[3] The show is the first prime time reality series by Harpo Productions, and focuses on 10 contestants as they travel across the country with a large sum of money, and try to help people in unique ways, and participate in a series of challenges in order to become America's greatest unknown philanthropist.
In some cities, contestants are assigned to help a particular individual or organization, while in others they are simply told to find people in need.
Angelo Adams is a former army captain born in Philadelphia who graduated from West Point.
[6] Carlana Stone is a graduate from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Slavic language.
[7] Eric Klein is the founder and CEO of CAN-DO.org, a nonprofit organization that enables people who make charitable donations to actually see how their money is being spent.
[11] Olusegun "Sheg" Aranmolate is a researcher at a university in Nashville and plans to attend medical school.
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, $10,000 in seed money was received by ABC affiliate WPTA, which was then given to local trail organizations.
[16] In Fresno, California, $10,000 was donated by the ABC affiliate KFSN on behalf of Oprah's Big Give, and turned over to CalFire for installing smoke detectors in rural county homes that do not have any, to save lives.
[17] Tom Shales of the Washington Post described the show as having an "unsavory aura of exploitation" and as being trite and predictable.
"[20] Oprah's Big Give began airing on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, on TV3 in New Zealand at 7:30 PM.