Best TV Show of the Week
Minute to Win It
on NBC
By Catherine Nailog
Television game shows are popular forms of family fun and entertainment. One
can watch a contestant win large amounts of money by playing games of chance,
intellect, or physical feats. NBC’s Minute to Win It, hosted by renowned
chef Guy Fieri (who also hosts the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives),
is a delightful addition to the game show genre, with the May 29th
episode (8:00 p.m. ET) receiving the distinction of Best TV Show of the
Week. This episode required brothers Richard and Randall Norman,
furniture-makers from Lenoir, North Carolina, to perform 10 challenges within 60
seconds, each using common household items. If they successfully completed all
10 challenges, Richard and Randall would receive $1 million. Richard won the
first challenge, Hoop De Loop, which required the rolling of a Hula-Hoop and
having it land around a soda bottle three times. He then won the second
challenge, Ker-Plink! Or Plunk! which required the bouncing of marbles into
three containers floating in a punchbowl of water.
In getting to know the brothers, Guy asked Randall about his military
background. Randall told Guy that he served six years in the United States
Marine Corps Reserves and three-and-a-half years in the National Guard, where
he, along with the youngest brother, Myron, did a tour in Iraq. Myron, whom
Richard and Randall haven’t seen in over a year, is a police officer in South
Dakota. The brothers then continued with their
third challenge, Field Goal, which required each brother to stack six cups at
one of the ends of a yardstick at the same time. They were not able to complete
this challenge in the first attempt, and lost one of their three “lives.” For
moral support, Guy had Richele, Richard’s wife, call in to give words of
encouragement. She then had their son, Samuel, on the phone who told his dad
that he loved him. Richard was overcome with emotion. The brothers then made
their second attempt at Field Goal and successfully completed the challenge.
The fourth challenge, Splitter, required throwing a CD from a distance toward a
split watermelon and having it land upright. But before Randall made his
attempt at Splitter, Guy surprised the brothers and introduced Myron on stage.
Richard and Randall were overjoyed to see Myron. Myron then began to cheer his
brothers on toward their goal. Randall was not able to complete this challenge
in the first attempt, and lost another “life.” He successfully completed the
challenge in his second attempt. Randall completed the fifth challenge, Walrus,
which required the transferring and stacking of three marshmallows with the use
of two coffee stirrers placed in the mouth. Richard successfully completed the
sixth challenge, Pong, which required continuously bouncing five Ping-Pong balls
and having them land into a cup. The seventh challenge, Breakfast Scramble,
required the jig-saw puzzle assembly of the cover of a cereal box using 16
squares. Richard was not able to complete this task. Though the Norman
brothers’ goal of winning $1 million was not reached, they were able to take
home $50,000 to their families.
What was engaging about this episode was the exhibition of unconditional love
these brothers have for each other, for their families, and for their country.
Growing up, these brothers lived modestly; they shared one room together. They
would fight like all brothers do, but they grew close. They each had grown to
depend upon and support one another, even while living far apart. The Norman
brothers share the hopes and dreams of many people today-- providing a better
life for their families. Their families are what motivate them to work hard,
and reap whatever benefits arise. The Norman brothers are endearing to the
viewer because they depict what brotherly love is all about.
Best TV Show
of the Week
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
