NEW YORK, NY - NBC has agreed to pay for filming five episodes of a new reality show tentatively named "ER: Tables Turned". The show is based on people from varied backgrounds (a bus driver, a grocery bagger, and a pizza delivery man will appear in the first episode) performing surgery on doctors. "It's supposed to be light and fun, but with the possibility of death. We hope it will keep people tuned in." said the show's producer, Jereck Clark.

Each amateur surgeon ("cutter") will be accompanied by two licensed, practicing surgeons, but they will only be allowed to give advice. The cutter will have to do all the work.

"The legal challenges in getting a program like this into production are obviously great," said Clark, "but we're confident we've got agreements in place that protect everybody. The patients are well compensated for being the guinea pigs, and their contract states that if they die during or immediately after the surgery, we double that. It's more than fair for everybody."

"Certainly, a reasonable person can see that this is going too far," responded Dr. Anthony Blundo, one of several doctors working to keep the program off the air. "It's bad enough to mess with someone's home or someone's marriage in the name of 'reality entertainment', but this is so far off the mark, I and my colleagues can't believe it's even happening."

"They can sign all the petitions they want," said Clark, "but in the end it is the American television viewer that decides what airs. And we think people are going to love this."
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