The Philanthropist

I hope the show stays on air,it offers insight to some of the issues happening in the world today.James is very good on the eyes and the other cast members just fit perfectly. I truly love the story line it encourages me to read more issues on the internet concerning other countries. I enjoy the race issue the show deals with and I feel its goes beyond dealing with class and status its more about the issue within that particular environment he has gotten into. I have told others about the show because I was worried that the show might get the ax if people did not watch and most people are looking for laughter but some people like me truly enjoy shows that has meaning.

.....but Nigeria and Burma are not household words here. Thanks to THE PHILANTHROPIST, American television entertainment may have just taken a humanitarian turn for the better, while still providing solid entertainment.

This can't help but be a good thing, and I sincerely hope this show is successful. It's entertaining enough, so I remain optimistic.

One thing I noticed, the lens through which we view the rest of the world, so far, isn't filtered by American values. What we see are simple human values. This is a good approach, I think.

Our protagonist, emotionally devastated over the death of his son, is driven to help those who are also suffering, especially children. That this takes place on the world's stage is quite unusual for American television, and long overdue.

I've enjoyed the first two episodes and been moved by them as well. This is what a dramatic series should do.

The Philanthropist may not win Emmys or Golden Globes but it does something that only shows like Frontline or 60 Minutes. Yes, it's fiction and not hard fact based like those good news magazines.

But hopefully what it does is take real-world problems and show them to people who wouldn't normally watch a television news magazine. It's worth keeping a show that allows the viewers to see beyond their white picket fences or even beyond the person in front of them while waiting at the unemployment benefits line.

We are indeed in one of the worst economic situations we've had in decades. But we ought to always look at it in perspective: It could ALWAYS be worse. I think we Americans, with nearly a century of prosperity and a relatively isolated geography, have forgotten to look beyond our borders. We, the middle class - and even the upper lower class, are likely still better off than 90% of the global population.

This fictional drama depicts real global issues. Slavery in Haiti, dictatorships in Burma, human trafficking in Eastern Europe (and really, even in the US)... These things are real and the average person probably doesn't know anything more than the fact that these things exist. I think that this show helps frame these issues to connect emotionally with the audience (such as it is). Whatever helps.

We complain about the "high" price of gas or milk but we don't live in a country where a cup of rice is all we have in a DAY. Though many say that the government is too socialized, know that it's only because it cares that its people live with at least a certain level of human welfare; that though some will take advantage of it, the vast majority of recipients need the help and deserve it. A society can be judged on how it takes care of those who cannot take care of themselves (the homeless, elderly, mentally handicapped...). Our people should also be judged on our awareness of others beyond our shores.

If this show has opened even one set of eyes to the problems out there then it's done its job. It's not asking any one of us to solve the problem but to be more than just superficially aware. What we do as a society - is up to us.

We can appreciate how good we have it even when it seems bleak and still seek to help those worse off than us, or we can pity ourselves because we can no longer afford the 2+ bedroom house we think we deserve (vs. an apartment) and ignore the human beings who may not even own their own lives.

I was surprised that some people think this show is a dog and deserves to be scrapped, that the scripts are unrealistic and this stuff could never happen in the real world. I think they are missing the point. Ask yourself this: How many dramas or any type of show can you name, in television land, that even mention philanthropy? How many promote giving of oneself? How many shows inspire the normally uninspired masses to even think about what goes on outside of our fantasy land of the U.S.A.?

Sure, this show has unrealistic plots, portrays a myopic view of world issues, has obvious product placement, and other faults but that is what pays the bills. Without these things this show would never had been made or even hit the airwaves and if it changes the life of even one person, especially one from the class of nouveau riche, it will have done a service to humanity. Sure it is flawed but there is enough truth to it to bring people back and maybe change their lives. It is all about the message, not the messenger. I do so hope NBC will let this one live.

I really liked this show. I only recently watched the last couple of shows that I had missed online. I'll admit that the main reason I tuned in in the first place was out of curiosity because I liked James Purefoy in "Rome." While it would be nice to see the show return (even if it's only a summertime thing), it probably won't, because I know the networks. Every time they come up with a new & interesting concept for a TV show, they promptly cancel it in favor of the same, tired old recycled garbage they they've been spitting out for decades.

I've tried searching for info on it, but I can't locate any info about it on the web. So I'll just assume that the network killed it and move on...