There was a sword fight, a pie in a face, 50's music - and a succession of stingingly joyless true-life stories.

Still, this implosion in Mr. Gore's stock of true-life stories should be a lesson for the future.

This true-life story, at once disturbing and illuminating, encapsulates the larger drama of a failing system.

Some advertising material issued to promote the series inadvisedly claimed that it was a "true-life story".

A true-life story, it was also a testimonial to the psychological survival of the victim.

It is exclusively true-life stories with real people behind.

"For instance, the reverend wants a Rolls," he explains with a true-life story.

The phony true-life story of a doomed romance," she said, "but don't be too impressed.

It purportedly tells the true-life story of Thymian, a young woman forced by circumstance into a life of prostitution.

A 30-minute program, it includes features, interviews, re-enacted true-life stories and a diversity of inspirational music.