneClownPosse song, and ICP have said that they are fans of the series.

The series was conceived in 1992 mainly as a cheap schedule filler; it was hosted by Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips, the later becoming the defacto face of the series due to his good looks. As stated, the series existed mainly to fill in holes into the programming schedule; a move that led to much over-saturation during the bulk of the 1990s.

* Irony: Chris has gotta be feeling pretty foolish after [[http://purplejesus.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/pedobearwin.jpg this]]

Irony: Chris has gotta be feeling pretty foolish after [[http://purplejesus.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/pedobearwin.jpg this]]

* InternetBackdraft, YourMileageMayVary, LoveItOrHateIt, BrokenBase: Although these tropes likely existed as early as the whole "exploding GM cars" thing, they didn't really kick off until the whole "To Catch a Predator" bit got started.
* MemeticMutation: "Why don't you have a seat over there?"

* WhatAnIdiot - The ToCatchAPredator series make it a point to highlight predators who come to the traps despite having seen the specials before.

The show and Chris Hansen ultimately achieved MemeticMutation, with parodies appearing on different shows like South Park, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Boondocks, Squidbillies, etc.

* DeadpanSnarker - Chris Hansen.

Recurring segments include ''The Dirty Dozen'' (in which it takes a critical eye to health inspection scores of various restaurants), CouldThisHappenToYou stories, as well as full length episodes dealing with TrueCrime mysteries. Many of the episodes are narrated by Keith Morrison, whos voice can be described as "[[MisterRogersNeighborhood Mr. Rogers]] as-a-creepy-old-man".

* DrivenToSuicide: One of the "pedos" they captured with To Catch a Predator killed himself when he realized the cops were closing in. [[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/06/nbc-resolves-la.html NBC "amicably resolved" his sister's lawsuit.]].

Recurring segments include ''The Dirty Dozen'' (in which it takes a critical eye to health inspection scores of various restaurants), CouldThisHappenToYou stories, as well as full length episodes dealing with TrueCrime mysteries. Many of the episodes are narrated by Keith Morrison, who's voice can be described as "[[MisterRogersNeighborhood Mr. Rogers]] as-a-creepy-old-man".


The series ultimately began to fade by the late 90s, as NBC began shoring up it's late night line-up and phasing out Dateline (which these days is limited to Friday and Sunday nights). Stone Phillips left the series (Jane Pauly left several years earlier) and Anne Curry and Chris Hansen took over as main anchors for the series.

The series would ultimately return to the spotlight in 2004, when a segment Chris Hansen did with the group Perverted Justice catching online pedophiles (entitled "To Catch A Predator") garnered a huge amount of publicity. This led to a whole series of Dateline "To Catch A Predator" specials (and spin-off, "To Catch A Predator: The Raw Tapes", which shows longer versions of the confrontations between Chris Hansen and the pedophiles), which ended in 2008 due to accusations of entrapment by lawyers for the accused pedophiles and a high profile suicide of one man caught in the sting (but who did not appear on the show, having sussed out prior to his death that he had been nailed in a sting operation).

The show and Chris Hansen ultimately achieved MemeticMutation, with parodies appearing on different shows like South Park, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Boondocks, Squidbillies, etc.

The series ultimately began to fade by the late 90s, as NBC began shoring up it's late night line-up and phasing out Dateline (which these days is limited to Friday and Sunday nights). Stone Phillips left the series (Jane Pauly left several years earlier) and Anne Curry and Chris Hanson took over as main anchors for the series.

The series would ultimately return to the spotlight in 2004, when a segment Chris Hanson did with the group Perverted Justice catching online pedophiles (entitled "To Catch A Predator") garnered a huge amount of publicity. This led to a whole series of Dateline "To Catch A Predator" specials (and spin-off, "To Catch A Predator: The Raw Tapes", which shows longer versions of the confrontations between Chris Hanson and the pedophiles), which ended in 2008 due to accusations of entrapment by lawyers for the accused pedophiles and a high profile suicide of one man caught in the sting (but who did not appear on the show, having sussed out prior to his death that he had been nailed in a sting operation).

The show and Chris Hanson ultimately achieved MemeticMutation, with parodies appearing on different shows like South Park, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Boondocks, Squidbillies, etc.

The series was conceived in 1992 mainly as a cheap schedule filler; it was hosted by Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips, the later becoming the defacto face of the series due to his good looks. As stated, the series existed mainly to [[Filler fill in holes]] into the programming schedule; a move that led to much over-saturation during the bulk of the 1990s.

The series was conceived in 1992 mainly as a cheap schedule filler; it was hosted by Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips, the later becoming the defacto face of the series due to his good looks. As stated, the series existed mainly to fill in holes into the programming schedule; a move that led to much over-saturation during the bulk of the 1990s.

* MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome: Unfortunately, in a lot of their missing person cases, this is true.

The series was conceived in 1992 mainly as a cheap schedule filler; it was hosted by Jane Pauly and Stone Phillips, the later becoming the defacto face of the series due to his good looks. As stated, the series existed mainly to fill in holes into the programming schedule; a move that led to much over-saturation during the bulk of the 1990s.

''Dateline'', or ''Dateline NBC'' as some may know it, is a PrimeTimeNews show and one of the largest and most popular news programs ever.

It's known for a number of things, though its early fame came from the early '90s story where they claimed 1973-1987 GM pickup trucks to have leaky and explosive gas tanks (when in reality, the only reason they exploded for the cameras is the remote controlled explosives the NBC crew put there). Lately, though, it's gotten notice for its umpteen ''To Catch A Predator'' episodes, in which a decoy, pretending to be a teenager, lures a number of thirty-something and older men (using AIM or [[NewMediaAreEvil whipping boy]] MySpace) to a house [[PaedoHunt for sex]], only to find Chris Hansen, to their shock and disappointment. It's gotten a little controversy, namely that the decoy is seen as a form of entrapment, and that one of the men killed himself with the cameras outside his house. It has also been subject to MemeticMutation. [[CrossesTheLineTwice A whole studio full of predators kill themselves at the mere sight of him]] in SouthPark.

It will also occasionally do ''The Dirty Dozen'', in which it takes a critical eye to health inspection scores of various restaurants.

The largest non-local purveyor of CouldThisHappenToYou stories. However lately outside of ''To Catch a Predator'', like ''20/20'' and ''48 Hours Mystery'' the show has been almost exclusively devoted to long-solved TrueCrime and MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome stories (often narrated in a "[[MisterRogersNeighborhood Mr. Rogers]] as-a-creepy-old-man" style by Keith Morrison) which mainly are produced to provide indeterminably stretched out {{Filler}} programming for NBC's traditionally low-rated Friday nights or whenever yet another show fails on the network.

* MemeticMutation: "Why don't you have a seat over there?"\

* MemeticMutation: "Why don't you have a seat over there?"

* SyndicationTitle: Many of the hourlong true-crime documentaries are rebroadcast on {{MSNBC}} under individual titles without the ''Dateline'' branding.

* EveryCarIsAPinto: They claimed that GM's trucks were playing this trope straight, but in reality, they [[AvertedTrope averted it]].
* DrivenToSuicide: One of the "pedos" they captured with To Catch a Predator.