Random 1 (2005)

Overview

Random 1 is a documentary-style reality television series that aired from November 2005 to January 2006 on the A&E cable network. In each episode, hosts John Chester and Andre Miller travel from town to town, in Miller's real-life, rickety pickup truck Jackie, searching for total strangers who are looking to have their lives changed. However, unlike other such "do-gooder" shows, Chester and Miller employ an all-shapes-and-sizes approach, with assignments ranging from a new cell phone to a week in rehab to a new prosthetic leg. The show ran for one season, and premiered to favorable reviews. The crew abides by a set of rules: the person being helped must be a stranger, the mission must be completed in one day, and no money may be spent. In order to free up John and Andre to get to know the subject of a given episode, they are aided by three producers in an internet-ready mobile RV. Capella Fahoome, Jim Lefter, and Molly Schrek, once a subject has been decided on, go to their laptops and cell phones, searching for local businesses or individuals willing to help. Typically, the "street team" and the "RV team" do not interact except over the phone, although this policy, too, has had its exceptions.