|
| |
THE LEARNING CHANNEL SEARCHES FOR THE NEXT GREAT INSPIRATIONAL
SPEAKER WITH NEW SERIES, THE MESSENGERS
THE MESSENGERS Features the Power and Emotion of the Spoken
Word –
(Silver Spring, Md.)
– The power and force of the spoken word and the motivation it
inspires form the essence of the new TLC series, THE MESSENGERS.
This eight-part series kicks off on Sunday, July 23 at 10 PM
(ET/PT). THE MESSENGERS showcases 10 speakers from a
variety of perspectives and their ability to communicate the many
complexities of some of life’s toughest lessons, addressing issues
viewers face in their everyday lives and communities. In the end,
THE MESSENGERS is built around a simple but lofty goal: to find
America’s next great inspirational speaker.
"THE MESSENGERS
is an innovative and uplifting series with challenging
individual experiences that act as a catalyst for the celebration of
inspirational public speaking in contemporary America. The
participants really have to walk the walk before they can talk the
talk," said David Abraham, executive vice president and general
manager for TLC.
The foundation of
each episode is a field trip designed to give the speakers a
profound learning experience – the opportunity to live life by
walking in someone else’s shoes. In the first episode, the
participants face the harsh reality of homelessness by spending 24
hours on the streets of Skid Row and then deliver speeches based on
the topic of charity. In subsequent episodes, field trips range from
the participants living as a blind or wheelchair-bound individual
for a day, to sharing in a powerful moment of forgiveness between a
man convicted of vehicular homicide and the deceased’s mother. At
the end of each field trip, the group is given their speaking topic
– one simple word such as hope, perseverance or forgiveness to use
as the basis for their speeches.
Over the next 24
hours, the speakers blend their in-field experiences with their own
life lessons to create powerful speeches of motivation for a studio
audience. After each speech is delivered, a panel comprising of
public speaking experts Richard Greene and Bobby Schuller offers
valuable commentary and criticism to the participants. Richard
Greene, author of Words That Shook The World, is a speech advisor
and public speaking analyst who gives the speakers constructive
guidance on their delivery, technique and content development. Bobby
Schuller, a pastor at the Crystal Cathedral in Southern California
and grandson of Reverend Robert H. Schuller, focuses his guidance on
the content and emotional connection the speakers make with the
studio audience.
At the conclusion of each episode, one person is eliminated by the
studio audience’s vote until one speaker is crowned “The Messenger”
and awarded a publishing deal and the opportunity to host his or her
own TLC television special.
THE MESSENGERS
is produced by Original
Productions with executive producers Thom Beers and Tom McMahon and
series producer Deboriah Dupree. For TLC, Elizabeth Browde is
executive producer and David Abraham is executive-in-charge of
production and general manager.
EPISODIC BREAKDOWN
EPISODE 1 – “The Homeless Experience”
•
Field Trip – The 10 contestants face the harsh reality of
being homeless on the downtown streets of Los Angeles. THE
MESSENGERS bus drops them off in the poorest section of the
city, Skid Row, where they are told they have to live for the next
24 hours among the city’s castaways. The bus driver, once homeless
himself, gives them tips on how to seek out shelter and find food
before leaving them to fend for themselves. The fear of being at the
mercy of the streets is the contestants’ first worry; however, that
fear turns to insight as they are exposed to the stories of despair,
heartbreak and determination from the people who call these streets
home. The next morning, their “bus driver,” Orlando Ward, returns to
reveal that he is actually the director of operations for the
Midnight Mission homeless shelter who, despite being a Stanford
graduate, hit rock bottom and found himself living on these streets
for 17 years.
• Speech Topic – “Charity”
EPISODE 2 – “Migrant Farm Workers”
• Field Trip – The nine remaining
contestants are driven to a remote farm in Oxnard, Calif., where
THE MESSENGERS’ host, Tim Bader, introduces them to Steve and
Jason Tamai, the owners of the Tamai Trucking Farm. Tim reveals that
their challenge is to spend a full day working alongside the migrant
workers on this small, family-owned farm, which is something that is
disappearing from the American landscape. The contestants toil in
the unforgiving sun, painstakingly picking peas, broccoli and
berries while gaining perspective from the daily lives of the other
workers in the field. Throughout the day, they hear the Tamais’
moving story about how their family has struggled for generations to
make the family farm a success, overcoming everything from Japanese
internment camps to economic hardship in their pursuit of the
American dream. After a backbreaking day’s work, the Tamai family
welcomes everyone into their home and graciously prepares a hearty
meal for the contestants.
• Speech Topic – “Struggle”
EPISODE 3 – “Wheelchair and Cane”
• Field Trip – The contestants
arrive at THE MESSENGERS’ studio to find that for the next
field trip, their lives have been drastically changed – some will be
without sight and others without the use of their legs for the day.
Four contestants are temporarily blinded with adhesive eye patches
and dark glasses before David Bigoney, a blind person and their
guide for the day, hands them walking sticks and leads them on a
journey into the darkness. Starting at L.A.’s Union Station, David
shows them how to navigate crowded public spaces, escalators and
station platforms. After each individual successfully buys a ticket
on their own, the group embarks on a train ride, only to find that
at their next destination, they need to cross their first busy city
street. The remaining four contestants are wheelchair-bound and put
in the care of Jeremy Newman, a paraplegic who takes them to the
marketplace to run some typical daily errands. It becomes apparent
that maneuvering in areas that are not wheelchair friendly can be
quite tricky, especially when trying to go down a flight of stairs.
At the end of the day, both sets of contestants have a better
understanding of how difficult it is to be independent when daily
life can at times require assistance, even from apathetic citizens.
• Speech Topic – “Perseverance”
EPISODE 4 – “Children’s Hospital of Orange County”
• Field Trip – THE MESSENGERS
contestants arrive at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County
and are greeted outside by Jonathan, a 17-year-old cancer patient.
Jonathan leads them inside the hospital, where they meet young
patients undergoing treatment and speak with devoted parents whose
daily vigils provide strength to their weakened little ones.
The seven contestants also attend a party celebrating the recovery
of patients who have undergone drastic heart surgeries. To end their
moving afternoon, they visit the Rainbow Room, a place where
children spend their final days with family and friends. The
contestants share a sobering moment with one of the nurses as she
tells an inspiring story about a young girl whose bright spirit
never faded even while facing death.
• Speech Topic – “Hope”
EPISODE 5 – “Meet John Doe”
• Field Trip – The six remaining
contestants visit the L.A. County Coroner’s Office and are led on a
tour revealing what happens to the unknown deceased who have no one
to claim or identify them. The group sees the crypt where forensic
scientists attempt to identify the men and women lying within the
morgue. After witnessing the work of the coroner who tries to record
what is known about the deceased, the contestants travel to the L.A.
County Cemetery to track these unclaimed dead to their final resting
place. The contestants meet Reverend Phil Manly, who conducts an
annual ceremony for never less than 1,500 unclaimed John and Jane
Does. The bodies are cremated and buried together in mass graves
with a simple grave marker indicating the year they were interred.
Reverend Manly takes the group to the gravesites and informs the
contestants that their next speech will be a eulogy for one of these
unknown and unclaimed men or women.
• Speech Topic – “Eulogy for John
or Jane Doe”
EPISODE 6 – “Vegas Valentines – A Day for Love”
• Field Trip – The five finalists
board THE MESSENGERS bus and head off on Valentine’s Day to
Las Vegas, a city that hosts hundreds of thousands of couples
exchanging their wedding vows each year. The first stop is the Las
Vegas Marriage Bureau, where over 300 couples have gathered on this
special day to obtain their marriage licenses. The contestants’ goal
is to find couples willing to have their wedding vows written for
them. They work their way through the crowd of lovebirds, meeting as
many people as possible and listening to the touching stories of
love these couples share, in hopes of finding an agreeable pair.
Later that day, the contestants attend wedding ceremonies and have
the opportunity to speak, sharing their thoughts on love, commitment
and marriage.
• Speech Topic – “Love”
EPISODE 7 – “Forgiveness”
• Field Trip – The contestants
travel to Petaluma, Calif., to meet Patty Julius, who lost her
daughter, Jessica, in a terrible car accident two years ago. Patty
paints a vibrant picture of Jessica’s life and how losing her
daughter created a void that cannot be filled. The contestants also
hear personal accounts of the accident and dramatic rescue efforts
from the emergency medical technician on the scene. To their
surprise, the contestants also meet Luis, the driver, who is
responsible for the accidental death of Jessica. They discuss his
painful feelings of guilt and remorse after the accident and his
conviction for vehicular manslaughter. The day ends with THE
MESSENGERS visiting Patty at her home and witnessing her reunion
with Luis, in a powerful expression of true forgiveness.
• Speech Topic – “Forgiveness”
EPISODE 8 – FINALE
• Field Trip – The three finalists
embark on a field trip designed for reflection – an opportunity to
revel in the glory of nature and look back upon their experiences on
THE MESSENGERS. The trip begins with playful schools of
dolphins leading the boat out to pristine Anacapa Island, one of the
Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. Once there,
the three finalists set off on a spiritually restorative hike and
reflect upon their personal journeys of being a part of THE
MESSENGERS. This is the perfect opportunity for the finalists to
gather their thoughts and inspirations for their finale
presentations. In this last installment, the finalists are
instructed to focus on their own personal message.
• Speech Topic – “The Message”
To preview THE
MESSENGERS, download high-resolution photography and access
additional press resources, please visit TLC’s media website at
www.press.discovery.com or THE MESSENGERS e-kit at
www.press.discovery.com/ekits/themessengers.
Interviews with the contestants and panelists are available upon
request. In addition, review copies and sneak preview DVD’s are
available upon request.
" I trust Angela
with my most precious assets--my image, my business and my time." --
Gary Johnson
Angela Taylor
Angela Taylor is a certified Event
Planner and Public Relations professional who manages our Event Planning
unit. Angela has 10 years of experience in the special events/public
relations industry. Her specific expertise lies in special event
development, design & management.
If you or
your team are spending time planning and managing events that are not the
most effective use of your time, then you're costing your organization
money.
Contact us
to see how we can help you plan and manage your events from start to finish
and increase your productivity.
Angela holds a
BA degree in Communications from Mt.
Vernon College in Washington, DC and a certificate from The George
Washington University Special Event Management Certificate Program. As
a member of the International Special Event Society (ISES), Angela plans to
sit for the Certified Special Events Professional
(CSEP)
designation within the next 6 months.
Click On Photo To Enlarge
Angela
Taylor and
Gary Johnson enjoy one of her events at B. Smith's restaurant in
Washington, DC
[ The Company ] [ Team Biographies ] [ Seminars ] [ Trng Courses ] [ Training Form ] [ Lunch & Learn ] [ Assessment ] [ Courtland Press ] [ Books/Publishing ] [ Event Planning ] [ Diversity ] [ Multicultural Game ] [ Leadership ] [ Motivation ] [ Govt. Services ] [ SJS Consulting ] [ Harassment ] [ Info Links ] [ Sign Language ] [ Client List ] [ Testimonials ] [ Photos ] [ Contacts ] [ News Articles ]
| |
|
