The Benefactor

2004·Show
6Episodes in1Season
29
BadGoodWatch score

Where to watch

No stream option in US yet.

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

The Benefactor fingerprint

Emotionally cool.

Energy

Calm and low-key

  • Tension6
  • Fast Pace6
  • Adrenaline5

Heart

Emotionally reserved

  • Hopefulness3
  • Catharsis3
  • Wonder3

Humor

Some cringe comedy

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Cringe Humor6
  • Satire & Parody3
  • Wit & Wordplay2

World

Everyday modern life, show business, and a real life story

  • Novelty7
  • Ambiguity6
  • Dialogue Centrality5

Craft

Solid, not remarkable

  • Intrigue5
  • Direction4
  • Narrative Structure4

Style

Functional look and sound

  • Editing4
  • Cinematography3
  • Music Composition3

Who it's for

AdultsFamily Movie NightFriends NightParty VibeIntergenerationalPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensBackground WatchBinge-FriendlyDrop-in FriendlyPure Escapism

Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every show. Select a row to see all of them.

About

The Benefactor is an American reality television show broadcast on ABC starting on September 13, 2004. The premise involved 16 contestants vying to win US$1 million from billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. In late March and early April 2004, ABC held open auditions for the show in Atlanta, Boise, Boston, Dallas and Las Vegas and also accepted auditions by mail. The show and its format were kept tightly under wraps during its filming, which began on April 30, 2004 in Dallas, Texas. Mark Cuban purposefully kept details about the show to a minimum, eliciting only a small bit of information about the show on his personal blog during filming. Dallas journalists, eager to learn what was going on, routinely compiled sightings of Benefactor film crews around town. However, the show proved to be extremely unpopular and suffered from very low ratings, despite leading in to the popular Monday Night Football. The show also suffered from ABC stations in NFL markets moving the show to a timeslot after Jimmy Kimmel Live! or another night entirely due to local sports shows devoted to NFL coverage or local pre-game shows in the pre-MNF slot. Episode three had only 4.9 million viewers, the network's least-watched show of that week. Episode four did even worse, with only 4.05 million viewers and finished sixth in its time slot among 18- to 49-year-olds.
Reality CompetitionBusiness & FinanceCelebrity-ledSocial ExperimentGame ShowStrategic ChallengesPublic ScrutinyEarly 2000s TelevisionDallas Mavericks Owner

Crew

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Questions about The Benefactor

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Benefactor legally?

GoodWatch doesn't know of a legal streaming option for The Benefactor in the United States right now. Pick another country in the Where to Watch section to check elsewhere.

Is The Benefactor worth watching?

29
BadGoodWatch score

Reviews are weak, with a GoodWatch score of 29/100 (IMDb 2.9 and Rotten Tomatoes 0%). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

How many seasons does The Benefactor have?

1 season

It has 1 season with 6 episodes.

Is The Benefactor based on a true story?

Yes. It's based on real events or a real person's life.

When did The Benefactor air?

It ran from 2004 to 2004 and has ended.

What language is The Benefactor in?

English

It was made in English.

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