When Jamie Strayer, the creator of “Opportunity Knocks,” considers the best way to describe the PBS reality show, she can’t help but recall one of the “greatest compliments” she ever received regarding it. “Somebody once called us the ‘Ted Lasso’ of reality television,” Strayer says, referring to the uplifting sports comedy-drama on Apple TV+.
Even that description doesn’t really do the show’s impact on its participants justice. “Opportunity Knocks” follows six families from across the country who are struggling financially, pairing them up with experts Jean Chatzky, Patrice Washington and Louis Barajas, who offer them advice for how to get out of their fiscal struggles.
At the start of December, “Opportunity Knocks” shocked the world of reality television when its second season defeated “The Voice,” “Shark Tank” and “American Ninja Warrior” to be named Best Feel Good Show of the Year at the 11th annual American Reality Television Awards. This is all the more impressive when you consider that these shows probably spend as much on a single episode as “Opportunity Knocks” does on an entire season. “So many people have reached out to say that they were so glad we won because they said we truly were the best feel-good show,” Strayer says. “It’s such a great feeling. Because the more people that love what we’re doing for entertainment, the more eyes we are opening.”
Strayer, who has lived in Tacoma and Seattle for the past 25 years, credits her mother for inspiring her to create “Opportunity Knocks.” Growing up in the foothills of Appalachia, Strayer’s mother was the manager of an employment office and helped to guide people toward food banks and credit unions. After college, Strayer worked for nonprofit credit unions and ultimately started CU Strategic Planning, which shepherded people and communities through their economic woes.
After the death of her mother, Strayer wanted to really spread the word of how nonprofit credit unions can help people. But since “distrust of institutions is higher than ever before, and all these nonprofits look institutional,” Strayer realized that people would only really believe if they saw it with their own eyes. That’s when she decided to make a reality show on the impact credit unions can have. Not knowing anything about the genre, she approached producer Brian Spoor, who previously worked on the likes of “Undercover Billionaire,” “Wahlburgers” and “Chrisley Knows Best,” and immediately joked, “Do you want to do something meaningful with your life?”
One of the families who benefited from “Opportunity Knocks” is Seattle’s own Lynette and Omar Winters, who appeared in the second season. After failing to pay off a series of payday loans, they were being charged nearly 700% in interest. This made it impossible for the duo to save up for a house for them and their three teenage daughters, the eldest of whom had her eyes set on attending culinary school. “We kept on getting payday loans to pay off other loans. It was just a vicious cycle that never ended. We didn’t know where to go for help in getting it under control,” Omar Winters says.
That’s why, when Lynette Winters was scrolling the internet one day, she was instantly intrigued by a post that asked, “What would you do with $20,000?” After filling out the form, she received a phone call from a casting director about a month later where she learned more about “Opportunity Knocks.” “Obviously we saw it as an opportunity for the family to go on a journey where we could learn a new way about finances,” Winters says. “The part I liked about it was that it wasn’t like every other reality TV show. It wasn’t cutthroat. They were going to provide us with a financial coach and help us reach a series of milestones.”
After visiting a credit union, the Winterses were able to reduce their monthly payments from $2,000 a month to under $400, which put them on the path to financial security. More than that, Omar Winters, who works as a delivery driver, also learned that he could get his commercial driver’s license, which nearly doubled his hourly rate. Meanwhile, Lynette Winters stopped suffering from debilitating migraines that were brought on by the stress of their finances, while she helped to secure two grants for the theater company she works for.
The Winterses were two of 5,000 people from Seattle alone who applied to take part in “Opportunity Knocks.” But while their journey was filmed for Season 2, Strayer and her team still give the other families that applied the tools and knowledge to get out of their own financial predicaments. “Anyone who we don’t cast, we still get them hooked up with the tools. Because that’s ultimately what we want to see happen to viewers watching, too,” Strayer says.
When it comes to casting “Opportunity Knocks,” Strayer is adamant that they want to have people from a variety of different backgrounds involved. Not only does this make sure that the show is authentic, but it means that “anyone in the country should be able to see themself in at least one of the stories” on screen. She also hopes that “Opportunity Knocks” helps to eradicate any shame people feel for having money troubles, and is a reminder that they’re not alone.
“People are so conditioned to think that they’re not good enough or are not working hard enough. Too many people in this country are living on a survival budget. We didn’t want to make a show about getting rich. It’s about getting by,” Strayer says. “This is not about making sensationalist TV. It is about inspiring hope. That’s what we need in this world right now.”