Oprah's Big Give
Encyclopedia
Oprah's Big Give is a reality television series that aired Sunday nights at 9:00 PM Eastern/8:00PM Central on ABC
, and is hosted by Nate Berkus
. The Big Give is produced by Harpo Productions
, and created and produced by Oprah Winfrey
, and also produced by Bert Van Munster and Elise Doganieri
. On April 20, 2008, during the final show, Stephen Paletta was declared the winner and won the $1 million. Outside the United States, the series is distributed through FremantleMedia
.
On May 13, 2008, ABC decided not to renew the series for a second season.
with a large sum of money, and try and help people in unique ways, and participate in a series of challenges in order to become America's greatest unknown philanthropist
.
In each episode, contestants travel to a different U.S. city and are given some amount of money and an assignment. Sometimes the contestants are paired or grouped, and sometimes they may act as individuals. In some cities, contestants are assigned to help a particular individual or organization, while in others they are simply told to find people in need. The contestants then have the opportunity to raise additional money in order to reach their goals. At the end of each episode, the panel of judges selects one person to go home.
At the end of the season, it was revealed to the winner that they won $1 million ($500,000 for themselves, and $500,000 to give away).
as a teenager.
is a businessman who was a self-made millionaire in his teenage years. His first company was producing greeting cards for friends and family.
, $10,000 in seed money was received by ABC affiliate WPTA
, which was then given to local trail organizations. A community celebration was held April 12, 2008, when it was revealed that the total donations had topped $1 million.
In Orlando, Florida
, over $50,000 has been donated to a mentoring program for at-risk youth, in conjunction with a charitable program from ABC affiliate WFTV
, that was inspired by Oprah's Big Give.
In Fresno, California
, $10,000 was donated by the ABC affiliate KFSN on behalf of Oprah's Big Give, and turned over to CalFire for installing smoke detectors in rural county homes that do not have any, to save lives. This was in a response to the death of two young girls who died in a house fire in 2006.
The program has also been criticized. Hollywood Reporter described it as a phony and self-aggrandizing promotional vehicle for Oprah. Tom Shales of the Washington Post described the show as having an "unsavory aura of exploitation" and as being trite and predictable. Rick Kushman of the Daily Herald found the show boring, and worried that it could serve to make viewers feel "cynical about charity," which would in turn make them feel guilty. Varietys Brian Lowry called the show "a reality-TV Frankenstein, birthed from parts of other programs" and its judges "arbitrary," and generally found that the philanthropic theme of the show was inconsistent with the competitive reality genre. However, Lowry also recognized the show's "emotional appeal" and conceded that the show's heart is "in the right place."
in New Zealand
at 7:30 PM. It also began airing on August 5, 2008, on NTV7
in Malaysia at 8:30 pm. The show premiered in the Philippines
on August 25, 2008, on the cable channel Lifestyle Network at 9:00 pm. In the UK, the show made its debut on October 10, 2008 on Diva TV
. In Belgium, the show began airing on September 2008 on Vitaya
. In Hong Kong
, the show starts airing on ATV World
starting February 7, 2009. In Australia it airs on channel 10 starting on March 22, 2009.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and is hosted by Nate Berkus
Nate Berkus
Nathan Jay "Nate" Berkus is an American interior designer and daytime television host. He runs the Chicago interior design firm Nate Berkus Associates and has been a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, offering design advice to viewers. May 25, 2010, was his last day on The Oprah Winfrey Show...
. The Big Give is produced by Harpo Productions
Harpo Productions
Harpo Productions, Inc. is an incorporated US-based multimedia production company founded by Oprah Winfrey . It also includes Harpo Films & Harpo Radio, Inc....
, and created and produced by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, and also produced by Bert Van Munster and Elise Doganieri
Elise Doganieri
Elise Doganieri is the Co-Creator and Co-Executive Producer of the CBS reality show The Amazing Race. Doganieri's other credits include serving as show producer of ABC's "Profiles From the Front Line" as well as producer and story editor on the pilot for Paramount's "Wild Things."The Amazing Race...
. On April 20, 2008, during the final show, Stephen Paletta was declared the winner and won the $1 million. Outside the United States, the series is distributed through FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
.
On May 13, 2008, ABC decided not to renew the series for a second season.
Format
The show is the first prime time reality series by Harpo Productions, and focuses on 10 contestants as they travel across the countryUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with a large sum of money, and try and help people in unique ways, and participate in a series of challenges in order to become America's greatest unknown philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
In each episode, contestants travel to a different U.S. city and are given some amount of money and an assignment. Sometimes the contestants are paired or grouped, and sometimes they may act as individuals. In some cities, contestants are assigned to help a particular individual or organization, while in others they are simply told to find people in need. The contestants then have the opportunity to raise additional money in order to reach their goals. At the end of each episode, the panel of judges selects one person to go home.
At the end of the season, it was revealed to the winner that they won $1 million ($500,000 for themselves, and $500,000 to give away).
Angelo
Angelo Adams is a former army captain born in Philadelphia who graduated from West Point. Angelo has two children and is currently in his second year at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.Brandi
Brandi Milloy is a four-time Miss America title holder who graduated from the University of Arizona. Brandi was diagnosed with scoliosisScoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
as a teenager.
Cameron
Cameron JohnsonCameron Johnson
Cameron Johnson is an author, businessman, entrepreneur, and internationally recognized public speaker. Most recently he was a finalist on Oprah's Big Give which aired on ABC....
is a businessman who was a self-made millionaire in his teenage years. His first company was producing greeting cards for friends and family.
Carlana
Carlana Stone is a graduate from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Slavic language. Carlana became a paraplegic after an automobile accident in which she was a passenger in a drunk driver's car.Eric
Eric Klein is a model and actor who lives in California. Eric also is the founder and CEO of Can-Do, a nonprofit organization that enables people who make charitable donations to actually see how their money is being spent.Kim
Kim Prentiss is a sports marketing executive who lives in Nashville. Kim described herself as selfish, and wants to turn her life around.you can also see her on jewerly telivision (JTV) where sh now works at. You may also see her on the Dish special on the Style Network.Marlene
Marlene Snipes is an Amtrak service attendant from Chicago. Marlene also is a motivational speaker and an aerobics instructor for her local church.Rachael
Rachael Hollingsworth is a singer who currently lives in Hollywood, California. She was a victim of gang violence and sexual and physical abuse.Sheg
Olusegun "Sheg" Aranmolate is a researcher at a University in Nashville and plans to attend medical school. Sheg has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and a master's degree in applied molecular biology. Sheg also moved from Nigeria to the United States at the age of 18.Stephen
Stephen Paletta was declared the biggest giver, and won the $1 million. He used some of the proceeds to start the GiveBack.org website.Chronology
The following table shows the contestants, along with the partner they had or team they participated on, as well as when they were eliminated.-
-
- Contestant was eliminated
- Contestant was at risk (a contestant who was instructed to open his or her envelope at the same time as a contestant who was ultimately eliminated; see note 1)
- Contestant was immuneImmunity (reality television)Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
(was informed before the envelopes were handed out, and thus did not receive one at all) - No Teams - Contestants competed as individuals
- All Together - Contestants competed as one team
-
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Denver | Houston | Miami | Atlanta | New York City | Home Towns | Chicago | ||
| Stephen | Eric | See Note 2 | Forgotten Christmas | No Teams | No Teams | All Together | No Teams | Winner | |
| Brandi | Cameron | See Note 2 | Forgotten Christmas | No Teams | No Teams | All Together | No Teams | Runner Up | |
| Cameron | Brandi | See Note 2 | Forgotten Christmas | No Teams | No Teams | All Together | No Teams | Runner Up | |
| Rachael | Angelo | See Note 2 | Field of Dreams | No Teams | No Teams | All Together | |||
| Olusegun | Carlana | See Note 2 | Field of Dreams | No Teams | No Teams | ||||
| Eric | Stephen | See Note 2 | Forgotten Christmas | No Teams | |||||
| Kim | Marlene | See Note 2 | Field of Dreams | No Teams | |||||
| Carlana | Olusegun | See Note 2 | Field of Dreams | ||||||
| Angelo | Rachael | See Note 2 | |||||||
| Marlene | Kim | ||||||||
- Note 1: After Week 4, contestants were no longer instructed to open their envelopes in a particular order. Thus, no 'At Risk' contestants were identified in subsequent weeks.
- Note 2: In Week 2, contestants were not divided into teams, nor were they prohibited from forming teams. Eric, Stephen, and Cameron chose to work as a team, while the remaining contestants all worked individually.
- Note 3: In Week 7, contestants flew to their hometowns and worked with family and friends to perform their give. It was revealed that no one would be eliminated.
Ratings
| # | Air Date | Timeslot (EST) | Season | Rating | Share | 18-49 (Rating/Share) | Viewers (m) | Weekly Rank (#) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 2, 2008 | Sunday 9:00 P.M. | 9.4 | 14 | 5.3/12 | 15.55 | 4 | |
| 2 | March 9, 2008 | 7.4 | 11 | 4.1/10 | 11.83 | 10 | ||
| 3 | March 16, 2008 | 6.0 | 9 | 3.6/9 | 9.71 | 18 | ||
| 4 | March 23, 2008 | 6.1 | 10 | 3.5/9 | 9.92 | 19 | ||
| 5 | March 30, 2008 | 7.1 | 11 | 3.9/9 | 11.35 | 13 | ||
| 6 | April 6, 2008 | 5.9 | 9 | 3.2/8 | 9.42 | 27 | ||
| 7 | April 13, 2008 | Sunday 8:00 P.M. | 5.6 | 9 | 2.9/9 | 8.88 | 19 | |
| 8 | April 20, 2008 | 6.4 | 10 | 3.2/9 | 10.03 | TBA |
Response
In Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, $10,000 in seed money was received by ABC affiliate WPTA
WPTA
WPTA is the ABC-affiliated television station for Northeastern Indiana licensed to Fort Wayne. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter at its studios on Butler Road. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Frontier FiOS channel 7...
, which was then given to local trail organizations. A community celebration was held April 12, 2008, when it was revealed that the total donations had topped $1 million.
In Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, over $50,000 has been donated to a mentoring program for at-risk youth, in conjunction with a charitable program from ABC affiliate WFTV
WFTV
WFTV, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central Florida that is licensed to Orlando. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter between Bithlo and Christmas. Owned by Cox Enterprises, WFTV is sister to Independent WRDQ. The two stations...
, that was inspired by Oprah's Big Give.
In Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, $10,000 was donated by the ABC affiliate KFSN on behalf of Oprah's Big Give, and turned over to CalFire for installing smoke detectors in rural county homes that do not have any, to save lives. This was in a response to the death of two young girls who died in a house fire in 2006.
The program has also been criticized. Hollywood Reporter described it as a phony and self-aggrandizing promotional vehicle for Oprah. Tom Shales of the Washington Post described the show as having an "unsavory aura of exploitation" and as being trite and predictable. Rick Kushman of the Daily Herald found the show boring, and worried that it could serve to make viewers feel "cynical about charity," which would in turn make them feel guilty. Varietys Brian Lowry called the show "a reality-TV Frankenstein, birthed from parts of other programs" and its judges "arbitrary," and generally found that the philanthropic theme of the show was inconsistent with the competitive reality genre. However, Lowry also recognized the show's "emotional appeal" and conceded that the show's heart is "in the right place."
Distribution
Oprah's Big Give began airing on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, on TV3TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at 7:30 PM. It also began airing on August 5, 2008, on NTV7
Ntv7
Natseven TV Sdn Bhd or better known as ntv7 is a terrestrial television channel in Malaysia. It was launched nationwide on 7 April 1998 and was the country's third private free-to-air TV station after TV3 and Astro. Its mission is to promote a happier and more enlightened Malaysia...
in Malaysia at 8:30 pm. The show premiered in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on August 25, 2008, on the cable channel Lifestyle Network at 9:00 pm. In the UK, the show made its debut on October 10, 2008 on Diva TV
Diva TV
Diva TV is a British TV channel owned by NBC Universal, which launched on Sky in the UK and Ireland on channel 269 at midday on the October 1, 2007.The channel airs shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, and The Real Housewives of Orange County....
. In Belgium, the show began airing on September 2008 on Vitaya
Vitaya
Vitaya is a Flemish television station. The station got its license for 9 years in 1999 and it started to broadcast on 25 August 2000.Vitaya can be seen on Flemish cable and satellite services...
. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, the show starts airing on ATV World
ATV World
ATV World , is one of the free-to-air English language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival TVB Pearl. Its sister station, ATV Home, broadcasts in Cantonese language...
starting February 7, 2009. In Australia it airs on channel 10 starting on March 22, 2009.