ABC's "The Will": Battle For Dead People's Money

[James Harvey]

Just when reality programming couldn't get any lower then it already has, ABC has announced they will produce a new reality series called The Will. The premise? Basically fighting over the money left behind from a rich relative. I kid you not.

Here's the rundown:

The show will revolve around a wealthy benefactor who will bequeath his family fortune to the winner of a game-show style, real-life contest between his relatives.

Producers are currently on the hunt for the perfect combo of a rich relative "with a sizable fortune and a substantial sense of humor" and greedy family members who are willing to play games for cash. Applications are currently being taken online at www.thewilltv.com.

"This should give viewers a unique look at a real American family," said Fleiss. "The vote-outs between relatives should be intense."

The show will feature weekly contests devised by the benefactor, in which the would-be heirs compete for a certain part of the estate (the Bentley, the yacht, the spread in the Hamptons, the toy poodle, etc.). There will be a Tribal Council-like segment at the end of each episode, in which the battling family members gets to vote out a relative, effectively writing that person out of the will.

While the big prize won't be collected until the rich guy (or gal) passes away, Fleiss says there will be some instant gratification involved, although the finer details won't be hammered out until the benefactor is found.

THE WILL will bow sometime in 2003 on ABC -- either as a summer series or in the fall. The ailing Alphabet net recently signed a multi-year, wide-ranging deal with Fleiss, his production company, Next Entertainment, and Telepictures Productions for THE WILL and an additional reality series in hopes of rating glory.

"When we put Mike up to bat, he always hits us a home run," says Andrea Wong, senior vice president, Alternative Series and Specials, ABC. "We expect THE WILL to continue his tradition of giving us appointment, 'water-cooler' television."

Thank you www.moviepoorshoot.com for bringing this awful news to light. Comments?

[czyznyck99]

Comments? What comments? This idea stinks worse than Survivor. I say any family member who would actually participate in this doesn't deserve a single penny, no matter how funny it may be. People usually leave money to people they trust, this "game," if it actually happens, only shows that no one involved can't be trusted.

A rare from me. This is just dumb.

Later.

[Trent Lane]

This, as well as about 95% of the other reality shows (Great Race exluded), is a dumb idea. I need Dave Chappelle to go up to these execs and say, a la Half Baked "You have smoked yourself retarded."

[RockItShipper]

Actually, this sort of reminds me of this board game I've seen ads for where you have to bump off others to get the inheritance. But a game is a game, and this is just sick in a not particularly amusing way.

[Calico]

Requires a benefactor with a sense of humor? A lobotomy is more like it Give me vamps and superheroes any day, this reality crap becomes more and more tasteless by the day.