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Why Was ‘To Catch a Predator’ Canceled? Looking Back at the Show’s Shutdown
The NBC sting series drew millions of viewers, but critics said it prioritized ratings over justice and ended after a death tied to the operation.
- The television program Predator has returned to the spotlight following the release of the trailer for the A24 movie Primetime earlier this week, featuring Robert Pattinson as host Chris Hansen.
- Running on NBC from 2004 to 2007, the investigative special used hidden cameras to document men arriving at sting houses to meet minors, though critics noted the program often prioritized news production over justice.
- Bill Conradt, a Dallas-Forth Worth district attorney, died by suicide within 60 minutes of police arriving at his home with Dateline cameras during a sting operation in November 2006.
- Following Conradt's death, his sister filed a $109 million wrongful death lawsuit against NBC, which settled out of court; former Murphy Police Department detective Walt Weiss called his role 'a stain on my soul.'
- Despite the controversy, Hansen has insisted the series ended simply because it ran its course after three years, while Primetime is scheduled to hit Theaters in September 2026.
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Why Was ‘To Catch a Predator’ Canceled? Looking Back at the Show’s Shutdown
With Robert Pattinson starring as Chris Hansen in a new film, we're looking back at the show's history.
·Cherokee County, United States
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Total News Sources44
Leaning Left5Leaning Right11Center19Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Center
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
54% Center
14%
C 54%
R 32%
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