Matt Levi, who's worked on two other TV documentaries on crystal meth with filmmaker Edgy Lee, says his work as a private investigator suits Lee's revealing style.

"The Levi Report," their prime-time program tonight, "is an offshoot of the earlier shows together," Levi said.

He applauds KHON-2 for taking the plunge and working with them to air the program in prime time, during sweeps. The documentary competes with network prime-time shows such as "CSI: New York" and "Law & Order."

Lee, known for her documentaries on Waikiki, paniolo, Papakolea and other Island topics, said the intent of "The Levi Report" was to explore important topics within the community before the networks do it.

"Face it, TV is an effective medium, and we wanted to do the kind of stories that 'Dateline' does for Pittsburgh or Los Angeles. We see a lot more people (TV crews) coming in from L.A. and New York now, to tell stories about the locals. We locals better come to the forefront and tell it, too — before someone else comes in and tells it for us. You can't complain when someone else does it wrong," Lee said.

That's why she revved up her FilmWorks Pacific team, which includes producer Jeffrey Mueller.

"If we're going to do it, we're going to do it big," Lee said.

"The Levi Report" was planned and filmed quickly. The Hawaii Medical Service Association and state Office of Hawaiian Affairs are major sponsors.

Levi, who serves as on-camera host, downplays his role.

"It's just what I do — investigate," he said. Levi was a reporter for KGMB-9 until 1988, before he opened up a private detective agency.

"You hear a lot of things; it's a matter of checking it out," he said of following a case.

He's happy that "The Levi Report" not only looks at the dark side of life in the Islands, but also tells "stories that make the community proud."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.