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Some reality shows focus on how vicious can people be toward one another (“Survivor”) or how much they’re willing to debase themselves for love (“The Bachelor”). There’s also the ever-popular voyeurism (“Wife Swap”). But really, is it all that fascinating to see how a former hip-hop star lives (“Coolio’s Rules”)?
Fox’s latest venture, “Secret Millionaire,” premiering with a two-hour block tonight, tries for the feel-good approach.
It’s unclear whether it succeeds. The premise has millionaires donating to deserving people. But this is still reality TV, so the catch is the millionaires spend a week lying.
“All of the millionaires had a very hard time doing it,” executive producer Greg Goldman says. “It puts a moral strain on all of them, and that’s the great thing about the show. You really learn about human nature and generosity of American spirit.”
Based on a popular British series, “Secret Millionaire” features poor people from all over the country who, though they’re broke, are willing to help newcomers to their communities. The newcomers, who tell lies, are the millionaires.
After a week, the millionaires reveal the truth and donate at least $100,000 to different groups. Fox does not match the money.
Todd Graves, 36, is the self-made multimillionaire behind Raising Cane, a restaurant that sells chicken fingers and side dishes. The friendly Louisianan just opened his 76th store – not bad for a guy whose business-school professor told him this notion of a one-meal restaurant was silly. No banks would lend him money, so Graves labored as a boilermaker in Los Angeles, then as a fisherman in Alaska. He saved enough money, applied for loans and got to work.
Graves, like the others, has been approached for reality shows.
“I don’t know how they find me,” he says. “I was called to be on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ and I even got called to be on ‘The Bachelor.’ I don’t think my wife would appreciate that too much.”
Myles Kovacs, 35, who made his fortune designing car wheels and with DUB magazine, says he’s been hounded to be on other shows. “I have been very skeptical of reality TV and TV in general,” he says.
Both men say they liked the idea of this one, and both participated with their wives but not with their children.
Todd and Gwen Graves moved to Buras, La., still devastated from Hurricane Katrina. Myles and Cynthia Kovacs moved to Watts, a gang-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood.
The Graves family told people they were from Virginia and wanted to make a documentary but had no money. They worked in a restaurant and picked satsumas.
“We met angels walking the Earth,” Graves says. “People still living in FEMA trailers helping others rebuild their homes.”
They gave $400,000, Graves says. Still, it wasn’t as if he needed the platform of a reality show to nudge him to donate.
“For the last four years, I have given 27 percent of everything I make back into the communities,” Graves says.
