CBS' "The Unit" is another successful prime-time show that revolves around an American counter-terrorism unit. However, the show has consciously avoided having its "good guys" torture.
"We've tried to show the futility of it and how it hurts both parties," said Shawn Ryan, an executive producer of "The Unit," which has devoted a couple episodes to the topic. "But I realize that safety comes first for people, and things like civil freedoms can become endangered in times of war and fear. And we live in a time of war and fear. I mean, how much useful information was pulled from Abu Ghraib? Probably none. But how much damage did it do to America around the world?"
In extremely rare instances, torture may actually work, said Herrington, who notes it's still practiced in many other countries. But what is far more likely to happen in such cases is the torturer will receive unreliable information -- or will lose their suspect completely.
"A human being isn't a light switch," said Joe Navarro, a former counterintelligence agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "We don't really know when someone will go into shock or when they will faint or even die."
Real-life interrogations are much more about building trust or staging psychological games to induce a subject to talk -- and keep talking, added Navarro.
Sympathetic with the human rights group's agenda, producers for both "24" and "Lost" agreed to be interviewed on camera for an educational video for the military. Taping a public service message is one thing. Tinkering with the fragile, almost mystical, insides of a hit television show is another.
Producers for both shows balked at saying whether story lines would actually shift as a result of their discussions.
"It's a lot more dynamic to see somebody tortured than to win someone's trust," said Carlton Cuse, an executive producer of "Lost." "Particularly in the framework of an action/adventure show like 'Lost' and '24.' "
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martin.miller@latimes.com
