From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American reality television show
30 Days
|
---|
|
Created by
| Morgan Spurlock
|
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Starring
| Morgan Spurlock
|
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Narrated by
| Morgan Spurlock
|
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Opening theme
| "
The Passenger
",
Iggy Pop
|
---|
Country of origin
| United States
|
---|
Original language
| English
|
---|
No.
of seasons
| 3
|
---|
No.
of episodes
| 18
(
list of episodes
)
|
---|
|
Executive producers
| |
---|
Producer
| Sebastian Doggart
|
---|
Running time
| 42?48 minutes
[1]
|
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Production companies
| |
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|
Network
| FX
|
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Release
| June 15, 2005
(
2005-06-15
)
?
July 8, 2008
(
2008-07-08
)
|
---|
30 Days
is an American
reality television
series created and hosted by
Morgan Spurlock
for
FX
. In each episode, Spurlock, or some other person or group of people, spend 30 days immersing themselves in a particular lifestyle with which they are unfamiliar (e.g. working for
minimum wage
, being in
prison
, a
Christian
living as a
Muslim
, etc.), while discussing related social issues. As in Spurlock's film,
Super Size Me
, there are a number of rules unique to each situation which must be followed during each such experiment. At least one episode each season has featured Spurlock as the person spending the month in the particular lifestyle.
Season one premiered on June 15, 2005, and its respective DVD set was released July 11, 2006. The second season premiered on July 26, 2006. Season 3 of
30 Days
premiered on June 3, 2008.
[2]
Later that same year, FX said that it would not be renewing the series for a fourth season, effectively canceling the show.
[3]
The show has recently been picked up for re-air by
Destination America
, though no new episodes have been ordered.
In the United Kingdom, the program is broadcast on
More4
and
Channel 4
. In Australia, the program is broadcast on
Network Ten
and
Lifestyle Channel
. It currently
[
when?
]
airs in Canada on
Independent Film Channel
and
Canal Vie
. It also airs on FX in
Latin America
. In Norway it airs on
TV 2
. In Sweden it airs on
TV4
and
Kanal 9
.
Episode listing
[
edit
]
Season
|
Episodes
|
Season
Premiere
|
Season
Finale
|
|
1
|
6
|
June 15, 2005
|
July 20, 2005
|
|
2
|
6
|
July 26, 2006
|
August 30, 2006
|
|
3
|
6
|
June 3, 2008
|
July 8, 2008
|
Season 1: 2005
[
edit
]
#
|
Topic
|
Original airdate
|
101
|
"
Minimum Wage
"
|
June 15, 2005
|
30 Days
premiered on June 15, 2005, with the pilot episode "Minimum Wage," in which Morgan Spurlock and his then fiancee,
Alex Jamieson
, lived for 30 days in
the Bottoms
neighborhood of
Columbus, Ohio
, trying to get by on
minimum wage
($5.15 an hour). They had no access to prior cash,
credit cards
or health insurance and lived in an apartment whose rent was less than their combined wages for one week.
Rules:
- They have to work minimum-wage jobs.
- They must start off with only $206 (slightly less than one week's minimum wage pay).
- They must secure all their credit cards and other money, and are not allowed to access any
savings accounts
.
|
102
|
"
Anti-Aging
"
|
June 22, 2005
|
The second episode featured 34-year-old Scott Bridges on his quest to
reverse
the aging process using
testosterone
and
growth hormone
supplements. However, Bridges quits after 22 days on the program after experiencing abnormal
liver
functions and extreme decrease in
sperm
count (75M alive vs. 1M dead).
Rules:
- He must take daily injections of growth hormones and other
medications
.
- He must eat better and get
exercise
.
- He must get weekly checkups from his doctor.
|
103
|
"
Muslims and America
"
|
June 29, 2005
|
The third episode featured Dave Stacy, a devout
Christian
with seemingly
offensive views
of the Muslim people, who had to spend 30 days with a
Muslim
family.
Rules:
- Dave must act accordingly with all
Muslim
traditions, from what he wears to what he eats.
- Dave must study the
Qur'an
daily.
- Dave must grow a
beard
.
|
104
|
"
Straight Man in a Gay World
"
|
July 6, 2005
|
The fourth episode featured a
conservative Christian
man (under the idea that
American way
of life is under attack) who spends 30 days living with a
homosexual
man in his home in
the Castro
, a
majority-gay neighborhood
in
San Francisco
, California.
- He must familiarize himself with the city's gay culture by socializing with his roommate's friends.
- Get a job in the Castro.
- Meet with the reverend of the
local "gay" church
for a one-on-one conversation.
|
105
|
"
Off the Grid
"
|
July 13, 2005
|
Two nightclub employees with a dependence on the
power grid
have to live without
electricity
, phone service, or Internet; they have to spend 30 days at
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
in
Rutledge, Missouri
.
Rules:
- They must leave cars, electricity, and live completely
off the grid
.
- They must engage in manual labor.
- They must
recycle
everything
, including their human waste products.
|
106
|
"
Binge Drinking Mom
"
|
July 20, 2005
|
In a
Freaky Friday
style of intervention of a daughter's future possibility of drinking, a mother begins to
binge drink
for 30 days as her daughter watches what a person would go through (
e.g.
,
vomiting
,
hangovers
, and drunkenness). As the mother teaches the daughter, the mother ends up learning about the pressure teens experience to drink.
Rules:
- The mother must drink as much as a college student ? at least four days a week.
- To count as "binge drinking," the mother must drink at least four drinks in two hours.
- She must go about her daily schedule as normal, despite sickness or hangovers.
|
Season 2: 2006
[
edit
]
#
|
Topic
|
Original airdate
|
201
|
"
Immigration
"
|
July 26, 2006
|
The second season begins with a reaction to recent
immigration protests
by placing a border-patrolling
Minuteman
? who, incidentally, had legally immigrated to the United States from Cuba as a child ? in a home of illegal immigrants.
Rules:
- Leave any and all identification behind.
- Move in with a family of immigrants and live in their house.
- He will be put to work as a day laborer.
|
202
|
"
Outsourcing
"
|
August 2, 2006
|
The second episode of season 2 involves an unemployed computer programmer, Christopher Jobin, who had his job
outsourced
to India. He travels to India to work and find out why so many American jobs are being outsourced there.
Rules:
- Chris must relocate to India.
- Chris must live with a family that works in outsourced jobs.
- Chris must train and work in an outsourced job.
|
203
|
"
Religious Perception (DVD Title: Atheist/Christian)
"
|
August 9, 2006
|
A firm
atheist
must live among a family of devout Christians.
Rules:
- Must live with a family of devout Christians
- Must go to Church once a week
- Must go to Bible Study once a week
|
204
|
"
New Age
"
|
August 16, 2006
|
A high-strung, stressed out salesman (Tom) is introduced to a
New Age
"life guide" who compels him to participate in a number of New Age ceremonies, treatments, discussions, etc., much to the chagrin of his live-in
girlfriend
.
Rules:
- Tom has to accept a life coach as his spiritual mentor and advisor.
- He must open his consciousness and release his body to new age healers.
- He must attend and participate in a variety of new age rituals.
|
205
|
"
Abortion (DVD Title: Pro-Choice/Pro-Life)
"
|
August 23, 2006
|
Twenty-nine-year-old Jennifer from Atlanta is a counselor at a reproductive health clinic who is strongly
pro-choice
, who had an abortion when she was younger. For 30 days she'll live in
His Nesting Place
, a residential Christian crisis pregnancy center in
Long Beach, California
run by former
Operation Rescue
activists.
[1]
Rules:
- Must move into a religious, pro-life crisis pregnancy center
- Must obey house rules
- Must participate in pro-life activities
|
206
|
"
Jail
"
|
August 30, 2006
|
Series creator Morgan Spurlock serves a mock thirty day sentence in the
Henrico County
Jail
in
Richmond, Virginia
. However Spurlock is released after 25 days because in Virginia the average felon serves 85% of their sentence.
Rules:
- Must be treated exactly the same as all other
inmates
.
- Must spend 72 hours in
solitary confinement
.
- Limited to two visits only from friends or family outside. His first visit is from his mother and brother, and the second is from his fiancee, Alex.
At the end of the episode, it is revealed that two of the inmates Spurlock befriended (and were released during the 30 days) were re-
incarcerated
a few months later.
|
Season 3: 2008
[
edit
]
#
|
Topic
|
Original airdate
|
301
|
"
Working in a Coal Mine
"
|
June 3, 2008
|
Morgan Spurlock goes to West Virginia to work in a coal mine. He explores the detrimental effect burning coal has on the environment. Spurlock talks about the practice of
surface mining
, which is destroying the landscape in his native West Virginia.
Rules:
- He'd work regular shifts in a coal mine and face the same dangers as other coal miners.
- He would explore the impact of the coal industry on the environment.
- He would live with a family that's been in coal mining for generations.
|
302
|
"
30 Days in a Wheelchair
"
|
June 10, 2008
|
Cornerback for the
Super Bowl
winning
Denver Broncos
,
Ray Crockett
, spends 30 days in a wheelchair to simulate living with a spinal cord injury. He restructures his life to resemble that of a paraplegic. He has full movement of his arms. In the process he learns about
disabled sports
, the stigma associated with
disabled people
and the difficulties that they face.
Rules:
- He cannot move his legs, except for stretching exercises daily to avoid permanent side effects.
- He has to take part in a wheelchair
rugby
league.
- He has to tag along with patients at a local spinal cord rehabilitation program.
|
303
|
"
Animal Rights
"
|
June 17, 2008
|
An avid hunter lives in Los Angeles with a campaign coordinator for PETA, participating in PETA initiatives and working at an animal rescue center.
Rules:
- Must live with vegan family, and can't eat meat or wear animal skin.
- Must take a job in an animal rescue center.
- Must take part in animal rights demonstration.
|
304
|
"
Same Sex Parenting
"
|
June 24, 2008
|
A mother (who was adopted herself) opposed to gays and lesbians adopting has to live with two gay men and their adopted children.
Rules:
- Move in with the gay couple and their four adopted sons.
- Must get involved the gay community and attend same sex family events.
- Must work with gays and lesbians who are fighting for equal rights for their families.
|
305
|
"
Gun Nation
"
|
July 1, 2008
|
A gun-control supporter, who had a friend murdered by a shooting, moves in with a father and son who are strong gun advocates.
Rules:
- Move in with pro-gun family.
- Must work at a gun store and sell guns to people.
- Must get firearms training.
|
306
|
"
Life on an Indian Reservation
"
|
July 8, 2008
|
Morgan Spurlock spends 30 days on the
Navajo Nation
to study
Native American
life.
Rules:
- Move onto the reservation and live with a
Navajo
family.
- Learn some of the
Navajo language
.
- Take part in
Navajo
ceremonies.
|
DVD releases
[
edit
]
DVD Name
|
Release Date
|
# of eps
|
Additional Information
|
Season 1
|
July 11, 2006
|
6
|
Commentary on selected episodes, and diary cam on all episodes.
|
Season 2
|
July 1, 2008
|
6
|
|
Complete Boxset
|
May 18, 2010
|
18
|
|
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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Films
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Television
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Produced
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Books
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Current
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Former
| 1990s debuts
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2000s debuts
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2010s debuts
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2020s debuts
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Upcoming
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Reality Program
(2004?present)
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Reality Competition Program
(2023?present)
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