CRIMINAL MIND

I'm an avid listener of CBC radio and although I spend a considerable amount of time browsing the web being entertained and educated, I find most of the programming
on the radio provides me the same in tandem.

Today, I was listening to one of their programs where they interviewed Kevin O'Leary, an ambitious entrepreneur who was promoting a new reality show named Redemption, similar in some respects as Donald Trump's TV show The Apprentice.  However the contestants are not your average citizens.  Ex cons, criminals if you like, is their background.  Listening to Mr. O'Leary explain the outline of his show peaked my interest.  Unlike the greed factor, where contestants climb over each other, this one has a double agenda.  For obvious reasons Mr. O'Leary  is hoping to draw in viewers that will make this show successful due to the twist of the participants backgrounds.  Underlining the business angle,  there is a compassionate understanding of the difficulties of these former lawbreakers who have done their time.

As explained by Mr. O'Leary, these individuals try to integrate themselves back to society in a lawful manner, but are hampered by the same society by them not giving them a second chance and so many go back to that vicious cycle of what they know best in desperation to make a living.

Realizing that even though these individuals were running afoul of the  law and eventual caught, incarcerated and finally released.  Mr. O'Leary felt that these people had entrepreneurial skills that could be exploited, not only for the show, but as well as for themselves, so the germ of the idea of this program.

Bravely Mr. O'Leary  had volunteered to have himself incarcerated for a half day and find the experience most disturbing to say the least.

Partnered with his co-producer Brian O'Dea, who himself was one time big drug dealer and turned straight breathed life to this show.

There was a split in the public's perception as to whether this show was a good thing or not.  It didn't help that the controversial  Mr. O'Leary has his legion of detractors who felt that his show should be dropped and he fired. My impressions, even though he is unpopular and a gadfly at best for some, is that although his show is exploitative, there is a silver lining for the contestants, so the title Redemption.  Apart from the winner of receiving a grand prize of $100,000 to start a business, the losers also benefit on some monetary level, as well as a boost to their confidence.

I wish Mr. O'Leary success and as well to his participants.