What was once a huge franchise success for NBC’s Dateline has quickly snowballed into a PR lynching. “To Catch a Predator” – where hunting for Internet pedophiles becomes a family board game hosted by Chris Hansen – has been churning out new episodes (and sickos) like The Hills does melodrama.

But the show, for all the public awareness it’s drumming up, already cost one life (and hooked the network a $100 million wrongful death suit), accusations of severe journalistic ethics breaches, a “>3-month-long Esquire investigation (with a coverline suggesting NBC cancel the show), and now: an inquiry from ABC’s 20/20, which is said to be sniffing around TCAP with “ambush interviews,” as TVNewser relays.

NBC, for what it’s worth, remains “proud” of the show and says it doesn’t plan on changing the format. Though might we suggest a co-host? CNBC’s Erin Burnett has total crossover appeal.

Original post by Perez Hilton and software by Elliott Back