The Philanthropist (TV series)


The Philanthropist was an American action drama television series that aired on NBC from June 24 to August 12, 2009. The program was a limited summer series, principally filmed in South Africa. It opened to strong ratings, but saw a drop in viewers in subsequent weeks. The Philanthropist is a Carnival Films production in association with The Levinson/Fontana Company and Original Media. Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson, Peter Horton, Charlie Corwin, Gareth Neame, and Teri Weinberg served as executive producers.
On October 21, 2009, the series was canceled by NBC. Fans attempts to keep the show on the air using Facebook and a charitable cause called "Save The Philanthropist through Charity" were unsuccessful.

Synopsis

The title character, Teddy Rist, is a billionaire playboy haunted by the death of his only child. His life changes when he rescues a young boy during a hurricane in Nigeria. As a result, Rist begins using his fortune to personally change the lives of others. The Philanthropist is based loosely on the life of Bobby Sager.

Cast and characters

Episodes

Reception

U.S. ratings

Non-US showings and re-airings

In December 2010 and January 2011, the show was aired in Australia on 7Two, a Seven Network digital channel. In August 2013 started on polish TVP1.

Home media releases

The complete series was released on January 5, 2010 on DVD in Region 1. It was released as a two-disc set, with a total running time of 300 minutes.

Inspiration

The Philanthropist is inspired by the hands-on philanthropy of Bobby Sager.