The Philanthropist

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Like many of you, I’m a fan of Homicide: Life on the Street, so I checked out writer/director Tom Fontana’s new show on NBC. The Philanthropist (Wednesday nights at 10pm) is about a billionaire playboy who, after living through a hurricane in Nigeria, decides to dedicate his time and money to helping people instead of to making a profit. As a “high concept” that sounds clichéd, but this is Tom Fontana we’re talking about so it’s done with such skill and charm that it’s irresistible. Also they filmed in the actual countries the stories take place in, instead of trying to replicate them in Hollywood, so it looks like nothing else on TV. (And the political realities in these countries, at least in the pilot, are not glossed over.) I’ll be honest – Homicide it ain’t, but it’s well worth your time. The first episode is still available for viewing at NBC.com, and episode two (of eight) airs July 1.

Comments

  1. Brian S.June 26, 2009 at 11:42 PM

    Thanks for the heads-up! Will definitely check it out.

    ReplyDelete

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