Dutch-based TV company Endemol is no stranger to controversial TV, having produced shows
like Big Brother and Fear Factor for Dutch audiences, before selling the licenses internationally,
resulting in many countries across the world having their own versions of these shows.
There is one Endemol broadcast that never left the Netherlands though, although its
controversy certainly did.
2007's De Grote Donorshow was one program that Endemol had no intention of ever trying
again.
So why is that?
Well, De Grote Donorshow means the Great Donor Show.
It would be a one-time broadcast where contestants would compete for a very special prize, one
that no other gameshow could match.
These contestants weren't competing for a car, or a holiday or a million dollars, but
a kidney donation.
Yes, the show centred around Lisa, a terminally ill woman who was giving away a kidney to
whoever she thought was most deserving of it.
Seems a bit stingy to only have one winner when you have two kidneys.
As a matter of fact you've a whole heap of organs that are gonna go to waste, not just
the one kidney, I mean you might as well make a gameshow for each of them, no?
Before the show's broadcast, the Great Donorshow presented 25 contestants to the public.
Each of them was in need of a kidney transplant and each had the usual game show sob story,
y'know, "wah wah wah nobody loved me as a kid and now I have renal failure - I am literally
dying boo hoo", and then the public was given a phone number to which they could send a
text to Lisa in support of their favoured kidney needer.
The proceeds from these text messages would then be donated to the Dutch Kidney Foundation.
A nice touch, but it wasn't enough to stem the tide of controversy surrounding the premise
of the show.
The Great Donorshow made headlines around the world, with critics slamming its decision
to publicise an organ transplant as part of a reality tv show, claiming it was a cynical
and unethical attempt to profit off of people's misery.
The international backlash put so much pressure on the Dutch government that they tried to
have the show banned before it could air.
You see, the Netherlands at the time had quite a problem with organ donations, having one
of the lowest donor rates in all of Europe.
Every year, around 350 people in the country died because they didn't receive an organ
in time.
This, paired with the fact that the show was receiving negative attention all over the
world was a source of embarrassment for Dutch politicians, and a lot of them hopped on board
with critisizing the show.
Even the Dutch Prime Minister said he didn't want the show to go live and that "the controversial
program did not benefit the image of the Netherlands abroad", but I mean like, isn't that kind
of your job, mate?
Bit silly to say a TV show is making your country look bad when you're literally in
charge of that country.
Some in government agreed with this point, although not really in the same spirit, more
like "yeah, we are the ones in charge of this country, let's just ban the show".
Assumedly that means they were willing for the Dutch Kidney Foundation to lose out on
any of the money that could've been raised through texting the show, and also for the
potential winner to lose out on the donation, all to avoid a "bad look".
But while the show may have been tasteless and morally-questionable, it didn't break
any laws, so there was nothing the government could do about it.
So what happened on the Great Donorshow?
Who won and when did Lisa kick the bucket so they could collect their prize?
Well, when the show went live on the 1st of June 2007, the 25-contestants had been whittled
down to just three; Vincent, Charlotte and Esther-Clair.
1.2 million Dutch people watched on as the contestants gave their final appeals, and
the public was given their last chance to advise Lisa through text messages.
At the climax of the show, Lisa finally had to make her decision.
Out of the three contestants, she would first tell one that they were not getting her kidney,
before revealing the winner to the remaining two, standard reality tv show set up.
Lisa apologetically eliminates Esther-Clair, telling her she's already had a good life.
So they just told this woman straight to her face she wasn't getting her life-saving medical
treatment and waved it off with "you've had a good run".
Fantastic TV moment.
Just before Lisa can announce the winner, the host stops the whole thing and the lights
come on.
He tells the audience why the show is taking place, reminding them of the shocking state
of organ donation in the country and that the 1,400 people currently registered for
a transplant have slim chance of seeing one.
He then says they can change this and makes an appeal to the audience to sign a donor
form, before dropping an absolute bombshell.
He reveals that they will not be giving away a kidney on TV.
In fact, Lisa was was not terminally-ill at all, she was merely an actor.
If you think that's fucked up, wait til you hear this.
Unlike Lisa, the contestants were not actors.
They really needed a kidney and would now not be getting one because the show was just
a hoax.
Thankfully, they were in on it, they knew the whole time the show would not be giving
them a kidney, but went along with it in support of the show's message.
Two days after the show's airing, Dutch news reported that 50,000 people had requested
a donor form be sent to them.
The show's shock reveal had a big impact on its audience, and left a lot of its very vocal
critics looking rather silly.
Some members of the Dutch government were forced to praise how the show used its hugely
negative attention to positive effect.
Some were not quite as willing to admit they'd been had though, with the Dutch Health Ministry
saying "this is not the proper way to get more donors".
Well, show us how it's done, so.
Of course, they weren't able to, a fact that was brought up almost a year later when the
show won an award for Dutch TV Moment of the Year for its bombshell climax.
While accepting the award, the network's chairperson said "the show was aired in June, today is
january.
Dutch politicians promised to put donor shortage on their agenda.
We're still waiting for a reaction."
So they turned a show that was an embarassment to politicians into a show that was a humiliation
to politicians.
Not only had they been publicly fooled, but exposed for caring more about how something
might look to an international audience than what the actual reality was for their citizens.
They basically lambasted a publicity stunt that did more to combat the donor situation
than they themselves were doing, and then looked rather silly when it was all revealed.
An ironic twist that adds a sweet poetic justice to the hoax that they could have avoided by
just keeping their mouths shut.
So, well over a decade later, what was the aftermath?
Well, as of 2020, Vincent, Charlotte and Esther-Clair are all still alive.
Also as of 2020, Dutch citizens above the age of 18 are automatically added to the donor
register - meaning you have to opt out of becoming an organ donor rather than opting
in.
Which is pretty much the most the government can do to ensure the country has as much donors
as possible.
The people must be going into their graves like empty tubes of toothpaste.
So what do you think of the Great Donorshow?
Tasteless or genius?
It's obviously still regarded as a controversial show, and despite Endemol selling creations
like Deal or No Deal to over 75 countries, The Voice to over 65 countries, and Big Brother
to over 60 countries, the Great Donorshow is one premise they've never attempted to
repeat.
Although that might just be because you can only let the cat out of the bag once, y'know,
I doubt Deal or No Deal would have quite as many episodes if at the end of each it was
revealed the money was all a lie, and the contestants who really wanted that money had
the government to blame for being poor.
Well anyways, if you liked this video I have another in a similar vein, about a very controversial
business that tries to kill its customers, and in some cases has succeeded.
And if you've already seen that one you should probably consider subscribing if you're not
already cuz that came out nearly a year ago, you're not seriously just watching my new
videos every week without subscribing are you?
Well, aside from just asking you to subscribe there's literally nothing I can do about it
so alright then.
I'll see ya next week and until then, stay safe.