Cheaters (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Cheaters is a weekly syndicated hidden camera reality television series that documents people who are suspected of committing adultery, or cheating, on their partners. Investigations are headed by the "Cheaters Detective Agency". The show, as of the 13th season, is hosted by Clark Gable III. Internet meme sensation Sweet Brown is rumored to be joining the cast next season.

It airs on Saturday nights on The CW Plus and also aired on G4TV from 2006"2012. The CW Plus airs two episodes: one one-hour long episode followed by one-thirty minute episode. A short 10-minute version of the show called Cheaters: Amazing Confrontations is available through on-demand services. On June 29, 2012, news magazine program 20/20 announced that as of season 13, longtime host, Joey Greco, who was once stabbed filming an episode for the show by a cheating lover, would be replaced by Clark Gable, grandson of the legendary actor of the same name. Greco had hosted the show since late 2002 to mid 2012.

This has been rated TV-14 according to the TV guidances of the USA due to strong language, sexual, and potentially violent situations. However, all uncensored pay-per-view episodes of Cheaters are rated TV-MA as they contain nudity and explicit language.

The show's complainants can be either married or long-term significant others, and have included both opposite-sex and same-sex couples. It begins with a brief interview of the complainant, detailing how the complainant met their partner and what has led them to believe that the partner is cheating.

Next, narrator Robert Magruder describes the progress of the investigation of the partner (referred to as "the suspect" during the episode), including surveillance footage of the suspect's actions with their alleged paramour (dubbed "the companion") recorded by the show's private investigators.

When the investigation turns up enough evidence of the suspect's infidelity, the show enters its second segment, "the confrontation." The host meets with the complainant and shows them the evidence that has been collected; graphic footage from the investigators"?for example, the suspect and their companion engaged in a sexual act"?is shown uncensored to the complainant but is shown digitally blurred during the episode, however, uncensored DVDS of the show have been released uncut.

This meeting takes place at a time when the suspect and their companion are being observed together elsewhere; the intent is to allow the complainant to catch the suspect in the act of infidelity. The host and the complainant, along with a full crew of production and security personnel, seek out and confront the alleged cheater. The confrontation often takes place in public, with the complainant and host both attempting to get an explanation out of the suspect for their behavior.

The final segment, "the conclusion," presents parting thoughts from the complainant, the suspect and their companion as they depart the scene of the confrontation. Next, updates from previous cases, including interviews from suspects and their companions, are presented. Lastly, the narrator describes what became of the complainant, the suspect and the companion (and in rare cases, others that may also be involved) after the show.

History

The show, created by Bobby Goldstein, an attorney in Dallas, Texas, made its debut in 2000. The original host of the show was actor Tommy Habeeb aka "Tommy Grand" (2000-2002). 2004 brought syndication reruns of previous seasons, edited into a half-hour Monday-through-Friday strip format with new intros by Joey Greco as host. In 2006, G4 began showing the strip version with faster-paced editing and music due to complaints that the show seemed boring and contrived, as well as a different voiceover artist, for weekly airings on its Midnight Spank block. Since December 9, 2009, G4 has now moved this show to the short-lived "Junk Food TV" block. G4 has stopped airing Cheaters since December 2012.

With the premiere of its 13th season, new weekly episodes on are now airing in 1080i High-Definition. The shows titlecard, that was used for eleven seasons, was altered to 3D, and more "high defenition" graphics were placed onto the show. The format in the very beginning has also changed to having the announcers "reading" before clips of the episode are shown.

Controversy

In 2002, the Houston Press tracked down several individuals who said they were paid $400 per show by one of the detectives of the agency to act on the show, and were paid $50 per referral to refer other actors. One performer was quoted saying, "What [the show's private detective] told me was that some of the episodes are real, but... they would do these ringer episodes to supplement the show." The show's private investigator denies that he staged anyone's scenario and further added that he does not need to do so based on the number of inquiries the agency receives. The producers of Cheaters currently have a legal disclaimer at the end of each episode, reiterating the reality of the show, though a Federal Communications Commission representative confirmed to the Houston Press that, "there's no law or regulation against presenting acted-out scenarios as reality on television."

On December 16, 2005, four employees of the show were indicted on charges of restraining a woman. The charges were against the host Joey Greco, director Hunter Carson and two security guards. On November 9, 2006, the four were acquitted. In another episode, Greco was detained at the scene of a bachelor party while helping a man confront his cheating fiancée. After Greco explained the situation about the couple to police, he was given a short talk about disturbing the peace and released with his copy of a written warning.

On November 3, 2009, Inside Edition ran a news story reiterating the claim that the show was staged, citing several additional actors that said they were paid to appear on the show. One of them appeared in the Greco stabbing episode and claimed that it was staged. Despite the episode depicting a male being placed under arrest for stabbing Greco, Inside Edition found that no actual arrest matching that description was made by the Rowlett, Texas police department, where the episode took place. Physician"patient privilege would prevent the hospital that treated Greco from releasing records to Inside Edition. Nothing prevents the producers of Cheaters from voluntarily displaying the records, yet they have not done so. Despite the lack of records, Goldstein denied in an interview that the episode was staged. A follow-up on the story, which aired on Inside Edition the following week (November 9, 2009), showed Joey Greco being interviewed by investigative reporter Matt Meagher about the accusations in the earlier report. Greco declined to respond to Meagher's questions, citing that he cannot legally comment further on the incidents.

On August 8, 2010, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission press release reported that Bobby Goldstein Productions, Inc., and Cheaters II, Ltd. (Civil Action No. 3:08-CV-1912-P) paid $50,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit. The suit was brought on the behalf of two female office assistants who were the target of frequent sexual jokes and comments, unwanted physical advances, and propositions for sex. The alleged perpetrators included members of upper management. Says attorney Robert A. Canino, a regional attorney from the EEOC Dallas District Office, "just because the creator of Cheaters promotes a TV show business which thrives on featuring sexual transgressions, it is no justification for engaging in sexual improprieties which violate the employment rights of his female employees behind the scenes."

DVD releases

Visual Entertainment of Canada has released several best-of collections of Cheaters on DVD in Region 1.

Cheaters Spy Shop

In late September 2011, Cheaters Spy Shop was launched and promoted in the new episodes beginning with Season 12. The online store sells many items private investigators use, like hidden cameras and GPS trackers.

In other media

Some people have unexpectedly captured Cheaters confrontations in public places through their video cameras and uploaded them to a video sharing website such as YouTube. The show has been parodied and referenced in several films and television shows, such as Janky Promoters (2009), "George Lopez, .

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