National Geographic Channel is taking us inside the Border Wars. Illegal immigration into the United States has been a hot-topic issue for years and years, and now NGC is taking viewers to the front-line with their new series. Set in the sister cities of Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Mexico, Border Wars promises to show how one of America's busiest borders is kept under control.
The series will feature drug smuggling rings, elaborate tunnel systems constructed beneath the city streets, and a team of professionals who's job is to keep the borders as secure as possible. It's certainly a different take on the typical law enforcement reality shows we've seen.
And while I'm sure we'll all be pleased to see drug runners taken down, or fugitive criminals brought to justice before they can flee the country, it will be much harder to watch innocent, poor and starving people who just want a better life for their families and don't have a legal way to achieve it. At least, for some it will be, and that's where I think this should could find some controversy.
That said, National Geographic is a trusted brand, and they've always done a respectful job of looking at different cultures and difficult situations, so they may just pull this off. And yet, even though National Geographic is more than just looking at nature and other countries, this still feels like a departure for the network. I know they're all jumping into the reality bandwagon to try and get more viewers, but it always stings a little bit when they do.
Border Wars kicks off with a sneak preview Sunday, Jan. 10 at 9 PM, with an encore presentation Monday, Jan. 11 at 8 PM, followed immediately by the second episode at 9 PM (it's regularly scheduled day and time).
