
The Philanthropist
Seen it?2009 | 1 seasons | 60 min | Action & Adventure, Drama
Why it’s a Weeknight Watch
With almost no lasting buzz and a small audience, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for action fans. If you loved The Day of the Jackal, start here.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- One season: easy to finish in a weekend or two, hour-long episodes, about 8 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- It was cancelled, so the story may not get a proper ending.
The title character, Teddy Rist (portrayed by James Purefoy), 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.[4] The Philanthropist is based loosely on the life of Bobby Sager.[5] The Philanthropist is an American action drama series that premiered on NBC on Wednesday, June 24, 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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
61% on Rotten Tomatoes, 60 on Metacritic
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Limited series that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 9K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Created by Tom Fontana
- James Purefoy
- Neve CampbellOlivia Maidstone
- Michael Kenneth Williams
- Lindy BoothA.J. Butterfield
- Jesse L. MartinPhilip Maidstone