Yesterday I attended the premiere
of a new series by Morgan Spurlock called “30 Days.� Created in the
wake of Morgan’s success with “Super Size Me”, each episode is about
when someone walks in someone else’s shoes for 30 days. In the first
episode, Morgan and his fiance try to live in Columbus, Ohio on minimum
wage jobs. Despite their advantages – they are educated, healthy, and
motivated – they struggle to make ends meet and end the month in debt
due in part to medical bills. The episode should look familiar to
anyone who has read “Nickeled and Dimed,�
or actually struggled to work a low paying job. Although I wouldn’t
call it “fun� television, Morgan does a good job of keeping the episode
moving along with humor and the cartoon interludes you may remember
from his earlier films. The screening featured a brief visit by Sen. Ted Kennedy
who gave a short angry speech about how the low level of the federal
minimum wage is a national disgrace. Although I’m pessimistic about how
the series will fare against the existing “reality� TV, like Super Size
the series’ first episode is daring television that is entertaining but
also makes you squirm in your seat.

> 30 Days premieres on FX tonight at 10 p.m.
> See Morgan’s blog

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