Big Spender (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Big Spender is a United States
reality television
series on the A&E Network
. Host Larry Winget
visits people in financial crisis, then advises them how to solve the problems and avoid repeating the same mistakes. The show is produced by NorthSouth Productions
and premiered in July
, 2006.
All episodes show:
A writer for The Arizona Republic
described Winget's style as "blunt" and "quite funny." Discussing Big Spender, the writer noted, "Every Saturday night, he can be seen berating people who make lousy financial choices." Another reviewer lauded the educational information, but said Winget "uses a form of tough love that is verbally harsh, caustic, and confrontational" and expressed the opinion that psychological counseling was a missing element from the show.
Winget has commented on the difficulty of finding participants willing to expose their financial difficulties on national television. The first season's participants all were drawn from the south Florida area, but producers planned to recruit nationally for the second season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series on the A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
. Host Larry Winget
Larry Winget
Larry Winget is a professional motivational speaker, bestselling author and television personality. Winget markets himself as "the trademarked 'Pitbull of Personal Development' and 'World's Only Irritational Speaker'".-Early life and family:...
visits people in financial crisis, then advises them how to solve the problems and avoid repeating the same mistakes. The show is produced by NorthSouth Productions
NorthSouth Productions
NorthSouth Productions is a television production company in the United States that was created by Mark Hickman and Charlie DeBevoise. NorthSouth creates and produces original programming for a variety of broadcast and cable networks including Discovery, TLC, History, A&E, MTV, VH1, SyFy, OWN:...
and premiered in July
July 2006
July 2006 was a month with thirty-one days.The following events also occurred during the month:...
, 2006.
All episodes show:
- Winget visiting the individual(s) in crisis and assessing the situation
- An analysis of the elements in the financial crisis (e.g., consumer debt, overspending)
- A "contract" of required changes, which the individual(s) must discuss and sign
- Scenes of the individual(s) following or departing from the agreed-upon changes
- A return visit from Winget to examine whether the recommended changes were made
A writer for The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
described Winget's style as "blunt" and "quite funny." Discussing Big Spender, the writer noted, "Every Saturday night, he can be seen berating people who make lousy financial choices." Another reviewer lauded the educational information, but said Winget "uses a form of tough love that is verbally harsh, caustic, and confrontational" and expressed the opinion that psychological counseling was a missing element from the show.
Winget has commented on the difficulty of finding participants willing to expose their financial difficulties on national television. The first season's participants all were drawn from the south Florida area, but producers planned to recruit nationally for the second season.