April 7, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
A recent spate of reality television shows about giving, such as Oprah’s Big Give, have drawn some poor reviews, but NBC announced last week that it will have a scripted drama about a wealthy donor in its fall lineup.
According to NBC’s Web site, the hour-long show, The Philanthropist, will feature the character Teddy Rist, who after the death of his only child, “has an awakening and becomes the world’s first vigilante philanthropist -– a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections, and power to help people in need.”
The drama seems like a remake of the 1950s show The Millionaire, but with a modern twist. “Instead of spending $25,000 a plate at a fund raiser,” NBC boasts, “he’s dodging bullets in third-world countries to hand deliver vaccines.”
What do you think? Will you tune in for the show? Any suggestions on who should play the lead character?
