My Top 5 Most Inspiring TV Shows

I haven't had cable TV in years.  I still remember years ago, being shy and introverted, isolating myself for hours throughout the day in front of the TV.  I had felt that I missed out so much of what life had to offer and would often avoid doing anything productive in my life, as I enjoyed the comfort of sitting in front of the TV everyday.  One of the first steps I made to change my life was to get rid of my TV and commit myself to spending that time on improving myself.  It turns out it was one of the best decisions I've ever made and has allowed me to get to where I am today.

Over the last few years, I decided to begin watching some TV shows again, simply because I believed these particular shows added value to my life and goals.  I consciously decided to watch these TV shows because I felt they offered a lot of inspiration and motivation.  Watching these shows was no longer a “waste of time”, simply because I found a way to benefit from them.  I want to share with you my “Top 5 Most Inspiring TV Shows” that I enjoy watching every once in awhile.

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1. Shark Tank

Shark Tank is an American TV Show on ABC featuring multi-millionaire investors that get pitched by entrepreneurs on their business ideas.  The investors get to decide if it's a good idea or not, and whether they'd like to invest in their companies.  I really love this show because you get to see a variety of businesses being pitched and you get to hear the feedback from the investors on whether it's a good business or not.  I've personally learned a lot about business by watching this show, and I enjoy the personalities of the Sharks.  I've even gone as far as reading the books of the Sharks, including Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec.

While there's many bogus ideas being pitched on Shark Tank that get shot down, there's also many fantastic businesses that get invested in.  It's inspiring to see these entrepreneurs pitch their  businesses to the Sharks and get invested in.  They even do follow-ups of many of the businesses and you get to hear the success stories.  Shark Tank is definitely worthwhile to watch and it's one of my new favorite shows!

2. Dragons Den

Similar to Shark Tank, Dragons Den is the Canadian version of the show hosted on CBC.  Dragons Den is also popular in other countries around the world, including the UK, and it has the same format of people pitching their business ideas to investors.  I like Shark Tank a bit more, since I feel the production of it is much better, but Dragons Den is also entertaining and features some of the same investors on Shark Tank.  Dragons Den is definitely a must-see for anyone that is an entrepreneur and wants to find out what it takes to really succeed.

3. Celebrity Apprentice

The Celebrity Apprentice has been on the air for several years now and reigns as one of the most popular shows in the US.  It's hosted by billionaire Donald Trump and features celebrities that work in teams to raise money for their charities.  Each week, the teams are given tasks by different businesses and the team that fails will have to face Donald Trump in the board room, with someone being fired.  I've found this show to be inspirational as you get to see celebrities have to be able to win business-related tasks while raising money for charity.  In Celebrity Apprentice, you get to learn about working in a team, marketing, fundraising, selling, and all other aspects of business.

4. Redemption Inc.

Redemption Inc. is a new Canadian TV show that is hosted by Kevin O' Leary, one of the investors in Shark Tank and Dragons Den.  It's only aired for one season so far, but the concept is having ex-con's compete to win $100,000 to invest in their own business.  It has a similar format to Celebrity Apprentice, where someone gets fired each week and they are forced to participate in different businesses.  I've found this show to be inspirational, as you get to witness people succeed and fail.  The show really demonstrates what it takes to succeed and provides a lot of practical business advice.

5. Millionaire Matchmaker

Millionaire Matchmaker isn't a business related show, but features millionaires that are looking for love through a matchmaking agency called The Millionaires Club.  Patti Stanger is the star of the show, and every week her job is to set up these millionaires with a date and help them find love.  Some of the matches fail, while others turn into long-term relationships, which has been inspiring to see.  I've always enjoyed hearing the dating advice that Patti Stanger offers and learning from the failures and successes of the individuals of the show.  It's helped me to learn more about dating and relationships, while inspiring me to see people find love and live happily ever after.

I Almost Forgot…

I know there's many other shows out there that I've missed that are inspiring also, but that's why I called this “MY Top 5 Most Inspiring TV Shows”.  Like I said, I don't actually have cable TV so I'm unable to evaluate what's out there, but there is a few more shows that I want to mention that I left out.  One is called Breakthrough With Tony Robbins, which is a TV show that has only aired 6 episodes.  Self-help guru Tony Robbins takes people that are struggling through a difficult time in their lives and works with them to turn their lives around within 30 days.  Very inspiring and I've always loved seeing Tony Robbins work.  You can find the episodes online just by searching YouTube or Google.

The other TV shows that I'll mention is Oprah's Next Chapter and Oprah's Life Class.  I really respect what Oprah Winfrey has been doing with the OWN network and the inspiration that the network provides.  With Oprah's Next Chapter, she interviews famous and successful people, sharing their wisdom and experiences.  Oprah's Life Class is where she brings in different teachers and “guru's” to share their wisdom, such as Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Joel Osteen, Eckhart Tolle, and many others.  Both shows are fantastic and I've enjoyed watching them also, whenever I get a chance.

What Is Your Most Inspiring TV Show?

There you have it!  That's my list.  I'm curious to hear your thoughts and what you consider to be the most inspiring TV show that you watch.  Do you agree with any of the ones mentioned here?  Did I miss out any that are worth checking out?