К 2019 году излюбленным развлечением для жителей Америки, превратившейся в полувоенное государство, стало садистское телешоу «Бегущий человек», участники которого — невинные жертвы — не имели ни единого шанса на выживание.
By 2017, the global economy has collapsed and U.S. society has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The government pacifies the populace by broadcasting a number of game shows in which convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style The Running Man, hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian, where “runners” attempt to evade “stalkers” and certain death for a chance to be pardoned and set free.