- Network: ABC
- Series Premiere Date: Mar 2, 2008
Critic Reviews
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Is it strange to make good will and charity into a win-lose proposition? Is it peculiar to judge the givers on their manner of giving, to quantify their largesse? To me, yes, it is, and the show makes for awkward viewing as a result.
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There also is something disturbing about making a game out of charitable acts.
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Though Oprah’s Big Give is supposed to be celebrating the power of giving, it’s more likely to prove that not everything can or should be turned into a contest.
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People victimized by terrible events and circumstances often feel pride and dignity are two of the few things they have left. There are times in Oprah's Big Give when it feels like those things may be slipping away, in the service of creating a splashier television show.
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Pathos may make for a more positive reality TV experience than a parade of lying, backstabbing and physical torture. But the basic appeal remains pathetic. Perhaps in more ways than one.
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I'm ashamed that a wounded Marine, about to be discharged after 15 years in the service, needs help from an entertainment show to find and afford civilian housing for himself and his family.
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The result is a series that wants to do good and still have enough "edge" to do well in the rough-and-tumble, less-nurturing environment of reality TV, which feels out of step with all the good vibrations.
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Oprah’s Big Give stands out as a weird, misbegotten creature that perhaps shouldn’t have been taken out in public.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 5 out of 23
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Mixed: 1 out of 23
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Negative: 17 out of 23
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Ga.Apr 22, 2008Absolutely love the concept. It made me indulge into charity work as well. And I feel Blessed.
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CindW.Apr 20, 2008
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PaulD.Apr 10, 2008