It's like To Catch a Predator, but for dads who don't pay child support!
Fox is fishing out some more reality programming with Bad Dads (working title), according to The Hollywood Reporter. The new show seeks to rat out those who do the old wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am thing without owning up to the consequences. The network has ordered a pilot of the show from J.D. Roth, the man behind other unscripted shows such as The Biggest Loser and Beauty and the Geek.
In Bad Dads, director of the National Child Support Center Jim Durham tracks down men who have knocked up single moms but aren't financially contributing to their child's well-being. In the first episode, Durham tracks down a wealthy man at his country club and demands that he pay what he owes to the mother of his child.
"(Durham) calls them on the phone and gives them the chance to do the right thing," Roth told The Hollywood Reporter. "Of course, those calls are never met with anything but yelling. Then he goes into their life, finds out what kind of assets they have, and makes their lives miserable--foreclose on their house, repossess their car. He will squeeze them until the women get paid."
The show sounds like part Cops and part Cheaters, but Roth insists the show has much more social responsibility.
"I've seen Cops, and I want to watch more than a crack addict with his pants around his ankles running away from a police car," Roth said, clearly speaking for himself. "These guys [on Bad Dads] owe money, and they should pay."
Comments (25)
I think the show should be about Deadbeat parents not just the dads. There are a great deal of women that leave men with children too.
Is this a current show? I've never seen it but, very interested.
The father mentally-emotionally abused 14 year old daughter causing her to consider suicide; father & daughter enter family counseling for 6 months... Father "crosses the line" again; daughter removes herself to "self protect" and goes to mother's house as part of a last resort "safe plan." Daughter refuses to go back. Although father agreed in writing to contribute to daughter's college costs, father refuses to contribute in order to teach daughter a lesson and financially damage mother. Father makes $200,000 salary. No attorney will help mother to get father to do the right thing. Daughter is 19, a full time student, living at home and is not self-supporting... yet father & his attorney claim she is emancipated. Who can help? (Colorado)
I would love to be on that show to. My ex husband doesn't give a crap about his kids. His girlfriend is a major pain in the butt to she is partly the reason he does not pay. She wants and wants for the baby she has with him and her daughter but doesn't feel like he should pay his kids a dime. I hope they throw these guys in jail and I hope this show does not only single moms but moms that were once married to the dead beat dad because its just as much as a struggle
I would love to be on that show. My ex has never paid me a dime and the courts and government are no help when the man works under the table and keeps moving. Please help. My children have suffered growing up without a father. We were married and our kids were planned. Now he thinks he has no responsibility and is actually raising someone elses children while having abandoned his own.
well, i think its a good idea. could they possibly go after my dad who owes 23,000+ in child support? and still isn't paying? whoever knows how i could let someone know, could you help me out!?
This is a great idea and it could really make a difference in a lot of lives as long as they don't make it a man woman issue but rather a parent deadbeat issue. Child support is not about breaking anyone's balls so to speak- it's about taking care of a child and if you make one, you should help raise one. The dads that should be profiled are not the ones that are "behind" in their child support but the ones that NEVER pay; disregard the law, never see/talk to/respect their children,and then have the audacity to say that it's about the ex getting his money. It's revolting and I would applaud watching hours of seeing these louses get some of the hurt they dish out.
Cheaters: Dead-Beat Dad Edition.Could be a hit but as always, time will tell.
I can understand how some men might find this offensive. However, there are so very many men out there that plan families with the women then take a holiday when it comes to the responsibility. I for one, am one of the women left holding the bag. It is sickening that this happens as the woman who devotes her life to raising the child is forever deprived because there is no support from the other party and the State agencies do absolutely NOTHING to collect and are simply a drain on our societies economic system. I have a 9 year old autistic child and have never received payments from his father and while I struggle terribly to make ends meet and by myself provide the care that this child needs, his father gets to completely sherk his financial responsibility and have a great big party.....and keep all of his money all while living in the next county over!! I need this show to collect for me! RIGHT ON FOX, Go Get him!!!!!moreless
wow, maybe I'm going to come off sounding like the horrible person here, but I think this is a stupid, awful Idea. Men really have no rights as it is in the choice to have the child or not, and every situation is unique. The act of sex itself is one that men and women both share the responibility, but the further acts of an abortion, or giving the child up for adoption are fully the womans and the men are left to suffer whatever the woman chooses. men have no real paternal rights.And agree with me there or not, this is still low ball trashy tv. these are personal issues and I'm sure these men do not want their life's plastered all over some bad reality show like this. they compare this to "to catch a predator", but are men who never wanted children but had them are as bad as people who molest children? no way.but like I said, every situation is unique. if i man is with a woman, wants to have a child with her, she has it and he just leaves her, he should without question have to pay child support. i believe 100% in that.And will Fox go after "Bad Mom's" next? "Bad Wifes"? The type of women who decide to have these children and don't care for them properly. the type of women that end up having multiple children from multiple men, and the children go up neglected? if you ask me they are worse then the dads who wont pay child support, but in our sexist society, the man has no rights.Thats my essay. haha.moreless
I can't wait for this show. If a parent has assets they gotta pay and hopefully the public humiliation wrecks their life.
i'd actually love to see someone get their life turned upside down until they pay up!
though i hope the women aren't crack heads or anything like that
So is this one a joke? This seems like a disaster in the making. FOX is willing to cancel good original programming just so they can put on this cheap garbage.
Its good that they're doing this. But to make it a show? I bet the dads are humiliated. lol
Great more reality shows. About half of them flop anyway these days!
might watch the first episode but the season sounds like it might be boring after a while.....
If we're forced to have another reality show, then it might as well be this one. It may be a big hit, it may not be, but it does put the spotlight on something that we as a society tend to ignore: that of the deadbeat dad. If we can shed some light on the seriousness of this problem, then maybe, just MAYBE we can help the women and children that suffer as a result.
If we HAVE to have another reality show, let it be this one. At least it's not Bad Dad Celebrities.
Gosh - this show sounds swell! Get real people, if they ain't paying the gov-mint, you think they're going to pay someone from FOX or their representative? BTW - I agree with BeachfrontGlass.
Let the government handle it? They HAVE been in charge of it, but they suck at it.
I think FOX is going too far with this one. Let the government collect the money it's supposed to without the media getting involved. If anything I see a few of these Dad's attempting to sue FOX is this happens.
It sounds like a good idea for Dateline NBC. But it's on FOX. I really don't think they're going to do it in a classy way.
Why wont reality tv just die? Really. No offense......but only brain dead morons would watch this show. Then again, american idol is one of the highest rated shows....so this one might just be a huge hit.
I'm not so sure about this show... I forsee a string of murders trailing behind this show. One of those dads is going to go psycho from the national humiliation and kill his family and/or people from the show.
Not to mention, it just doesn't sound like much fun to watch.
sounds like it could be intresting