A new Netflix true crime documentary has been branded “the most insane thing ever”.
Killer Ratings follows Brazilian Wallace Souza, who secretly ordered hitmen to kill people in order to boost the ratings on his TV show on Canal Livre.
The crew of Brazil’s equivalent to Dateline filmed the corpses in order to keep the audience riveted.
It was similar to Dateline in the sense that it covered crime, but also threw in some lighter content in the form of puppets.
The grizzly tale is so elaborate and full of twists and turns that a documentary film wouldn’t cut it, so Netflix has unfolded the story in a seven-part series.
The Netflix blurb explained: “Wallace Souza – a TV personality and politician in Brazil – is accused of masterminding the same brutal crimes he reports on and rallies against.”
Killer Ratings Netflix: Who was Wallace Souza? TV host had people killed to boost ratings (Pic: NETFLIX)
“Wallace Souza – a TV personality and politician in Brazil – is accused of masterminding the same brutal crimes he reports on and rallies against”
Netflix
Who was Wallace Souza?
Wallace was born in Manaus, Amazonas on August 12, 1958.
He obtained a degree at the College of Business in São Luiz Gonzaga and the State College Basílio Machado.
After studying Human Behaviour at the University Nilton Lins he started with a career as a police officer.
After being arrested for pension fraud and petrol theft, and extorting criminals in 1987, he resigned.
He didn’t serve any time in jail after leaving the police, but instead changed career to broadcasting.
The South American big shot’s show Canal Livre, which he created with his brothers Faust and Carlos, ran from 1989 until 2008.
The show was incredibly popular and “aimed at fighting crime and social injustice”.
The long-running talk show saw Souza cover vicious murders, while his cameras were on site often before police.
The show got incredible ratings due to its rapid, close-up coverage of horrendous crimes.
NETFLIX: Viewers are fascinated by the grizzly tale of Wallace Souza (Pic: NETFLIX)
Souza became known as a hero for reporting the murders of Brazilian drug traffickers.
He also used his newfound celebrity status to become a politician, and became so powerful he got away with his crimes for a while.
He was elected in 1998 by the Liberal Party, before taking leadership of the Social Christian Party.
In 2000 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Amazonas, and was re-elected in 2002.
WALLACE SOUZA: The Brazilian TV host and politician had ordered hits to boost his ratings (Pic: NETFLIX)
In 2009 Wallace was charged with running a criminal organisation, and hiring hitmen to carry out the killing of at least five people.
It also turned out Souza was a drug trafficker himself.
He got caught because police became suspicious after Souza aired footage of a suspected drug dealer’s burned body very quickly.
Souza explained his producers arrived on crime scenes quickly because of their “well-placed sources and by constantly monitoring scanners for police radio dispatches”.
It was Souza’s own team who eventually spoke out, which led to him being caught.
As police suspicion grew, they exposed him for murder, drug trafficking and gang activity.
The criminal passed away from a heart attack on July 27, 2010.
