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By Lailani Mendoza
IN the world of reality shows, producers capitalize on conflict and drama to
raise the television ratings.
But when Michael Wendland and Scott Peckford decided to create a money-based
reality television show, they wanted the viewers to be entertained for all the
right reasons.
“We decided to produce a show on money management, because we saw that there was
a gap that existed in the world of money on TV,” explained Wendland.
“The shows that tackle money either provide an information dump, or tackle money
from a negative perspective. While the topic can be burdensome . . . we wanted
to create a show [where] people could relate with the ‘bright spots’ – and learn to move forward in their personal financial situation.”
The show’s framework influenced the choice of participants. “There are two schools of thought out there in this area: presenting financially
desperate individuals that viewers watch because of the pure shock factor, or
normal everyday people that viewers watch because they identify and relate with
the individuals. We chose the latter.”
The result? A show called Clean Slate, which presented three couples with a series of challenges that tested their
skills in handling finances. The pilot show was taped in Kelowna and aired on
Global TV on August 22 and 29.
The winning couple were pastor Scott Lanigan and his wife Carla, of Willow Park
Church’s South Campus.
“When do you get the chance to be on TV, number one, and number two, when do you get to compete for a prize on a reality show? We
thought down the road, win or lose, this might be a cool opportunity,” said Scott Lanigan.
The contestants were assigned a task for each day. In one challenge, they had to
pretend there was a financial crisis in the family – and that they didn’t have savings, nor a credit card, to get them through.
Instead, they had to earn as much money as they could in half a day, which
forced the contestants to be creative and think quickly on their feet.
When cornered in a tight financial situation like this, most people would use a
credit card or borrow money.
“You don’t necessarily need to do that,” said Lanigan, who said being in the show was a great learning experience. “There are other ways to earn money or to overcome a problem. But you gotta think
through it.”
In fact, the show has influenced the couple to focus on using cash instead of
credit, and to be more resourceful instead of spending all the time. “You can go to Starbucks everyday and spend $1.50; it doesn’t seem like a lot but it adds up after a while. Can you make coffee at home, or
can you do something at home instead of going out?”
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Wendland said the show resonated with many viewers. “We received lots of really positive feedback throughout Canada on the show. One
individual said, ‘Network TV needs this, you’ve got a fan in me,’ which was great.
“What we were trying to accomplish – providing entertainment first and education second – really connected with people. They not only enjoyed watching the show ,but
understood the financial tips and principles that were interlaced throughout.”
Being on the show was more than a lesson in finances for the Lanigans. “We realized that we can be ourselves” in a non-Christian setting, said Scott. He added that he learned to not get caught up
in other people’s perceptions of how a minister or a Christian should act.
“You just need to be yourself – and if you try to honour God in the process, people honour you in that.”
And what of the $10,000 cash prize?
“I had to spend it on a newer Honda van,” he said. The weekend after the taping, and right after Scott preached about
handing over problems to God, Carla discovered that their van had broken down
and was beyond repair. It turned out to be a continuation of their lesson on
finances.
“I would have liked to take my wife to Hawaii, but I was thankful to have the
money for the van,” said Scott.
Wendland and Peckford are planning a Clean Slate series. Info: cleanslatetvshow.com.
October 2009
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