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Series · 2009 · Action & Adventure

The Philanthropist

★7.1 2009 1 Season Tom Fontana TV-MA

The title character, Teddy Rist (portrayed by James Purefoy), is a billionaire playboy haunted by the death of his only child. His life changes when he rescues a young boy during a hurricane in Nigeria. As a result, Rist begins using his fortune to personally change the lives of others.[4] The Philanthropist is based loosely on the life of Bobby Sager.[5] The Philanthropist is an American action drama series that premiered on NBC on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. The program was a limited summer series, principally filmed in South Africa. It opened to strong ratings, but saw a drop in viewers in subsequent weeks. The Philanthropist is a Carnival Films production in association with The Levinson/Fontana Company and Original Media. Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson, Peter Horton, Charlie Corwin, Gareth Neame, and Teri Weinberg served as executive producers.

Seasons & episodes

1 season · 8 episodes

Nigeria Part I

Episode 01

Nigeria Part I

Jun 24, 2009 · 60 min

A wealthy philanthropist's life is changed when a hurricane hits the Nigerian town he was visiting. During the storm the billionaire rescues a young boy. These events lead him to pursue his new found passion for helping those in need.

Myanmar

Episode 02

Myanmar

Jul 1, 2009 · 60 min

Teddy visits Myanmar to ask for guidance from a local leader after his company is accused of forced labor.

Paris

Episode 03

Paris

Jul 8, 2009 · 60 min

Olivia is reunited with an old friend who is caught in a sex-trafficking ring on a visit to Paris. Teddy does everything in his power to save the helpless young women.

Nigeria Part II

Episode 04

Nigeria Part II

Jul 15, 2009 · 60 min

Teddy heads to Kujama, Nigeria, to help rescue his old friend, Doctor Chima Balo. Balo was kidnapped because the local rebels didn't like Teddy and his oil refinery doing good for their town. Back at home, Philip helps an old acquaintance keep his head above water after being laid off from work.

Kosovo

Episode 05

Kosovo

Jul 22, 2009 · 60 min

Teddy meets his ex-wife Julia and tells her about his journey to Kosovo where he tried to get Serbians and Albanians to work together, but learned that the hatred runs deep.

San Diego

Episode 06

San Diego

Jul 29, 2009 · 60 min

Teddy and Dax travel to San Diego and try to find the thief who stole Teddy's identity. In the meantime, Olivia and Philip find out that Maidstone Rist is in trouble.

Kashmir

Episode 07

Kashmir

Aug 5, 2009 · 60 min

When Teddy tries to close a deal with the Indian and Pakistani governments to rebuild a water system in Kashmir, he disappears on his mission.

Haiti

Episode 08

Haiti

Aug 12, 2009 · 60 min

Food shortage leads Teddy and Philip to Haiti where they try to help, but Philip's estranged brother, a powerful island senator named Jean Beauvais, interferes.

About the series

The Philanthropist poster
Audience score
★ 7.1 /10

based on 9 votes

Synopsis

The title character, Teddy Rist (portrayed by James Purefoy), is a billionaire playboy haunted by the death of his only child. His life changes when he rescues a young boy during a hurricane in Nigeria. As a result, Rist begins using his fortune to personally change the lives of others.[4] The Philanthropist is based loosely on the life of Bobby Sager.[5] The Philanthropist is an American action drama series that premiered on NBC on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. The program was a limited summer series, principally filmed in South Africa. It opened to strong ratings, but saw a drop in viewers in subsequent weeks. The Philanthropist is a Carnival Films production in association with The Levinson/Fontana Company and Original Media. Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson, Peter Horton, Charlie Corwin, Gareth Neame, and Teri Weinberg served as executive producers.

Action & AdventureDrama

Cast

5 principal cast

James Purefoy

James Purefoy

Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell

Olivia Maidstone

Michael Kenneth Williams

Michael Kenneth Williams

Lindy Booth

Lindy Booth

A.J. Butterfield

Jesse L. Martin

Jesse L. Martin

Philip Maidstone

Where to watch The Philanthropist

The Philanthropist is available to stream on Flicksy via 6 verified sources, aggregated from publicly available embed providers. The action & adventure from Tom Fontana has 1 season and 8 total episodes, rated 7.1/10 by 9 viewers.

Frequently asked

How many seasons does The Philanthropist have?

The Philanthropist has 1 season with 8 episodes in total.

Is The Philanthropist still on the air?

The current status of The Philanthropist is: Canceled.

What network airs The Philanthropist?

The Philanthropist airs on NBC.

When did The Philanthropist first air?

The Philanthropist first aired on June 24, 2009.

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