I have to admit that I’m biased, but 30 Days is one of the best shows on television and it’s second season starts up tomorrow, Wednesday, July 26th at 10PM E/P on FX. Answering the question, “What would it be like if I spent 30 days living as X?”, the series puts Morgan Spurlock and five other people into situations that they might typically avoid. In documentary form, you don’t know what’s going to happen during that month, but at its base, just being exposed to people who think differently usually leaves you changed in some way.
Last year, Morgan’s month living on minimum wage showed how just trying to survive day-to-day might be nearly impossible, no matter how motivated and productive you were. This episode of 30 Days inspired Oprah Winfrey to devote more than one of her shows to the topic of the minimum wage. It’s no surprise with the Republicans in charge of the White House, the House and the Senate that the Federal Minimum Wage remains at the same level as it was last year (and the same level it has been for the last 10 years, which is now worth $4.04/hour due to inflation). You might think that the high costs of gasoline might be hitting folks hard who are trying to survive at $5.15/hour, but having watched Morgan and his fiance struggle I’m pretty sure that one is unlikely to be driving a car much at that salary anyway. On a positive note, some have noted that pushing for an increase in the minimum wage is a popular (70+% in favor) way for the Democrats to get elected this Fall.
Overall though, the episodes make you think and this new season is no exception. Leading off the six episodes this season is an episode on Immigration. In this episode, a die-hard anti-illegal immigration Minuteman lives with an immigrant family in Los Angeles. This episode is so great I’m not really sure how to describe it. You’ll just have to watch. Standing in front of the dubbing rack watching an early cut of this episode brought tears to my eyes. It’s a very emotional journey and one of the best episodes of television our company has produced.
Other episodes in this season cover global outsourcing (by sending a guy to India to get his job back), atheism, and the correctional system (which has Spurlock sentenced to 30 days in the slammer).
If you want the complete list of the topics covered you can visit the Actual Reality Pictures 30 Days page or you can go check out the FX home page for 30 Days. Set your Tivo/Replay/Windows Media Center PC to record the entire season. You won’t regret it.