Rich man, poor man
Duo nabs U.S. rights to frugal reality format
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Duo, working under the Dearcom in Film banner, have pacted to bring the Asahi National Broadcasting Co.'s "Live Frugally on $100 for a Month" to primetime as a one-hour weekly series called "Minimum Wage." Skein will take two middle-class couples and force them to live on minimum wage for a month; whoever saves the most coin at the end of the frame wins a yet-to-be determined cash prize.
Chetwynd and Steinberg, who together produced the PBS public affairs series "National Desk," will begin pitching the concept to broadcast networks this week. Ilker Inanoglu of Turkey's Ulusal Group is a partner on the project.
"This (show) is as close as you are going to get to a marriage of a reality show with the underpinnings of a public service program," Chetwynd said. "It takes the entertainment we've become accustomed to from reality shows and builds in something you can take away from it."
Chetwynd believes the show will help shed light on the plight of the working poor.
While the current U.S. economic recession may make it seem like an odd time to pitch a show about poverty, Chetwynd said auds in Japan and Turkey have flocked to the program despite those countries' severe economic woes.
"It's a format that has had phenomenal success in two post-traumatic cultures because there is no manufactured adversity," he said. "The contestants deal with real challenges."
Chetwynd snagged an Oscar nom for his screenplay adaptation of "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz"; he also write and directed the feature "The Hanoi Hilton." TV credits include TNT's "Kissinger and Nixon," the CBS mini "Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy" and "Tom Clancy's Net Force" for ABC.
Steinberg has produced numerous event specials, including "An All-Star Celebration: The '88 Vote" and ABC's 1990 "Earth Day" special. He also served as exec producer of the Showtime laffer "Jokes."
Rights deal for "Minimum Wage" was brokered by Endeavor.
