Oprah's Big Give

As I sat down to watch Sunday night TV this past weekend I noticed a new show featuring one of the most recognizable names in show business - Oprah Winfrey. It was the second episode of the show called "Oprah's Big Give," combining Oprah's heart-warming philanthropic ideals with reality television. Here is a summary of what the show entails, taken from the ABC website:

"In eight one-hour episodes, a diverse, determined and competitive group of ten people are given the challenge of a lifetime — to change the lives of complete strangers in the most creative and dramatic ways. In this intense competition, the contestants criss-cross the country, scrambling to find ways to impact the fates and fortunes of unsuspecting people who are in for the surprise of their lives. Lives will be changed in the blink of an eye as contestants race against time to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences and also give away hundreds of thousands of dollars. Who will be the lucky few to get a "Big Give"… and who will get all that cash? The series premiere, "Episode 101," kicks off in Los Angeles, where Oprah hands ten contestants sealed envelopes with only a picture and the name of a complete stranger. Under intense pressure, they must give big to change this person's life in just five days. The contestants must use their creativity and resources to generate the most powerful and sensational ways to make a real difference, and with the clock ticking, the competition, drama and emotion mount and the contestants' stamina, creativity and drive are tested. This first dramatic challenge will send one person packing. Throughout the episodes, Oprah makes multiple special appearances and turns up in various locations to surprise the contestants with dramatic new twists and turns. "The show is fun, entertaining and powerful television with a real heart," said Winfrey. "America will just love the heart of this show." As the competition tightens, big Hollywood stars join "Oprah's Big Give," raising the stakes and turning up the heat. Celebrity guests include Jennifer Aniston, John Travolta and Jada Pinkett-Smith, tennis legend Andre Agassi, skateboarding idol Tony Hawk, racing star Danica Patrick, plus more. At the end of each hour, the contestants must face a panel of three expert judges who will judge them on their leadership, accomplishments, creativity and presentation. They include world-renowned "Naked" chef and philanthropist Jamie Oliver, NFL star, nine-time Pro Bowler and Boys & Girls Club Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, and wife of Chris Rock and charity founder Malaak Compton-Rock. In the end, there is only one rule in "Oprah's Big Give": YOU EITHER GIVE BIG OR YOU GO HOME. In every episode, the contestants must each find innovative and ingenious ways to impact the lives of strangers, or they risk elimination at the hands of the judging panel. As the episodes continue, the "gives" get even bigger, the guest stars get brighter and tensions mount, all culminating in the exciting series finale where The Biggest Giver will become the biggest winner. What the contestants don't know — and only viewers do — is that Oprah Winfrey will surprise The Biggest Giver with a whopping $1 million prize."

As I watched the hour-long episode of “Oprah’s Big Give” on Sunday night, I had mixed emotions about the new show, luckily more positive than negative. First, I must admit, I do enjoy watching people make a difference in others' lives on reality television rather than the majority of these new "brainless" reality television shows. Second, as we all know, Oprah always has good intentions, as I am a huge fan of her work. However, although I am a fan of Oprah and her new show, I am somewhat skeptical of turning charity work into a race for big bucks.

While some of the contestants do seem to be deeply touched by their philanthropic work, whom I respect, others almost blatantly showed us their concern for the monetary reward at the end of the contest. I am almost certain the goal of this show is to inspire people to take action, which I am hoping it will do in significant amounts. But I do not want this show to give individuals' the wrong impression of taking action in peoples' lives. In reality, the majority of the time when you want to make a difference, there is sometimes more hard work involved and not as much recognition as portrayed on television. At the end of the day, there is usually no monetary reward but perhaps just a smile on another person's face.

My message to you is to watch the show, whether you dislike it or not, and take ideas from it. See what action you can take and remember the real meaning for doing what you do. I am extremely interested into see how this show unravels and the feedback it will receive from its viewers. Give it a whirl, and see what you think. The show airs on Sunday nights on ABC from 9:00-10:00pm Eastern time.