This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After thinking about it for a couple of weeks, I've decided I was far too kind to the "reality" show "The Briefcase" (7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2).

The premise is that in each episode, a family going through economic difficulty is given a briefcase with $101,000 in cash and told it's theirs. After they've had time to celebrate their good fortune, they're told that they have to decide how much to keep and how much to give to another family in economic distress.

What they don't know is that the other family has also been given a $101,000 briefcase and the same instructions.

The more I've seen of the show, the more it strikes as one of the most deeply cynical things on TV. These people's economic distress is being exploited for ratings. As are their emotions.

As is the fact that, in tonight's episode, we have a married couple whose religious beliefs are not gay friendly on one side, and a lesbian couple on the other.

The drama, such as it is, revolves around whether they'll decide to look greedy on TV.

Nothing that happens is believable. The only way we'd ever know if these people are generous souls is if this was't being filmed and they didn't know they'd be on TV. In which case, there'd be no show.

Which wouldn't be a bad idea.

Elsewhere on TV ...

"Stanley Cup Final" (6 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Game 4 — Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks.

"MasterChef" (7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): The contestants prepare crab dishes.

"Bullseye" (8 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Kellan Lutz and Godfrey host.

"Celebrity Wife Swap" (9 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Tami Roman and Kerri Walsh-Jennings trade places. I don't have any idea who these people are, and I don't care enough to look them up. Sorry.

"Melissa & Joey" (9 p.m., ABC Family): Joe learns the story behind Mel's devil tattoo.

"Baby Daddy" (9:30 p.m., ABC Family): Emma's babysitters go on strike.

""Ripper Street" (11 p.m., BBC America): A chemist is murdered and the investigation leads the team into the shadowy underworld of illegal abortions.