Opportunity Knock$ on PBS Hosted its Season 2 Premiere In Washington, DC

Part of the largest economic mobility project in U.S. history

Season 2 of Opportunity Knock$, the award-winning reality show on PBS that follows the journey of debt-burdened families to financial stability, kicked off with a successful premiere in Washington, DC! Season 2 will begin airing nationally in May, premiering in DC on Saturday, May 4 at 5:30 pm and repeated on Wednesdays at 10 am on WETA Metro and WETA PBS HDTV on Sunday, May 5 at 10 am. Check local listings for your local station’s viewing times.

Opportunity Knock$ allows viewers an intimate peek into the lives of families as they come to a new, empowering understanding of their individual goals and challenges. This season follows families in six cities across the country as they partner with accomplished financial guides – including Jean Chatzky, CEO of HerMoney and who attended the premiere – Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and nonprofits they’re matched with through The Opportunity Finder.

Chatzky, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who spent 25 years as financial editor for NBC Today, was matched with a local DC family, The Johns, this season, and she assisted them in finding the help they needed using The Opportunity Finder.

Featured DC family Donnell and Tanda Johns and their son flank Director Brian Spoor (2nd from left) and Financial Coach Jean Chatzky (middle).

"Coaching a wonderful DMV couple through the second season of Opportunity Knock$ was a huge pleasure," said Chatzky, who also hosts the HerMoney podcast. “Viewers will be amazed by their vulnerability and strength throughout the show and the tremendous progress this pair, a veteran and a high school teacher, have made leveraging The Opportunity Finder."

Two local nonprofits assisted the family: The Center for Nonprofit Advancement and the Greater Washington Urban League, as well as not-for-profit SkyPoint Federal Credit Union.

“Every day, we welcome members from our diverse communities, meeting them wherever they are in their financial journeys, including those who need help navigating the financial system and understanding their options,” SkyPoint CEO Carla Decker said. “We hope viewers of the show will realize they are not alone; they can gain their financial footing and establish a plan for their financial future through their local CDFI credit union.”

The Opportunity Initiative

Opportunity Knock$ and The Opportunity Finder are part of The Opportunity Initiative, the largest economic mobility project in U.S. history. The show serves as outreach and lets people who might be stressed or even ashamed about their financial situation know they are not alone in this battle. The Opportunity Finderconnects users to a database of 17,000 community-based organizations, including nonprofits, community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and not-for-profit credit unions. A third element of The Opportunity Initiative is The Opportunity Coach, a technology platform that provides viewers with financial health assessments and outcome measurements.

Opportunity Knock$ Creator Jamie Strayer

“Opportunity Knock$ was inspired by the work of community development innovators whose work has generated $1 billion in capital for historically disadvantaged communities and those who are otherwise underserved,” Show Creator Jamie Strayer, who was on hand for the event, said. “The amazing people who open up their homes to us, their innermost financial insecurities to us, some of their darkest days to us – and, ultimately, to the entire country, demonstrate self-sacrifice in the name of helping not only themselves but others.”

The need is real and present: One study by Payroll.org found that 78% of Americans were living paycheck-to-paycheck. A recent survey by Bankrate, a financial analysis and comparison site, found that only 44% of Americans could afford a $1,000 emergency expense without borrowing or cutting spending elsewhere.

Brian Spoor, director of Opportunity Knock$, was also in attendance. He is a Prime Time Emmy-nominated director with a track record of directing and producing 70 reality TV hits like Undercover Billionaire and Wahlburgers.

The six families this season worked with BECU in Seattle; Raiz Federal Credit Union in El Paso, Texas; New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit Union, Pelican State Credit Union in Baton Rouge, La.; Telhio Credit Union in Columbus, Ohio; and SkyPoint Federal Credit Union in suburban Washington, DC. Opportunity Knock$ will appear on PBS stations nationwide and through the PBS Passport streaming app. Check individual outlets for airtimes.

Funding for The Opportunity Initiative has been generously provided by the National Council for Financial Opportunities, Balance, Callahan & Associates and The Wells Fargo Foundation.

In its first season, Opportunity Knock$ won the prestigious Silver Telly Award for Best Reality Television Program and was streamed tens of thousands of times and aired by PBS stations nationwide. It also earned a Silver Anthem Award, which honors the purpose- and mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide, for Episode 104. Additionally, The Opportunity Finder won a Gold dotComm Award for best website element.

More information about Opportunity Knock$ is available on the official website.