The Philanthropist
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.
| Created By | Tom Fontana | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Canceled | |
| Original Name | The Philanthropist | |
| First Air Date | June 24, 2009 | |
| Last Air Date | August 12, 2009 | |
| Seasons | 1 | |
| Episodes | 8 | |
| Episode Runtime | 1h 0min | |
| Language | English, Hungarian | |
| Original Language | English | |
| Production Countries | — | |
| Production Companies | ||
| Networks | NBC | |