“Media has got it wrong” says Briefcase couple

A couple who appear in Nine’s new Reality series The Briefcase have defended the show following its bad reviews, saying the media has got it wrong.

Kilmore parents Rod and Mandy McCracken say they are happy with their involvement in Nine’s “social experiment” despite not knowing full information about a second family, the Carters, from The Grampians.

But they remain champions of the controversial premise, which tests both families on a decision to keep $100,000 or share some or all of the cash.

“Up until The Briefcase turned up we thought something was going on. We didn’t know what it was. And we were very comfortable to go with that,” says Mandy McCracken, 42, whose limbs were amputated following a life-threatening attack of deadly streptococcal A bacteria.

“We knew something was up. We honestly thought we’d have the equivalent of Scott Cam come and renovate our bathroom or our garden. But we were guessing.”

“My first reaction was ‘Ok, who’s money is this and why is it in my house?’”

The McCrackens were sourced by producers who consulted with local communities for a secret documentary project under the working title “Making Ends Meet.” Backstories were filmed for 2 days with a Nine crew.

“We got a phone call from Channel Nine in November saying they were doing a documentary about people who have been through tough times and how they dealt with that financially. We were very open to telling our story in the first place because we believed the more this stuff gets talked about, the better it is for the public to deal with it when they have their version. So we were quite prepared to do our ‘warts and all’ version and let everybody have a look at what life is like when you have a major illness.”

Cameras were on hand when a briefcase with $100,000 also landed on their doorstep.

“My first reaction was ‘Ok, who’s money is this and why is it in my house?’” she recalls.

“We had no idea there was also an Armaguard truck hiding down the road behind the bushes.”

In order to capture the ‘big reveal’ the couple also repeated the moment they opened the briefcase for cameras.

“I think you have to appreciate that if you are going to film a show like this, sometimes the first reaction isn’t actually the best edit. We went through the full scenario and then they did close up shots and cutaways. We haven’t seen the final edit,” explains Rod.

“I didn’t feel like we were prying or getting into anyone’s business”

As the scenario shifted from Documentary to Reality premise, along with it came the question: would they keep the money or give some or all of it away to another family, the Carters, whose farm had been ravaged by bushfires?

Over three days they would learn more about the Carters, including visiting their farm in the Carters’ absence (while the Carters visited their home), looking at family photos, newspaper clippings and even family bills.

“I didn’t feel like we were prying or getting into anyone’s business,” says Rod.

“To go into their lives and to see the farm gave the experience a deep poignancy. You feel like you’re connecting with the people you’re aiming to help. It’s like being on a soup van or handing out blankets on Smith Street.”

“We walked into their lives, they walked into ours. It was all done very respectfully. The people at Channel Nine were very respectful walking into each others’ houses,” adds Mandy.

But while learning the Carters (pictured above) had lost their farmhouse, livestock and had property ravaged, the McCrackens were unaware a new house was already being built with the proceeds of home insurance.

“We didn’t know that the Carters had already started building their house. But we would have come to the same conclusion, anyway,” Mandy assures.

“But the broader answer is you can never really know a person’s full situation,” Rod explains.

“I genuinely believed we were given all of the information, because we had to give all of our information over.”

Both families have since become good friends as a result of their TV experience.

“It’s not about poor vs poor”

Reviews for the show have not been kind, questioning the premise of two families being tested on their choices and generosity, with $100,000 on the line. But the McCrackens are convinced the media are missing the point and question whether negative press is playing into Nine’s hands.

“Channel Nine have been more than happy to have the sensationalist stuff going around because they will get more viewers,” Rod suggests. “But I genuinely believe most of the media is getting wrong. We are not needy. We are very happy and we don’t seek anything other than for people to think.

“The media are missing the point of the show.”

“It’s not about poor vs poor. It’s about what do you do in a situation you weren’t expecting,” adds Mandy.

“I’m very aware that word ‘Greed’ is being thrown around. I think that needs to be changed to ‘Need.’

“We have to be very careful that a family (may) genuinely need this change in their life and we as a community should be very accepting of them to take the cash for themselves. I don’t know the outcomes of the other families, but if somebody decides they really do need this money to make a difference to their lives then we shouldn’t judge them.”

In rejecting ‘poverty porn’ claims, the McCrackens say the show raises wider questions about generosity, both individual and community.

“It’s the perfect time to be talking about the guy in Lebanon, Indigenous rights, same sex marriage. The show is a metaphor for the human condition and the way we need to be treating other people. It’s not about $100,000.

“It’s just not.”

The Briefcase airs 7:30pm Monday on Nine.