What if you noticed a baby left alone in a hot car on a hot summer day? And what if it was a dog left alone in the sweltering heat? What if your date showed up looking nothing like his/her attractive online photograph, totally misrepresenting him/herself? And what if you witnessed a mother verbally abusing her child’s nanny? Using hidden cameras, “Primetime: What Would You Do?†sets up everyday scenarios and then captures people’s reactions. Whether people are compelled to act or mind their own business, John Quiñones reports on their split-second – and often surprising – decision-making process, on “Primetime: What Would You Do?,†airs on Tuesdays at 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.
Often people speculate on how they might act in a difficult situation, but this series shows what they actually do in the face of everyday dilemmas that test their character and values.
Recent shows include:
BABY LEFT ALONE IN A HOT CAR: Almost 40 children die every year after being left behind in a hot car. Did these kids go unnoticed or did strangers just walk on by? Using a lifelike doll, “What Would You Do?†examines how people passing by would react if they did indeed notice – would they come to the baby’s rescue?
TALKING DOWN TO THE HELP: If you have ever worked for someone not very nice or witnessed someone talking down to their employees in a way that made you uncomfortable, you are not alone. “What Would You Do?†explores how people react when they witness an abusive situation between an employer and an employee, in this case a mother, her child and a nanny. Will people intervene when the mother is verbally abusive toward the nanny and will the reaction be different when it is the child who is abusive toward the hired help?
ONLINE DATING: Millions of people are looking for love through online dating websites and many have actually found their perfect match. However, online daters can use the internet as a mask to hide behind and many are not forthcoming about their true appearance, using pictures that are blatant misrepresentations of how they really look. How will people respond when their dates show up and look nothing like their online photos?
DOG IN HOT CAR: Will people react differently to a dog left alone in a hot car than to a baby left alone? Will they come to a Golden Retriever’s rescue or walk on by, even when he barks for help?
“What Would You Do?†has won awards from the Chicago International Television Festival, and the Avon Foundation’s 2006 Voice of Change Award for exposing “injustice and wrongdoing against women and bringing the message of domestic violence to the mainstream.†The foundation called the program “an important work of journalism that illustrates the unwillingness of many people to become involved or speak out against domestic violence.â€
