The Prodigy (TV series)

The Prodigy was an alleged proposed American reality TV show in 2007 that promised $1 million in cash and prizes to the ultimate winner, but was actually a recruiting scheme for an alarm sales company.[1][2]

The show staged casting events at college campuses throughout the country in 2007.[3][4][5][6]

Students were reportedly selected from around the country, perhaps as many as 2000. Many of the students cast in the show later claimed it was an elaborate scam by Utah-based security alarm company Firstline. The "show" was produced by "Actuality Entertainment",[7] and producers promised the students it would air on a major network. Many students never saw any cameras, however. No show never aired.[8][9][10][11][12] Firstline subsequently went into bankruptcy,[13][14] and the state of California launched an investigation of the company's practices which led to its license being revoked.[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ Rose, Sontaya (26 February 2008). False Alarms and a Dose of Reality, KFSN-TV (ABC Fresno affiliate)
  2. ↑ (3 June 2007). Firstline brings security to masses, Deseret News
  3. ↑ (27 April 2007). `Prodigy' auditions fail to draw crowd, The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
  4. ↑ McCann, Jessica (7 March 2007). TV show recruits at A&M: Almost 100 Aggies apply to be the next big reality stars, The Battalion
  5. ↑ (30 May 2007). The Prodigy, Opportunity Knocks: Reality TV Recruits Film Graduates of Collins College for Camera Crew, Business Wire (press release about project in May 2007)
  6. ↑ (27 April 2007). UI part of `Prodigy' search, The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
  7. ↑ Actuality Entertainment - Television Production (Actuality Entertainment website, providing its story on the "show") (Retrieved March 26, 2012)
  8. ↑ Finney, Michael (13 February 2008). Reality show contestants duped into selling, KGO-TV (ABC San Francisco affiliate)
  9. ↑ Hokanson, Chris (23 January 2008). Utah based company lures "door-to-door" salesmen, The Battalion
  10. ↑ Rose, Sontaya (15 February 2008). False Alarms, KFSN-TV (ABC Fresno affiliate)
  11. ↑ (21 July 2007). Pure Bull or Pure Evil?, odd time signatures (author, who write for many publications, writes on experiences of her son in the project) (this source is a blog and should also be considered appropriately, however the material appears to be accurate)
  12. ↑ Finney, Michael (28 February 2008). Reality show producer talks to ABC7, KGO-TV (ABC San Francisco affiliate)
  13. ↑ Finney, Michael (29 February 2008). Consumers get faulty alarm systems, KGO-TV (ABC San Francisco affiliate)
  14. ↑ (29 January 2008). Firstline Security seeks bankruptcy protection, Deseret News (Bloomberg article)
  15. ↑ Finney, Michael (14 March 2008). State investigating Firstline Security, KGO-TV (ABC San Francisco affiliate)
  16. ↑ Finney, Michael (19 June 2008). Firstline loses license to operate in CA, KGO-TV (ABC San Francisco affiliate)
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