Tears. Fighting. Racing against the clock. Mounting pressure. Competitive streaks.
It all means one thing: DRAMA — just what every successful reality show needs.
The emotional roller coaster is part of “Oprah’s Big Give,” which premieres Sunday on ABC. The show, hosted by Chicago-based interior designer and “Oprah” regular Nate Berkus, takes competition to a new level.
“This is something that hasn’t been done. Our focus is that America falls in love with the heart of the show,” executive producer Ellen Rakieten said during a conference call with reporters. “It is entertaining. It is thrilling. It is emotional. It is dramatic.”
Ten contestants, including two from Chicago, are willing and ready to put others first. They’re competing to out-give one another and be the best do-gooder.
What the competitors don’t know is that the winner will get $1 million.
In the show, which Rakieten described as a cross between “Amazing Race” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” the contestants will either “give big or go home,” as Oprah Winfrey says on the show.
Winfrey, known for generously giving her fortune and fame to change lives, wanted to empower contestants to make dreams come true for strangers throughout the country.
“This concept came about because I did a show around Christmastime 2006 about getting people to give back,” Winfrey told TV Guide. “It’s always fun for me to be able to give and to watch people’s reactions. I love a great surprise. I wanted other people to have that feeling of what it feels like to give back,” she said.
The show aims to entertain and inspire viewers. “We wanted to show how one person can make a difference … and do it in an entertaining, fun way that people will want to watch,” Winfrey told the magazine.
The premise of the show hopefully will spark conversations, Berkus said during the conference call.
“We want it to catch on,” he said. “We want people to have ‘Big Give’ parties on Sunday nights, and we want them to see what they can do in their neighborhood, in their community, what their kids can do, how they can come together as a family, as a block, as a city to make a difference in someone’s life in their area that needs help.”
The show could inspire others to give, especially since the contestants are regular people, said Lori Ramos, executive director of the Chicago Global Donors Network, which promotes international giving and is using an Oprah Winfrey Foundation grant for its operations.
“People can identify with the people who are doing the giving and so they’re more likely to say, ‘That person is doing it, I can also do it,’ ” she said.
The show’s idea is an “honorable” one, said Sherrita Lowe, 27, who lives in South Holland. “I get the idea she’s going for — the idea that our society needs charity or the ability to give back,” she said.
Undoubtedly, Winfrey commands an audience. An average of 7.1 million viewers a week, according to Nielsen Media Research, tune in to her syndicated show, which garnered more than 44 daytime Emmy awards. Winfrey has removed herself and her show from talk show and host award contention.
But not everyone welcomes Winfrey with open arms.
“I’m pretty sick of Oprah. I just feel like we’re always hearing about her,” said Linda Ebersold, 32, of Lombard. “She’s got a magazine, a show, a network. She’s everywhere, and now she’s endorsing Barack Obama,” she said.
The prime-time show is the latest venture in Winfrey’s expanding empire. Earlier this month, she opened a store near Harpo Studios in the West Loop. Last month, she announced the creation of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, to be launched in 2009. That’s on top of launching the XM Satellite Radio channel Oprah & Friends in 2006, producing the Broadway musical “The Color Purple,” which closed Sunday after 910 performances, and opening the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa last year.
Her daytime talk show combined with her other enterprises put her worth at $2.5 billion, according to Forbes, which this month named her the highest-paid entertainer and the top-earning African-American. Between June 2006 and June 2007, she made $260 million, the magazine said.
All this risks overexposure of Oprah.
“I do think it’s getting to the point where people are getting a little Oprah fatigued,” said Sharon Ross, assistant professor of TV studies at Columbia College Chicago. “If she’s not in [the show] as much as she’s in her talk show, it’ll be good for her because it’ll be putting the focus on other people,” said Ross, who acknowledged that the show might benefit from airing after “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which averages 12.2 million viewers a week, according to Nielsen.
Even charity — which is a good thing — can have a down side, she said. “It’s kind of like the goody two-shoes in the classroom who’s always doing the right thing, and eventually you get tired of that person,” Ross said.
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Contestants: Ten people compete to be the Biggest Giver.
Judges: “The Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver, NFL player Tony Gonzalez and Chris Rock’s wife and charity founder Malaak Compton-Rock will evaluate the contestants on leadership, accomplishments, creativity and presentation, and eliminate one person on each episode. The winning contestant, unbeknownst to him or her, gets $1 million from Oprah Winfrey.
Star power: Jennifer Aniston, John Travolta, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Andre Agassi, racing star Danica Patrick and skater Tony Hawk make appearances.
Episodes: Episodes were filmed in Chicago, L.A., New York, Atlanta, Miami, Denver and Houston. Winfrey shows up at multiple locations, including during the Chicago episode. [ L.V. ]
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Oprah and Friends
The queen of the talk show circuit has a powerful knack for hand-picking respected professionals and catapulting them into TV royalty. Over the years, Oprah Winfrey has featured various experts on her show, turning them into instant celebrities.
Now, Nate Berkus, a Chicago interior designer, is the latest friend of Winfrey to play a bigger role in her media empire by hosting her new prime-time gig “Oprah’s Big Give.”
Here’s a look at Winfrey’s circle of friends. [ L.V. ]
Dr. Mehmet Oz
– Featured health expert on “Oprah”
– Host of his own show on Oprah & Friends on XM
– Surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
– Professor of surgery at Columbia University in New York City
– Best-selling author of books “YOU: Staying Young” and “YOU: On a Diet”
Rachael Ray
– Host of her own TV-syndicated daytime show since 2007 when Harpo Productions became a partner
– Best-selling author of nearly a dozen cookbooks, and has appeared on the “Oprah” show
– Editor in chief of “Every Day with Rachael Ray” magazine
– Host of Food Network shows “30-Minute Meals” and “Tasty Travels”
Gayle King
– Oprah’s longtime best friend
– Host of her own show on the Oprah & Friends channel on XM
– Editor at large of “O, The Oprah Magazine”
Nate Berkus
– Design expert on “Oprah”
– Regular contributor to “O at Home” magazine and host of a show on XM’s Oprah & Friends channel
– Owner of Nate Berkus Associates in West Town since 1995
– Author of book “Home Rules”
Dr. Phil
– For six seasons, host of his own TV-syndicated daytime talk show, created by Winfrey’s company, Harpo Productions
– Psychologist who has regularly appeared and offered advice to guests on Winfrey’s show
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Meet Chicago’s contestants
Thousands of people across the nation auditioned to be on “Oprah’s Big Give,” but only two from Chicago made the cut. [ L.V. ]
Brandi Milloy
Age: 23
About her: She’s a pageant queen.
High-heeled and mighty: “The camera loves her,” said Ellen Rakieten, executive producer of the show. “And I think she’ll be the first one to say to you, ‘People sometimes write me off as a Victoria’s Secret-looking model,’ and the truth is she has a really great back story, suffered from scoliosis as a little girl, was bullied, made fun of — and that stayed with her. You just don’t ever want to underestimate her, even with the tight jeans and high heels. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Why she auditioned: “I wanted to … show America that a young person can give back,” Milloy said on oprah.com. “Volunteering has always been a way of life for me, and I believe that it’s everyone’s obligation. … There are so many small ways that you can give, which really adds up to a big give.”
Marlene Snipes
Age: 37
About her: She’s an Amtrak service attendant.
Energy surge: “She has the most overwhelming energy of anyone I’ve ever met,” said Nate Berkus, the show’s host. ” … Nothing is going to stand in her way, and if anything or anybody tries, I’m going to get out of the way.”
Why she auditioned: “I wanted to be on ‘Oprah’s Big Give’ because I love to meet people,” Snipes said on oprah.com. “I like to encourage people and inspire them to help someone else. I love people to be happy. I’m going to win this ‘Big Give’ because I’m a competitor. I don’t care what it takes — I can eat snakes if I want to.”
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lvivanco@tribune.com
