What’s Worth Watching: The Briefcase Unlocks Family Drama

The Briefcase, “Bronsons/Bergins” (Wednesday, May 27, 8/7c, CBS)

It’s the ultimate moral dilemma: you’ve just been presented with a substantial amount of money–$101,000 to be exact. Do you keep the money for yourself, or do you give some or all of it to another family in need? That’s the premise behind The Briefcase, the new CBS reality series that presents this exact scenario to two families who could put the cash to good use. Tonight’s premiere features the Bergin family from North Carolina, whose patriarch Joe started a struggling ice cream truck company after he was laid off from his corporate job ten years ago. While they could use the sizable payday to help raise their three young children, their decision is made more difficult when they learn about the Bronson family and Dave, a retired Iraq vet who lost his leg in combat when his Humvee exploded. Dave and his wife, nurse Cara, are also expecting their second child shortly. Both the Bergins and the Bronsons will be presented with separate briefcases full of money and, over a 72 hour period, will learn more about the other’s living conditions in order to influence their final decision. By the end of the hour, the tears will be flowing as these families discover what really matters most in their lives.