If you suddenly came into a large sum of money, how much would you keep and how much would you share with complete strangers? That’s the premise of The Briefcase (premiering Wednesday, May 27, at 8pm ET/PT) on CBS. In this new reality series, hardworking American families experiencing financial setbacks are presented with a briefcase full of money. They can keep all of the money for themselves, or give all or part of it to another family in need. Each week, two families have 72 hours to learn details about each other’s challenging circumstances and decide what to do with $101,000. But what they don’t know is that the other family received an identical briefcase with the same instructions.
The May 27 premiere episode presents briefcases to the Bergin family from Matthews, N.C., and the Bronson family from Manchester, N.H. The Bergins are owners of a struggling ice cream vending business. Dave Bronson is an injured Iraq War veteran, and he and his wife are expecting their second child.
In the June 3 episode, the Scott family from Mechanicsville, Md., must decide between keeping the $101,000 to pay for a child adoption and helping the Musolinos. The Musolino family from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., spends most of the year in different states due to John’s fishing job. They see this an opportunity to secure their children’s future and bring the family together, but they also want to help the Scotts realize their dream of becoming parents.
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