Shaq's Big Challenge is a reality

Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 television show hosted by Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...

 that debuted on ABC

American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 with its first episode on June 26, 2007, and concluded its first season on July 31, 2007. It featured Shaq's efforts to help six severely obese middle school aged children from Broward County, Florida

Broward County, Florida

-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...

 lose weight and gain a healthy lifestyle. It aired on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET/PT

Pacific Time Zone

The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...

 and 8:00 pm CT on ABC. Like most current ABC shows, episodes can also be watched legally and free of charge on ABC's website (USA only).

The events of the six episodes take place over a period of nine months. The challenge was originally scheduled to last five months, but near the end, Shaq and the kids decided to extend it another four months. All kids started out in either the obese or the morbidly obese category and were unable to produce adequate results in the President's Physical Fitness Test, and by the end they were all within the normal or overweight categories and passed the President's Physical Fitness Test in all areas.

The show debuted to low ratings, though it can be attributed, and is attributed by ABC as well as critics, to the fact that the show shares a time slot with the highly successful America's Got Talent

America's Got Talent

America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...

and reruns of the immensely popular House

House (TV series)

House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...

. Critics, parents, and educational institutions lauded the show for its accuracy, humor, emotion, sincerity, and lack of exploitation.

The two schools featured in the show are Pines Middle School and Olsen Middle School, both of which are part of Broward County Public Schools

Broward County Public Schools

Broward County Public Schools, a public school district serving Broward County, Florida, is the nation's sixth largest public school system and the largest fully accredited district in the nation, with over 260,000 students in more than 260 schools and education centers...

.

The Kids

Name, Age	Weight at start	Weight at end
James Pistocchi, 11	182 lb (83 kg)	157 lb (71 kg); lost 25 lb (11 kg)
Chris Brito, 11	206 lb (93 kg)	129 lb (59 kg); lost 77 lb (35 kg)
Ariel Pittsinger, 14	211 lb (96 kg)	171 lb (78 kg); lost 40 lb (18 kg)
Kevin Evans, 13	230 lb (104 kg)	178 lb (81 kg); lost 52 lb (24 kg)
Kit Maldanado, 14	263 lb (119 kg)	236 lb (107 kg); lost 27 lb (12 kg)
Walter Holleger, 14	285 lb (129 kg)	221 lb (100 kg); lost 64 lb (29 kg)

The Experts

Name	Occupation
Joy Bauer	Nutritionist Nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical... , Founder of Joy Bauer Nutrition.
Dale Brown Dale Brown (basketball) Dale Duward Brown is an American former college basketball coach who spent 25 years leading the LSU Tigers. His team earned Final Four appearances in 1981 and 1986. He is also remembered as one of the most vocal critics of the NCAA because he said it legislated against human dignity.-Life in...	College Basketball Coach of Louisiana State University Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name... , and Shaq's college coach.
Carlon Colker Carlon Colker Carlon M. Colker, M.D., FACN is an American physician, author, network reality TV personality, public speaker, and dietary supplement industry consultant. He runs a private practice and consulting clinic in Greenwich, Connecticut and is currently affiliated with the dietary supplement companies...	CEO of Peak Wellness Inc. in Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ... .
Tyler Florence Tyler Florence Tyler Florence is a chef and television host of several Food Network shows. He graduated from the College of Culinary Arts at the Charleston, South Carolina campus of Johnson & Wales University in 1991...	Celebrity chef who currently hosts three shows on the Food Network Food Network Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent.... .
William I. Muinos	Medical Doctor and childhood obesity expert.
Tarik Tyler	Professional fitness trainer.

Episodes

#	Airdate	Overview
1	Jun 26, 2007	Debut: NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and a team of health experts tackle childhood obesity by working one-on-one with kids to promote fitness and a healthful diet. First up: The six Florida middle schoolers chosen for the program are introduced. Specialists include chef Tyler Florence and Shaq's college-basketball coach, Dale Brown.
2	Jul 3, 2007	The kids aren't keeping up with their exercise program, so personal trainer Tarik Tyler is brought in to amp up their routine. In addition, nutritionist Joy Bauer offers tips on cooking healthful meals.
3	Jul 10, 2007	Kit drops out of the program, and Shaq tries to talk her dad into letting her return. Meanwhile, Doc and Dale introduce a proposal of 20 minutes of exercise daily during homeroom.
4	Jul 17, 2007	The kids strive to hit a 20-pound (9 kg) weight-loss goal to win tickets to a Miami Heat basketball game, and chef Tyler Florence revamps the menu at their school cafeteria on the cheap.
5	Jul 24, 2007	Shaq's Wellness Wheel pilot program to get more physical education into schools is turning too slowly. Meanwhile, chef Tyler Florence is having trouble persuading the cafeteria that it can afford a more healthful menu.
6	Jul 31, 2007	In the season finale, the kids take the president's physical-fitness test, Dr. Muinos delivers his medical diagnoses, and Shaq and the kids meet with the governor of Florida Charlie Crist Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General... .