Netflix takes potshots at its competitors on cable with ‘Trial By Media,’ a six-episode documentary is executive-produced by George Clooney. Yes, the actor who’s best known for ruining the Batman media franchise.

The show takes on several sensationalized court cases. They start with ‘Jenny Jones murder’ when the daytime talk show host embarrassed one of her guests only for him to murder a man who revealed he had a crush on him. They also discuss the New York City subway vigilante who killed four men who allegedly tried to rob him. The third episode follows the killing of Amadou Diallo who was brutally shot forty-one times by the NYPD. They also touch on the case of HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy, who became a religious television host. The penultimate episode revolves around the first rape trial to be broadcast on CNN. The finale centers on former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and accusations that he tried to sell a Senate seat only to have his sentence commuted by President Donald Trump.

When I first heard the title, I figured it would be a documentary covering all of the media’s greatest failures in covering trials. How they covered the crimes of Bonnie and Clyde or how they maligned Richard Jewel, the Covington schoolboys, Amanda Knox, Lindy Chamberlain, and Daniel Holtzclaw.

Instead, we are treated to a bunch of cases that became circuses. Not only that but episodes two and three, give one of the biggest frauds in the United States, the one and only Al Sharpton a platform where he got to preen and pretend that he did not plead guilty to not filing his taxes or that he was found guilty of defamation and refused to pay the penalty. The sad thing is, the cases of Diallo and the subway vigilante needed to be explored, but with a fraud trying to steal the spotlight like he always does, it made me doubt even the slightest assertion that was made.

That is not to say that the interviews were not interesting or informative. I also liked the aesthetics. It is very well-edited and put together. Each episode moves along smoothly and with ease.

Now, I will say that I found their subjects and topics more sensationalized than actually “tried” by the media. Hopefully, we will find more actual trials by media in the second season and have less preening by total frauds.

Check out the trailer below:

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