Is America ready for a sex makeover TV show?

"Sex Inspectors" is the first TV show in history to put cameras in the bedroom of ordinary people and have their sex lives critiqued--and spiced up--by two "sexperts" (American advice columnist Michael Alvear and British therapist Tracey Cox). The programming uses night vision and thermal imagery cameras to record couples having sex. (Viewers will see some of the footage.) Alvear and Cox analyze the sex and snap into action, meeting with the couples, dispensing advice, and showing them how to improve their sex lives.

Although not a single episode has aired, dozens of British papers have published stories about the groundbreaking show. Some social commentators think it is about time TV took a mature, helpful approach to sex. Others, like a spokesman for Mediawatch, held a press conference and described "Sex Inspectors" as "smutty, obscene, and pornographic."

"Sex Inspectors" or, as some call it, "Shagging on British Television," is the first program to help couples in committed relationships overcome their sexual difficulties (from impotence to low libidos). At turns funny, poignant, and dramatic, it is enlightening (the "squeeze technique" does not prevent premature ejaculation) and humorously informative ("More women in Britain own vibrators than washing machines"). Most of all, though, it is supposed to be a "how to" program offering viewers solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

However, will the U.S., which already has imported "American Idol" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" from the U.K., air this controversial program?

Discussions for an American version are under way, with several cable networks showing serious interest. Six episodes of the 45-minute show are scheduled to run starting Nov. 16 on Britain's Channel 4, a major television network equivalent to ABC or NBC in the U.S.

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