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The Prodigy (TV series)

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Recruiting scheme disguised as a TV show This article is about the cancelled 2007 TV series. For other uses, see Prodigy (disambiguation).
The name of this television game uses a disambiguation style that does not follow WP:NCTV or WP:NCBC and needs attention. If you are removing this template without fixing the naming style to one supported by WP:NCTV, please add the article to Category:Television articles with disputed naming style.
The Prodigy
Country of originUnited States
Production
ProducerBryan Ferre
Original release
ReleaseUnaired (Unaired)

The Prodigy was an alleged proposed American reality TV show in 2007 that promised $1 million in cash and prizes to the ultimate winner, but was actually a recruiting scheme for an alarm sales company.

The show staged casting events at college campuses throughout the country in 2007. The show's creative director and producer Bryan Ferre announced that they were recruiting field camera crew from Collins College (Arizona).

Students were reportedly selected from around the country, perhaps as many as 2000. Many of the students cast in the show later claimed it was an elaborate scam by Utah-based security alarm company Firstline Security. The "show" was produced by "Actuality Entertainment", and producers promised the students it would air on a major network. Many students never saw any cameras, however. No show ever aired. Firstline subsequently went into bankruptcy, and the state of California launched an investigation of the company's practices which led to its license being revoked.

References

  1. "Firstline brings security to masses". Business. Deseret News. June 3, 2007. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. ^ Rose, Sontaya (February 15, 2008). "False Alarms". KFSN-TV (ABC30 Fresno). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. Rose, Sontaya (February 26, 2008). "False Alarms and a Dose of Reality". KFSN-TV (ABC30 Fresno). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. ^ Rose, Sontaya (June 3, 2009). "Firstline Security, Bogus Billing". KFSN-TV (ABC30 Fresno). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  5. Hermiston, Lee (April 25, 2007). "UI part of 'Prodigy' search". Iowa Today. The Gazette. Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA. p. 1B. Retrieved 9 June 2019 – via NewsBank.
  6. Hermiston, Lee (April 27, 2007). "'Prodigy' auditions fail to draw crowd". Iowa Today. The Gazette. Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA. p. 3B. Retrieved 9 June 2019 – via NewsBank.
  7. ^ Gallegos, Rachel (April 27, 2007). "Students prove to be 'prodigies'". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. p. 3A. Retrieved 9 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. McCann, Jessica (March 7, 2007). "TV show recruits at A&M: Almost 100 Aggies apply to be the next big reality stars". The Battalion. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  9. "The Prodigy, Opportunity Knocks: Reality TV Recruits Film Graduates of Collins College for Camera Crew" (Press release). Business Wire. May 30, 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2019 – via General OneFile.
  10. Finney, Michael (February 18, 2008). "Reality show contestants duped into selling". KGO-TV (ABC7 San Francisco). Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  11. Hokanson, Chris (January 23, 2008). "Utah based company lures "door-to-door" salesmen". The Battalion. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  12. Finney, Michael (February 28, 2008). "Reality show producer talks to ABC7". KGO-TV (ABC7 San Francisco). Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  13. Finney, Michael (February 29, 2008). "Consumers get faulty alarm systems". KGO-TV (ABC7 San Francisco). Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  14. "Firstline Security seeks bankruptcy protection". Business. Deseret News. Bloomberg News. January 29, 2008. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  15. Finney, Michael (March 14, 2008). "State investigating Firstline Security". KGO-TV (ABC7 San Francisco). Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  16. Finney, Michael (June 19, 2008). "Firstline loses license to operate in CA". KGO-TV (ABC7 San Francisco). Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2019.

Further reading

  • Karoli (July 21, 2007). "Pure Bull or Pure Evil?". odd time signatures. Retrieved 9 June 2019. (personal blog of mother writing about the experiences of her son in The Prodigy project)
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