Witness to the Execution (1994) on Netflix

Plot summary

The network where Jessica Traynor works is losing its audience, and she brings its executives a reality special: a live execution. She presents it as an examination of justice and public accountability, while the ratings are what she is after. Corporate backing follows, and Dennis Casterline, a man condemned to die, agrees to appear in return for a payment to his family. Viewers divide over the plan, some treating it as a serious look at capital punishment and others calling it exploitation. Her team prepares an elaborate production as the execution date approaches, and the event grows into a global media spectacle.