Thanks a Million - Season 1

Diminishing returns indeed.

Even the title is disingenuous.

This is the kind of show that would have gone over really big about five minutes before the French Revolution.

If you played any 30 seconds of this celebrity charity show and told me it was actually a commercial for a billion-dollar oil conglomerate masquerading as a nonprofit fund, I would believe you.

Most frustrating of all, Thanks A Million ends abruptly, denying viewers the warm-hug satisfaction of knowing the money improved anyone's lives. Like Pay It Forward, it's another excuse for Hollywood to pat its own back.

It's certainly a feel-good show, but not especially well-served by cramming each heartwarming story into such a small package.

It knows exactly what it's doing, but if it inspires others to up their own thankfulness then it's a good thing.

Look, on the surface, this is a pleasant scenario. But I couldn't help wonder if the recipients of the initial money felt a sudden pang of sorrow when they learned they couldn't keep all of it.

The series is effectively able to show people from all walks of life being generous and the transformative effect it can have on them.

Thanks a Million reminds us that genuine gratitude never goes out of style and that turning someone else's gift to you into kindness to another person is an exceptional way to honor that act.

So while Thanks a Million may not reach as many people as it could in a financial way, hopefully the spirit of giving will catch on in a more meaningful one.

Easily one of the most cynical Quibi shows disguised as inspirational programming, Thanks a Million is a way for celebs to do the bare minimum while getting a ton of credit for being altruistic.