(NYT) – Netflix’s reboot of a notoriously cruel and unusual psychological study makes for unenlightening reality TV.

You would think, then, that a “New Stanford Prison Experiment” would have all the appeal of “The New Donner Party Expedition.” And you would not be wrong.

The premise — people behave badly in extremis — has plenty in common with reality shows like “Survivor,” which long styled itself a “social experiment,” and scripted hits like “Squid Game.” Prison, with its built-in tensions and conflicts, has been a setting not just for drama but for reality shows like the long-running “Lockdown.” (Read More)