Big Spender

I've been meaning to post about this show, and its host, for awhile now. The premise is really simple, it's Intervention for the non-budget savvy. Each week, Larry Winget and his wildly odd embroidered western-wear descend on a couple or family in financial trouble, show the woman in the family (so far, it's always women with the spending problem) how their out-of-control shopping is destroying their credit, lives, families, relationships etc, explain the basics of financial planning, put them on a strict budget, and give them some strategies for getting out of debt, and then show back up in a few weeks to see how they're doing. Larry seems nice enough, but as host he does the worst Dr. Phil impression I've ever seen. His charisma on camera seems confined to the aforemeantoned crazy shirts. I'm not sure how long this show can survive. Not that there aren't plenty of people in financial crisis, but the half-hour format doesn't give you nearly enough time to really get interested in the individuals as individuals, and since the advice is pretty basic - cut your spending, get second jobs, etc. - there's really not much to it. Given all this, I'm not sure why I've watched three episodes of this show - other than the fact that I love spending money, and it's kind of disturbing to watch where it could lead me if I'm not careful.