What Would You Do? (season 1)

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What Would You Do?
Season 1
What Would You Do? (season 1).jpg
John Quiñones introducing the first scenario in the What Would You Do? series.
Presented byJohn Quiñones
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes4
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseFebruary 26 (2008-02-26) –
March 25, 2008 (2008-03-25)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of the American situational hidden camera television series What Would You Do?, originally titled Primetime: What Would You Do?, premiered on February 26, 2008, and concluded on March 25, 2008. The four-episode season, presented by news correspondent John Quiñones, was broadcast on Tuesday nights in the United States on ABC. Executive produced by David Sloan, and gaining an average viewership of 7.77 million viewers per episode, ABC renewed the show for a second season on May 13, 2008.[1][2]

In 2017, as part of the thirteenth season of the show, ABC aired a special, titled "What Would You Do?: Then and Now," remaking scenarios featured in the original Primetime: What Would You Do? and this season with the same actors in the same locations.[3]

Production[]

Development[]

In 2004, The New York Times conducted an experiment in which two Times reporters asked fifteen individual subway passengers to give up their seats on a crowded subway train. After thirteen of them relinquished their seats, and the reporters were seated, the reporters grew tense as they felt they were "crossing the unspoken social boundaries of the subway."[4][5] In 2007, Washington Post staff writer Gene Weingarten conducted an experiment in which famous violinist Joshua Bell dressed up as a busker, and played difficult music near the L'Enfant Plaza station. Because of his appearance, his performance only awarded him a mere $30 from the unheeding public.[6] These two experiments led Chris Whipple to conceive the idea for a television show in which "rather than show how people act in manufactured situations when they know they’re being watched, they show [the viewer] how people act when they don’t." The new show, titled Primetime: What Would You Do?, began to appear periodically on ABC's Primetime, from 2005 to 2007.[5]

The new show became an instant success for the ABC network, with ratings doubling for each new episode. Because of this, ABC decided to make the show into its own series (ordering five new episodes) and decided to air them in November 2007. This was delayed due to the 2007 writers’ strike, and led for the new episodes to premiere on February 26, 2008, and caused the first season to consist of four episodes, instead of its original five.[5]

Filming[]

Most of the scenarios presented in the season were filmed in Texas and New Jersey.[7][8][9] The bakery scenario from the premiere episode was filmed at the Little Czech Bakery,[9] the "Cheating Couples" scenario was filmed at the Ennio & Michael Restaurant in New York City, and the "Tight Parking Spot" scenario was filmed in the city of Montclair.[10]

Episodes[]

See also: List of What Would You Do? episodes
Season 1
No.
overall		TitleOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"February 26, 2008 (2008-02-26)7.67[11]
A Muslim woman wearing a veil is denied service at a bakery. At a park, three girls verbally attack another girl. A friend's husband is eating dinner with a complete stranger. A woman parking in a tight spot hits the car behind her.
2"Episode 2"March 4, 2008 (2008-03-04)5.90[12]
Teenagers attack a homeless man. An unhandicapped woman refuses to move her car from a handicapped parking space. A waitress flirts with a woman's husband. Will someone speak up to someone with food in their teeth, toilet paper on their shoes, or an unbuttoned blouse?
3"Episode 3"March 11, 2008 (2008-03-11)7.60[13]
An interracial couple fights in a park. Volunteers are told to read the parable of the Good Samaritan and later see a pair of people in need. A waiter flirts with a man's wife.
4"Episode 4"March 25, 2008 (2008-03-25)9.92[14]
A group of teenagers ridicule an overweight person. Can random people pick a thief from a police lineup? At a wedding, people criticize the bride-to-be's wedding gown. Once again, a friend's husband is eating dinner with a complete stranger.

Reception[]

Accolades[]

The Avon Foundation, who fight to reduce cases of domestic violence, awarded John Quiñones the Voice of Change Award and praised his presentation of the "Interracial Abuse" scenario from episode 3,[a] stating that the show brought "injustice and wrongdoing against women and bringing the message of domestic violence to the mainstream."[15] The foundation also called the program "an important work of journalism that illustrates the unwillingness of many people to become involved or speak out against domestic violence."[16]

Ratings[]

Viewership and ratings per episode of What Would You Do?
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)
1 "Episode 1" February 26, 2008 2.9/8 7.67[11]
2 "Episode 2" March 4, 2008 2.1/6 5.90[12]
3 "Episode 3" March 11, 2008 2.9/8 7.60[13]
4 "Episode 4" March 25, 2008 3.1/8[17] 9.92[14]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The segment was originally shown in 2006 when the show appeared periodically on Primetime.

References[]

  1. ^ Schneider, Michael (May 13, 2008). "ABC announces fall schedule". Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  2. ^ T. Calabria, Rosario (May 14, 2008). "ABC Development Slate for 2008/2009 Season [Continually Updated]". Your Entertainment Now. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  3. ^ Butler, Maya (September 26, 2017). "'What Would You Do?' episode recap: Teens verbally abuse homeless person, thief steals gas out of cars". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  4. ^ Luo, Michael (September 14, 2004). "Excuse Me. May I Have Your Seat?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Weiss, Daniel (February 15, 2008). "What Would You Do? - Columbia Journalism Review". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Weingarten, Gene. "Pearls Before Breakfast: Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  7. ^ Hanan, Eric; N. Hays, Julie (December 23, 2008). "You Are So Fat!". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  8. ^ Taylor, Clem; D. Jáquez, Natalie (December 23, 2008). "Littering: What Would You Do?". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Sorkowitz, Ann (June 20, 2008). "Witness to Discrimination: What Would You Do?". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  10. ^ Hunter, Aina (March 11, 2008). "'This Is Not Good': Your Best Friend's Boyfriend With Another Woman". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  11. ^ a b T. Calabria, Rosario (March 5, 2008). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Tuesday, March 4, 2008". Your Entertainment Now. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  12. ^ a b T. Calabria, Rosario (March 12, 2008). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Tuesday, March 11, 2008". Your Entertainment Now. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  13. ^ a b T. Calabria, Rosario (March 27, 2008). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Tuesday, March 25, 2008". Your Entertainment Now. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Seidman, Robert (April 1, 2008). "Last Week's Most-Watched Primetime Shows (Broadcast Networks)". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  15. ^ "Snippets: Avon Awards… Staffing Up… CEW's Next Act…". Women's Wear Daily. November 3, 2006. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  16. ^ "What Would You Do?". ABC All Access. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  17. ^ T. Calabria, Rosario (April 2, 2008). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Tuesday, April 1, 2008". Your Entertainment Now. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.

External links[]

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