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Season 1 – The Benefactor

Play trailer Season 1 – The Benefactor Sep 2004 Reality Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tech billionaire Mark Cuban gathers together 16 people who know they're vying for a prize of $1 million. They just don't know the rules of the game, because Cuban is kind of making them up as he goes. The only guidelines, really, are "be yourself" and "impress me."
The Benefactor — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A water-downed version of The Apprentice, Mark Cuban's attempt to be the next Donald Trump is incredibly hard to watch in The Benefactor.

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Critics Reviews

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Marc Peyser Newsweek 12/12/2019
Hard as it may be to believe, [Mark] Cuban actually looks funnier, talks funnier and is infinitely more annoying than the Donald. Go to Full Review Tom Shales Washington Post 12/12/2019
Let's see -- how to make the world a more miserable and wretched place than it already is? It's a tough challenge, but ABC meets it with The Benefactor, a hideous and tedious imitation of NBC's The Apprentice. Go to Full Review Alessandra Stanley New York Times 12/12/2019
He makes Donald Trump seem like Sir Kenneth Clark. Go to Full Review Scott D. Pierce Deseret News (Salt Lake City) 12/12/2019
As for The Benefactor, it's not bad. It's not real good, either, and it's certainly not original. It's your basic, run-of-the-mill reality show hosted by a billionaire. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
The Benefactor — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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David Young

Executive Producer

Clay Newbill

Executive Producer

Todd Wagner

Executive Producer

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 13, 2004 The 16 finalists wait to meet Mark Cuban and are unknowingly monitored; a game of Jenga ends with one hopeful being sent home. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 20, 2004 Contestants are split into three teams for the test, leaving one "odd man out"; the teams need to schedule three hours of Mark Cuban's time. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 27, 2004 Each contestant is given $1,000 and must spend it in 12 hours. Details Episode 4 Aired Oct 4, 2004 The contestants must troll the streets of Dallas to form two basketball teams; members of the losing team will be offered a tempting bribe to leave the game. Details Episode 5 Aired Oct 18, 2004 A contestant is eliminated within the first 10 minutes; the contestants get 48 hours to perform random acts of kindness for the people of Dallas. Details Episode 6 Aired Oct 18, 2004 Mark Cuban visits the hometowns of the remaining contestants and learns shocking things about some of the competitors. Details

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Season Info

Executive Producer
David Young, Clay Newbill, Todd Wagner
Network
ABC
Rating
TV-PG
Genre
Reality
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 13, 2004