How the Most Unethical TV Show was Born

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In this video, we discuss what some considered to be the most unethical TV show ever: De Grote Donorshow (The Great Donor Show). Twenty-five patients in need of a kidney transplant compete for the organs of a terminally ill woman. A TV show so controversial that had people around the world questioning if reality television had gone too far.
Quick note, I tried my best to accurately translate everything from Dutch to English, I probably failed a bunch though so I welcome any corrections in the comments.
Bart's KZbin channel: / @bartdegraaff1880
Bart de Graaff Foundation: bartfoundation.nl/
How to Become an Organ Donor through your iPhone's Health app: • How to Become an Organ...
More information on signing up to be an organ donor in the US:
www.organdonor.gov/sign-up#:~....
🟢 Become a member for $0.99: / @joeyengelman
Discord server: / discord
TikTok: / joeyengelman2
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/joeyengelman
Twitter: / joey_engelman
Instagram: / joeyengelman‬
Music by Emmit Fenn and Vandelux
Producer:
Ashley Encalada-Brown
Crew Members:
Martin Rockström, Brie G, Zen ky, DEMONX212, adilah1000, Aaron Robinson, cyrus, Garret Harris, RS, Jen Fripps
Thank you to the folks in the /r/Netherlands subreddit for your help!:
u/Ishnula, u/Ok_Confusion_7266, u/Geralt_Romalion, u/SnooCompliments1145, u/Tac0w
#television #explained #tvshow
Chapters:
0:00 The Most Unethical TV Show Ever
1:11 The Story of Bart De Graaff
3:44 Setting the Stage
8:00 The Night of The Great Donor Show
11:49 The Aftermath
12:49 Did It Work?
14:00 Where We Are Now
The TV Show With Sick Patients Competing for a Dying Woman's Organs: The Great Donor Show by Joey Engelman
• How the Most Unethical...

[@joaovitormatos8147]

The response from the ministry of health was basically "how dare you do the job I was failing to do"

[@joeyengelman]

they should've been sending them a thank you gift basket

[@altarriq]

disagree

[@aleksrozum1594]

This is a dumb take.

[@GamesWithBrainz]

@@altarriq nice bro saying one word really backs up your opinion

[@kitsunefox2023]

@@altarriqCare to elaborate?

[@binarybotany3218]

One of my favorite Bart moments was when he would interview unsuspecting Dutch celebrities, and slip in the question (roughly translated), "what do you like so much that you can be woken up for"? And celebrities would respond with things like scuba diving, etc. And then he would proceed at night to ring their doorbell and wake them up to do that thing.

[@leef.7689]

He sounds like such an icon!

[@sit-insforsithis1568]

@@leef.7689he was anoying and bnn sucks

[@sydneywellesw-vtr1439]

Absolute Chad move

[@thereinthetrees_5626]

This guy is incredible

[@Miss_Kisa94]

Oh damn I would love to see that 😂

[@elsedewaal231]

Hi a Dutchie here. BNN was not dissolved in 2014, it fused with another dutch tv network called VARA because the dutch govenment restructured our media landscape. So Bart's legacy is still very much alive in the dutch tv world. The new network is called BNNVARA and still makes really good programs that want to change the world.

[@alexsylling1449]

That's actually very nice to hear. Bart was a badass for sure.

[@bigcheese1061]

On a completely unrelated note, is Dutch a real language? It sounds so goofy

[@foxwayne]

LMAOOOOOOOOO @@bigcheese1061

[@od3910]

​@@bigcheese1061every language is goofy to uncultured people

[@slacky4787]

@@bigcheese1061 this is the most american comment i have ever seen in my entire life

[@diddleysquin]

The reveal with Bart laughing actually brought a tear to my eye. A bloody good credit to the BNN, brilliant work.

[@JohnDoe-vt8vp]

Bart is such an icon

[@axiezimmah]

Die gast was echt gestoord

[@Hartmansan]

​@@axiezimmahhij was en is onze legende 🙏🥹

[@Mr.deBest]

@@axiezimmah opeen gezonde manier

[@whatsername1180]

I remember at 16 when I got my license and was asked if I wanted to be an organ donor. I immediately said yes. My mom then asked how I made that "big decision ". I figured and still figure 14 years later, that if I'm dead or very near death, what use are my organs to me? Absolutely none. If someone else can use them, fantastic.

[@mook_butt8037]

That’s exactly why I’m a registered donor. I really, truly hope I’m able to share even just one organ after I no longer need it.

[@prettyevil6662000]

Same. There seems to be this very strange idea a lot of older people have, and sometimes try to pass on, that being an organ donor means hospitals won't try to save you. Like that makes no sense but is such a pervasive myth I've heard many old people pass around in the US.

[@mook_butt8037]

@@prettyevil6662000 my mom passed away very recently (not looking for sympathy nor do I want it, just explaining what happened). She was 71 and an organ donor. The ICU staff fought so hard to keep her alive, but she just didn’t have enough strength to pull through. Unfortunately most of her organs weren’t viable for transplant due to pre-existing medical conditions, but her corneas and tissues were donated. I’m so glad she was able to help people with those donations, and I know she would be overjoyed. It’s frankly an insult to everyone in the medical field to claim that they don’t care about organ donors enough to even try.

[@nyademattos7808]

same here if i have no more/little use for it anymore and it would do more for somebody else then i would much rather that ❤

[@willowtabby4926]

Pretty much my thoughts as well. Not as though I'm going to be needing them after being buried or cremated, and I'm not from a religion or other belief or cultural system where the body has to be intact for the spirit to be at peace, so why waste such a valuable, precious resource?

[@chayden153]

At first I was appalled by the concept for this show, and then I was thinking what an ingenious idea it is. Like they say controversy creates clicks

[@joeyengelman]

it definitely takes you on an emotional roller coaster

[@kevinmorrice]

@@joeyengelman as i always say "its easier to think of a thousand negatives about something than it is one positive" they played into the outrage to raise awareness, its so disgustingly genius

[@suup10]

@@kevinmorrice As the wimbledon streaking might have showed, controversy has always been the playbook of BNN

[@kevinmorrice]

@@suup10 theres a saying i once heard "its easier to learn about hitler than churchill, simply because he was a hell of a villain"

[@haves_]

When I got the information that it was some kind of "revenge" at the government for not getting serious at organ donor thing, I kinda understand.

[@how2pick4name]

In the Netherlands we have this thing "You can wake me in the middle of the night for that" if you really like something. So Bart had a show where he interviewed famous dutch people and asked them the question, for what can I wake you in the middle of the night? People would answer, sushi, barbecue, you name it. Then a good while later Bart would actually go to their house in the middle of the night with whatever they said he could wake them up for. Most were cool about it but some got pretty pissed off. :D

[@bobleponge1853]

Ze zouden dit echt weer terug moeten brengen, ik denk dat vele niet zonder plamuur de deur open durven te doen tegenwoordig🤣

[@nomennescio7571]

This was by far my most favourite Bart de Graaff show!

[@odetoclear]

die kut buurvrouw van jaap jongbloed die had gezegd dat bart langskwam😭😭

[@Hugotje1]

Having seen this all unfold in real life as a young Dutch teenager was wild. We had discussions about it in school classes, at home, with friend and family. Never imagined to see it pop up 15 years later in a KZbin essay 😂

[@MegaSudri]

Same, haha. The nostalgia is real tho.

[@throughthewindowpane]

It was the talk of the town everywhere!

[@stevefromlatvia79]

This is the most ingenious camping to raise awareness about an issue I've ever seen. Sure it's shocking and bold way to do it, but you can't argue about it's effectiveness

[@joeyengelman]

💯

[@Zooropa1310]

Exactly what I was thinking too- What a brilliant idea to bring the issue into conversation.

[@ieatthighs]

its*

[@KenFullman]

When I was 21 my elder sister was in dire need of a donor kidney. I approached the doctors and told them that, not only was I willing to donate one of my kidneys, I was also willing to pay the cost of the surgical procedures to make it happen. Unfortunately, according to the prevailing laws in the UK at that time, I could not legally specify who gets my kidney. I could donate one of my kidneys but it would just be passed on to the first person on the waiting list that was compatible with my donated organ. I asked about my sisters position on that list as she only had days to live. I was then told, "sorry since she's over 40 years of age, she doesn't qualify to even be included on the list". I really don't know if there has been any change in the policies here in the UK but This is why my organs will NEVER be given to anyone else. When I die, my organs will be buried with me. I was holding my sisters hand when she finally gave up the fight for survival. Even after 40 years, I have still never completely recovered from that trauma and I'll never forgive the system that allowed this to happen.

[@CaptDuty491]

​@@KenFullman That's fucked up man. Sorry about your loss.

[@lerdog]

This TV special would be worth it even if only 1 person became an organ donor because of it. The fact that tens of thousands did is tremendous.

[@korenn9381]

It's pretty easy to draw a direct line from this to the opt-out law that is now in effect. So you could say that millions of people became an organ donor because of it.

[@MaartendeSplenter]

I also did it after the show, and I remember a lot of classmates did the same.

[@Bumbly_Vee]

"They had us in the first half, not gonna lie" - The Whole World witnessing The Donor Show, myself included

[@Account_Not_Applicable]

My mom was an organ donor, but because she had all these health problems, including cancer (which lead to her eventual passing), she thought her organs were relatively useless for others in need, aside from maybe her skin for skin graphing. A week or two after she had passed, we received a certificate in the mail honoring my mom for donating her corneas, as she was able to help someone's sight. It was a rather emotional moment, knowing she was in fact able to do something good for someonee despite having passed believing otherwise. I think the reason a lot of Americans aren't registered organ donors is because they all may have health complications that make then believe their organs, all their organs, unsuitable for any paitents (and the myth that being an organ donor means the hospital won't try to revive you if you are dying). But thats obviously not true.

[@VanessaMarieBooks]

I'm an organ donor, but because of my disability and health issues I always thought, "they're probably not going to want my organs anyway, I'll still sign up just in case there's an off chance that at least one of my organs can help, but it's probably not likely." When I think of organ donation, I always think of major organs being donated (heart, lungs, kidney, etc.; my kidney might be ok, but I doubt they'd want my heart or lungs), but I forget (and I think a lot of other people do too) that you can donate other organs besides the major ones we tend to think of. I hadn't even thought about cornea donation until you mentioned it and I do have pretty good eyesight, so it would be great if they could be used to help someone else someday. Thanks for the reminder that even those of us with severe health/medical conditions can still help someone else by becoming a donor.

[@dodgyyoutuber9560]

Skin can be a big deal for serious burns and facial reconstruction. Every part is valuable.

[@PossessiveK]

Thank you for sharing. I, like many people thought that would disqualify many people.

[@chrismanuel9768]

In America donated corpses are most frequently used for military testing. People hate that. They'd rather rot than let the numbery use their body to test weapons on. I understand them. Fuck the military. But I'm a donor anyhow, just in case someone can use my busted ass body

[@darkracer1252]

most people who aren't an organ donor are because of lazyeness. "why take time out of your day to register. you can do that tommorow" even if all it took was log in to a website and register. it would still be too much effort for MANY MANY people. that wouldn't mind being a donor at all.

[@broadwaylover5384]

Oh god, I was so relieved when you said the three patients were in on it. For a second, I thought it was going to be a prank on them and I think I would have had an aneurism 😂

[@gloriascientiae7435]

Nah the dutch are direct but not heartless. The whole country would've rioted.

[@mariotheundying]

"Lmao jk! Nobody wins, y'all die :D, have a good one! Time is nearing its limit"

[@Fourtune1]

I felt the same. Like what if one of them offed themselves that night.

[@daanwilmer]

BNN was rude and shocking, but not heartless (though they were outrageous enough that everybody bought it).

[@mac_ni_ghairadh]

This video made me decide to try and become a donor. I’m from Ireland so I don’t know the exact process but I’m going to find out.❤️ Update: i posted this comment one minute ago and have just signed up to be an organ donor. Turns out it’s extremely simple

[@joeyengelman]

right on! yes it's crazy easy in the US too, anyone with an iPhone can do it through the Health app in about a minute

[@axuwu6939]

⁠@@joeyengelmanReally?? I thought I had to do it when I got my driver’s license, but it’s way easier than I thought! I’m officially a donor now

[@chrismanuel9768]

​@@axuwu6939I got a non-license ID at 16 and opted in then. I think America should be an opt out system as well. Religious concerns? Opt out. But the default should be to save lives

[@axuwu6939]

@@chrismanuel9768 Absolutely, I agree! I don’t see any reason to not have an opt-out system that’s more important than the lives it will save. And now that you mention that, I got a non-license at 16 too, so I wonder if I was already opted in and I forgot? Eh, either way, can’t hurt to do it more than one way

[@joeyengelman]

🙌

[@StrwbrrzDrmz]

As of right now, because of this video, I’m not even sure if anyone cares or will ever see this comment. But heads up. As of 10/19/23, 4am in the morning, I’m officially an organ donar. I genuinely cried at the end, and just- everything was just so damn amazing and beautiful. Thanks for the sec of time. :’)

[@joeyengelman]

you're amazing for doing that, thank you for watching and for becoming a donor!

[@Dano-ph5xl]

It's amazing how to this day this show still inspires people. Bart would have been proud :)

[@bert-janwalaardt8185]

So proud of you for making an impact. I wish you a long and healthy life.

[@princesswhinybutt2941]

This makes me so happy. I've always been very passionate about organ donations. My dad died when I was 5 and even though he could no longer be with me his organs saved another man who can be there for his own children. My grandma didn't want my dad to be a donor but I'm very proud of my dad.

[@Bones.x]

You have a cool dad!

[@topaz_no_life9440]

wow i’m literally crying over this. this is so good and cool. for people saying it wasn’t the “proper” way, things never change by peaceful protest. it always has to be loud to actually make changes.

[@pinkdolphin8188]

I'd say it's definitely still peaceful but loud and that's a very effective type of protesting.

[@madeleine61509]

Not to mention, by making it such a "loud" statement, it gave the opportunity for this action to not only improve the policies and quality of life in their own country, but in countries across the globe. The sensationalisation of the media coverage around this meant that this protest reached a worldwide audience through the exact medium and message that THEY chose.

[@Gliccit]

If you look at organ transplant rates and compare them to similar countries like the UK, the ministry was right. It didn't make a meaningful impact on the rate, even if people were talking about it more.

[@InsoIence]

@@lastchips7638 The influence at the very least mattered when people signed up to be donors after watching the show. Lives were most likely saved and even if it was a one off, it made a whole lot of difference to many who would otherwise lose their loved ones. And even now, as I read the comments, I see people posting of how after watching this video, they signed up to be a donor.

[@ImVeryOriginal]

@@lastchips7638The program had significant short-term impact, which is already a huge success. It also wouldn't be necessary if the issue had more support in the Netherlands in the first place, so that is a moot point.

[@ian_3244]

Bart seems like he was funny as hell, wish he was still around

[@joeyengelman]

same here 💙

[@forgotmyun]

As a Dutchie, can confirm that Bart was a staple of Dutch tv, he had been doing what KZbinrs now decades before

[@jwenting]

he was very annoying overall. But that may have been a persona, I never met him in person.

[@skunkey9923]

he would get canceled so fast in todays day and age. The 90's wer just different

[@throughthewindowpane]

He had a very funny, but also shocking parody to the Teletubbies, called the Teringtubbies (the f*ckingtubbies).

[@Charuchii]

Bart de Graaff was during his life such an impactful figure on Dutch tv. It really can't be overstated. He was such an unique presence, just this guy, this prankster and always with that iconic laugh. I remember watching this live when it aired. BNN had changed a lot by that point, five years after his death and it was like... You did feel his presence missing as BNN became a lot more professional in a lot of ways. And then the Great Donorshow aired, and it ended the way it did and you heard his laugh and saw his face... I think more than anything, thats what hit a lot of people that evening. The prankster doing one last massive prank, fooling the whole world and having the last laugh. I remember being nearly in tears that evening.

[@Dano-ph5xl]

He would have been so proud I think

[@heroicnonsense]

When Bart died, the whole kidney donor thing was in the news again. "Look, here's a beloved celebrity actually DYING because of the messed up donor system we have in our country". That focus died away a few years after his death, but was rekindled by this one-off show. And yes: it worked. they got a huge influx of donors in the weeks after the show aired. The system has since been changed too, to actively asking the Dutch citizens if they want to become a donor instead of making peopel take action to become one - so lots of people are now a donor. Bart had a couple of things going for him. Years earlier, he was the host of a popular kids show (B.O.O.S, not to be confused by the current program by that name hosted by Tim Hofman), which meant that lots of people grew up with him on TV. During that time, he looked like he was 12, even though he was in his twenties, because his kidney failure stopped his growth when he hit puberty. After BOOS he went on to host BNN, a tongue-in-cheek program that pretended to be about Bart launching his own TV station. Only it turned out he wasn't pretending, they were actually going forward with it. When the time came for the Dutch audience to vote BNN into the public broadcasting pool by becoming members, they overwhelmingly did and BNN - the broadcaster - started broadcasting the following year. In the BNN years, Bart was very open about his illness, showing the outside world what it meant to have your blood cleaned multiple times a week because your kidneys can't. And what it meant for his future, his family, and his friends to know that he won't have long to live. So when he passed, it hit a lot of people right in the heart. It was the headline news that day, even on competing networks. After Bart died, BNN vowed to keep his legacy alive by pulling stunts on a regular basis and launching shows that no-one else dared (look up "Spuiten & Slikken" for a good example). So part of me sort of knew that the Donor Show would be a hoax, but then again: you can never know for sure. If you're ever in the Netherlands and tune into BNNVARA (as they're now called after the merger with VARA), don't forget to take a look at "Spuiten & Slikken" - where people openly talk (and demonstrate) drug use, sexual acts and discuss the fun and the serious sides of both. Perhaps you'll understand why the Dutch are so open about lots of subjects that other cultures cringe on. Yes it's in our culture, but we also have Bart to thank for a big part of that openness.

[@IofSheikah]

I’d argue and say this could be an one of the biggest moments ever in TV history, I’m surprised I never heard about this before. It’s crazy but shock will always bring the biggest reaction.

[@lawrencelopez9839]

yeaah, most countries have at lease one local tv channel. Foreigners don't really look into most media around the world unless it stands out or something from America. A lot of media will simply get lost in time because they're not in english.

[@luizchagasjardim]

Reminds me of something that happened in my home country Brazil. Famous millionaire Chiquinho Scarpa went to the press to announce he read about pharaohs being buried with their belongings, and that he decided to bury his luxury car. A lot of people were talking about this, enraged that he would bury a working car and saying he should give it away instead. He then dug a car-sized hole in his backyard and called for the press, lowered the car into the hole, then made a speech about organ donation.

[@nomennescio7571]

That sounds like a really good stunt too! Did it have any effect?

[@cdm966]

The absolute big brain play here is insane. "you won't talk about real issues, so we're going to make you sensationalize a fake issue so everyone tunes in for us to say the real issue."

[@stysner4580]

Unfortunately nowadays that is how the entire media, web and traditional, function with everything. Everything is made to be so "special" and "insane" that nothing stands out anymore.

[@nat_to_world]

My mom’s life was saved by organ donation. All we knew about the donor was that they had died in a car crash. Even though my mom only lived seven more years (she had many other health issues), I am eternally grateful to that person for donating their organs as it gave me time I would have lost permanently. When my mom died we donated her body to science (specifically to a program that trains doctors) in the hopes that she could help other people, and that is something that has always given me comfort. Because of that experience, I became an organ donor myself since I know how much that experience helped, I would want to do the same for others.

[@honeybie170]

I'll say, this definitely had me fuming when I first heard about it in your iceberg video. I came into this video thinking I'd hear about an abhorrent reality game show that exploited people's desperation for an organ transplant that also had very disturbing behind the scenes testimonies. But damn did that twist at the end of the episode immediately flip my opinion. I don't think I've ever gone from despising to applauding someone so quickly. It's the kind of direct action I can admire, and it certainly brought much needed awareness to a subject that the government and general public were ignoring. From most unethical show to greatest call to action, The Donor Show is a short yet wild ride.

[@joeyengelman]

Love this comment, thanks for watching 💛

[@DannyMNL]

It also shows the need for people to see the whole story and not just a curated snippet. These days a lot of people try to fabricate outrage for personal benefit, and they do so by only showing a very small negative portion of the whole picture. Usually it works because most people don't take the time to research the subject further, and just immediately jump on the bandwagon and continue the negative spiral.

[@DEMONX212]

Now we understand "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself..." When words and pleas fall of deaf ears from your Government/Parliament, break out the drawing board. Even if the world thinks this was a bad way to get the job done... I'd say "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED". 👏🤝👏🤝👏

[@joeyengelman]

the epitome of 'it's so crazy that it just might work' lol

[@Dano-ph5xl]

As a Dutch person, I think this video explains the situation really well. I was very young when this aired but I still remember that exact moment when the host stopped the show, saying they were not giving a kidney for real. It was the talk of the day for weeks, months here. What I didn't know is that the three contestant are still alive. That moved me. When you are in dire need of a donor, not knowing how much time you still might have left.. Participating in a 'stunt' like this is very brave I think. EDIT: One smaill detail: BNN was not completely dissolved, it merged with another broadcast company and still exists today

[@abemcg3803]

Bart’s legacy not only made me smile but also made me tear up, a legend from Netherlands gone too soon He would’ve been so ecstatic about the tv program stunt that was a major success Rest well, Bart 🙏💙

[@JohnDoe-vt8vp]

That video where he throws a brick through the window never fails to crack me up

[@someonedifferent198]

He burned bright, but sadly far to short!!

[@mx.menacing]

Not gonna lie, hearing how many people applied to be donors made me tear up.

[@Snev]

I had no clue at all about any of this, the story didn't end, let alone develop the way I expected it to Very well presented with a lot of humanity and creativity, I like this little deviation from your norm and I'd love to see more videos on your channel in the same vein (your icebergs are still fun to watch, though); great work, Joey

[@joeyengelman]

hey thank you! that was my hope while i was making this. and i definitely wanna do more videos covering individual shows / movies like this.

[@ringkunmori]

Dude this video gave me literal chills. I wish I saw the program live

[@joeyengelman]

seriously, i can't imagine watching it live

[@yokaiwatcher8500]

Well this video has convinced me I should become an organ donor. Good work great donor show, your legacy continues

[@joeyengelman]

that's awesome!

[@throughthewindowpane]

BNN was founded when I was 24 years old. I have been a paying member from the start and still am. I am 50 years old now, so I am not the target group anymore, but I still think they are a great broadcast. For example, the have a show called Over My Dead Body, where they follow young people who are terminally ill. They show how they cope, untill their death and funeral. So emotional, but also genuine.

[@MartijnPennings]

And for those who don't know, the title "over mijn lijk" has a double meaning; it can be translated to "over my dead body" and "about my dead body". Brilliant title.

[@Markuden]

nah man, bnn used to be edge lord and some light social critiques. but bnn now is super woke mostly trash. Bnn now would cancel bart, bart would curse, joke about rape etc.

[@ZambiblasianOgre]

​@Markuden boo hoo

[@Markuden]

@@ZambiblasianOgre great contribution!

[@arima_song]

The most insane and inspiring story I've heard in a long time. Thank you so much, Joey! My cousin is a donor and I'm so, so proud of her! I wanted to be one too, but I'm not eligible because of my chronic health issues :(

[@joeyengelman]

Condor thank you my friend!

[@thelegioncollective]

Same here! My Father went out an organ donor and I want to follow in his footsteps, but I've got multiple sclerosis so I can't. I can't even give blood. :(

[@arima_song]

@@thelegioncollective I can't even imagine how that feels for you, but I'm really sorry about that :(

[@stephanaeon]

Thank god the contestants are ok. Truly hope they were all able to find donors. PLEASE ALSO LOOK INTO BONE MARROW DONATION Many in need of bone marrow are children and its something you can donate as long as you fit their criteria and they find a match! I've been on the list for 13 years and every day I hope to get that call. Yes, it will be painful but how can you know these poor people are suffering and dying when one operation can change their entire life? As far as organ donation, many people seem to think doctors wont try as hard to save you if you're an organ donor. This is an outrageous lie. The first things Doctors take an oath to is to do no harm. This lie keeps so many scared to be a donor! My family does a lot of work with a place called the eye bank where they take the corneas of the dead to give living people their sight back. One person can save multiple as an organ donor. I truly hope to be called for the bone marrow donation at least once in my life. If needed I'd be a living donor for a kidney and for the liver, which you donate half of and both of you end up growing the other half! So you both end up with a whole liver!!! Isn't that awesome! As far as after I die, my biggest hope is that by then they're able to give away enough of my bones, tissues, organs, absolutely any part of me that there's barely anything, if at all, to cremate afterwords. Take every single cell and use it to help anyone that needs it. My corneas for someone so they can see their chilren's faces again clearly. My heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, uterus, anything and everything. Take every ligament and bone and help someone walk. My skin is of course up for grabs but I hope whomever needs it wants some tattoos because I'm pretty covered, hahaha. But in all seriousness, It's the biggest gift we can give. We recieve nothing and we give literally all of us away, probably to strangers. But your heart will be beating in another chest, your kidneys and liver in another abdomen. What a beauiful legacy to leave

[@Account_Not_Applicable]

My mom was an organ donor, but because she was a cancer patient, she believed her organs, aside from her skin, were basically unsuitable for patients. Then we find out somwtime afer her passing that her corneas were used to restore someone's sight. There's so many organs that can benefit someone in some way, so I highly push people to become a donor (before you ask, I am one as well)

[@willowtabby4926]

Absolutely gorgeously said ❤

[@thelegioncollective]

My Father went out an organ donor and I want to go out the same way, except I can't because I've got multiple sclerosis. :(

[@mud4309]

These days, its not even painful man. I mean, atleast, thats what I was told by the place I’m signed up for bone marrow donation w/. I told them to jus tell me straight up and that I’m already signed up and 100% down to donate either way, BUT, to just be 110% honest with me and tell me if itll be as painful as I’ve heard when there was discussion about possibly donating for an older man, and their rep said “oh no not at all lol” So hey man, assuming they’re right (which I think so based on my rep’s tone and how chill they were), it may be even EASIER to donate! Sorry we arent a match tho homey, if I could donate to ya or anyone else, they woulda called me up a while back

[@vastowen4562]

Reminds me of a much more positive version of Neal Shusterman's Unwind

[@newsgoose9629]

This video actually made me get off my ass and (bother to) register as an organ donor. I’ve always been very vocal about my wishes, my family and friends (most importantly my husband) all know I’m 100% on donating as much as I can, but I never really got around to officially registering. I never really saw a reason not to donate, but on top of that my dad is a kidney recipient, so I’ve seen first hand how it made his life so much better. If I wasn’t certain before, I definitely was after that. Still, I never really bothered registering officially, pure laziness on my part. I figured I was covered since everyone knew my wishes, but I did always have that thought of like, what if they can’t get an answer from someone soon enough for some reason. Well, watching this video made me actually bother to put in the 3 minute effort it took to sign up, so thank you for the reminder!

[@LargeHadronAnusCollider]

Depending on where you live, you might want to consider putting this formally into your will with the assistance of a solicitor. It's very common for organ donors and even body donors to have the choices made in life contested by the family through grief or spite (more commonly spite) which means the window for your organs to be useful is very small and impossible to assist another living person.

[@elina7038]

I was lured in by the video title, but ended up watching one of the best and most thought provoking videos I've seen on youtube in a while! I think the way you made this video pays homage to the original show in such a nice way and I think it may even replicate some of it's effect. I'm leaving a comment to make the algorithm recommend this to more people!

[@joeyengelman]

Thank you Elina! That really means a lot to me, I'm glad the video found you

[@sullysilver6769]

Wow... this whole video was surprisingly chills all over my body. The story-telling, from start to finish, seemed flawless and not lacking a single bit of necessary information to understand the whole thing (fantastic job on that, seriously). Having been born with only one kidney, I find kidney related topics very interesting, so that was a nice surprise. But yeah, great video Joey, might be one of my favourites from your channel. You should be as proud of this as you seem to be of your cooking at minute 7:11. This was super interesting

[@joeyengelman]

Sully thank you man all this means a lot for real! I was pretty dang proud of cooking that ground beef 🫡

[@dena81]

This was actually a brilliant idea. My aunt had her life saved by organ donation and since my family has been big believers of organ donation.

[@Celine.aria-]

I registered as an organ donor directly after watching this! I hope my organs can help someone or maybe even several people after my death! I have also been in the blood stem cell donation register for a few years, which can help save a life while youre still alive, there hasnt been a match to me yet, but just imagine if they ever needed my blood stem cells and litteraly save someones life, that would be truly amazing! I really do hope you consider to register for that aswell :)

[@joeyengelman]

you're awesome! 🙌

[@ataraxia7439]

Something about people turning out to be nicer than you thought is always so uplifting. I really thought they were going to use these desperate people for entertainment but in reality they were all working together to bring attention and reflection.

[@axuwu6939]

Ikr!! I wasn’t expecting this to be such a nice story, but now I have a bit more hope in the future and in humanity than I did 16 minutes ago

[@Jaminux]

this was a great video! i've just signed up to be an organ donor after i die, i hope other people were moved by this video as well

[@joeyengelman]

go Jaime go Jaime go! 👏

[@rosserobertolli]

Dutch guy here: the passive opt out system makes you donor by default but they'll ask your relatives if it's ok. I just changed my passive registration towards yes, so thanks for the reminder!

[@9764Danny]

I am Dutch and I remember watching this with my dad. We're both usually pretty skeptical, but about halfway through the program we thought "are they really gonna do it?"

[@emilynyan6603]

This video actually reminded me that I never formally signed up to have my organs donated when I die. Fixed that, thank you :)

[@garretharris9588]

Aww Joey, you made me cry. What a beautiful telling of something so vital. So well done. If we can get The US on board with the Opt-in. Also Ashley you are the bomb. Keep up the awesome work.

[@joeyengelman]

thanks garret really appreciate your support man!

[@leahtv7778]

You mean "opt out."

[@mattg4705]

There is 0 chance the us would ever get on board with this

[@Harleymotor]

I didn’t expect this to make me cry, as a donor and a healthcare worker I’m glad how this ended. Was it drastic? Yes but it seems that’s what had to happen to get politicians and the public moved

[@CoryHatfield]

My father died waiting for some lungs. He gave his life for his family, sadly. Bart is a saint for spawning this! May he live on forever!

[@stysner4580]

My condolences.

[@ImVeryOriginal]

Talk about a 180 degree flip. The show went from the most disgusting, unethical, skeezy media cashgrab you can imagine, to a brilliant, genuinely thoughtful and most importantly, effective political stunt. I was sincerely choked up by the end. Bravo. (I immediately went to register as an organ donor after seeing this but I was pleased to find out my country already has an opt-out system)

[@nostalgiagaming877]

Just went ahead and registered. The show is still working. Cheers for putting the message out again!

[@joeyengelman]

thank you, you're awesome!

[@JayDeeIsMyName]

Love the fact that Bart de Graaff finally gets the international recognition he truly deserved. I saw some footage spotting the 'Retroforum'-logo - Thank you for using that. I posted that footage in 2017 on RetroforumNL's Facebookpage, remembering the amazing and lifespanning TV-career of Bart de Graaff. In Dutch we called him 'De Grote Kleine Man': The great little man. He had a vision, he had a goal, and he just went for it. Thank you.

[@joeyengelman]

oh wow, thank you for uploading those clips! footage from this show was so hard for me to come by, do you by any chance have more clips?

[@JayDeeIsMyName]

@@joeyengelman I fully understand, it was quite a journey to stumble upon those programs myself! Fun facts (sorry if this becomes a tl;dr in the end): it was never originally intended by Bart for BNN to become a public broadcasting network. The original premise of 'BNN' was originally intended to be just a TV-show, as it aired in 1995 on public broadcaster Veronica. It revolved around a fictional storyline of Bart, explaining all different genres of Dutch TV while having the intention to start his own (fictional) commercial tv-channel, actively trying to lobby a lot famous Dutch names to transfer to this own BNN-channel. This storyline was made because Veronica would transfer into a commercial TV-station on September 1st, 1995. The second season in 1996, by now airing on the commercial Veronica, was all about the Dutch TV-channels and its public broadcasters. The final episode of that second season was the announcement that they'd actually go and try to become a new public network - filling in the gap that public youth network Veronica left behind when they left the public broadcasting system. That's what the final season (1997) also was all about, even though it was just as bizarre as it sounds: a commercial broadcaster, actively showing content of a tv-maker actually trying to start his own public broadcasting station. The original BNN-logo (the CNN-spoof) was used for the entirety of the original TV Show, as well as during the signature-campaign to become a public broadcaster. It was only during that campaign that Turner objected and possibly threatened to sue, so they made a new logo. They temporarily used a placeholder-logo (a crudely drawn logo in red with black borders) before they ended on the all red oval shaped one with white letters and outline. By the way, not long after the start of BNN airing in the Public Broadcasting System, they actually did get into some legal trouble with the BBC, for airing their Teletubbies-parody, the 'Teringtubbies'. If you ever need anything, just reach out to me (u/Samba-Boy) on Reddit ^^

[@dls64]

A vision and a goal? He was an a***. In the league of a lot of current KZbin "pranksters".

[@JayDeeIsMyName]

@@dls64 That's such BS, and you know it. Sure, I'll be the first to admit not everything he did was always spot-on or funny, or even outright good, but this guy went beyond what others thought he was capable of, and just did it. And better yet: he was the first to try stuff out, do it, and see what would stick and what wouldn't. Everyone that came after him were simple attention seekers, copycats, he already did it all before. And instead of the jerks running the TikToks and KZbin-influenza nowadays: It was genuinely a real nice guy.

[@idkthatxool749]

Wow, walking into this finding it appalling, I feel like crying finding out how great it really was.

[@rootbeer666]

This has got to be the most real reality on TV. Not everyone gets a transplant. Many die waiting, some are removed from recepient lists due to failing health.

[@PieterPatrick]

Thanks for the time you took to talk about Bart de Graaf. He started with a program in the basement of a popular network called Veronica. He is unique and unforgettable.

[@forton615]

Here in Belgium we have the opt-out system since 1986, crazy how two country's next to each other can be so different in some ways. I remember Bart from the cookie commercials "zeg maar nee dan krijg je er 2" I used to watch Dutch TV a lot when I was a kid.

[@ThaOrg]

It was mostly a conservative religious thing, the body belongs to god not to the government. I think this argument will still work in the US.

[@dykam]

Besides what ThaOrg mentioned, it's one of things which just stays the way it is. If it's opt-in, it'll stay opt-in. If it's opt-out, it'll stay opt-out. It takes a lot of momentum to swing it either way, and this show added at least a little bit to that momentum.

[@forton615]

@@dykam I disagree. It changed after all in the Netherlands and rather quietly in Belgium, mostly under pressure of medical institutes and doktors. I get that in some countrys changes about anything are hard nowadays. It has to do with who's in charge and how conservative the people think.

[@parker73724]

I legitimately thought at the beginning of this video "wouldn't this all be genius if it was revealed to just all be a social experiment."

[@christianve9249]

Great video! One detail, BNN did not dissolve but it merged with another broadcaster VARA to BNNVARA, so Bart's network still lives on :)

[@joeyengelman]

thanks for watching! you right, i made a note about this clarification in the pinned comment but it's tough to see, wish i could edit the video to fix that 🙃

[@christianve9249]

@@joeyengelman Ah right, Yeah I missed that comment

[@Letmebecringe]

From the beginning I hoped and suspected that this was a stunt and that they WANTED to cause outrage. I’m so glad I was right. This is so smart and powerful

[@Malvok]

I have to admit that the twist ending to this video made me very emotional.

[@baritoe5796]

We staan er weer goed op boys

[@beeallen2743]

I think the best way to get people on board with organ donation would be to clarify and educate when it comes to how the lines are drawn between continuing to attempt resuscitation and moving on to organ harvesting. Also being sure that those lines are drawn long before it is time to act, in the form of strict guidelines written into legislature.

[@fenrik8178]

I've known about this show for a while. A teacher mentioned it in class one time. I've never seen the whole thing. Not sure where to find it. I kind of want to watch the he whole thing instead of just the conclusion. Truly interesting and very creative, honestly.

[@fenrik8178]

It probably contributed a lot to me being a donor right now.

[@joeyengelman]

that's amazing, i've spoken to a couple people who have said the same thing

[@j.i.nofficial4091]

Joey man, I use to watch you and dashie's bloopers/skits way back when. So happy to see you doing good for yourself, this is awesome!!

[@joeyengelman]

hey thank you! those were good times 💛

[@deskish3930]

as a dutch person, seeing Bart de Graaf in the thumbnail still gets a tear in my eye

[@charleyvandusschoten5146]

I remember this being in the news as a kid(i live in the Netherlands) and i just realised this show changed this country as a whole, not only did it create the conversation around donating organs in general, it also changed the whole county!

[@thomaslamson299]

"Oh yeah, its big brain time." - Bart De Graff, probably. RIP Legend

[@GwainSagaFanChannel]

I guess this got to be one of the most covered up dutch media things ever never heard any dutch bring this up. Thanks for doing this great service to us dutch. Maybe more the people who grew up with Bart on TV knew of this but not us who found him through YT after his passing.

[@joeyengelman]

that's crazy, i was pretty surprised that i hadn't ever heard of this in america even with all the press coverage

[@Kiritomens]

Yea i never heard of this, and I've been living in the netherlands my whole life. I do know about the classic Bart videos, because they regained their popularity for some time when they where uploaded to youtube. I am also a organ donor, but man this story is definitely crazy.

[@Just_Flipy]

I remember him passing away and i was only 8 He was such a kind person and while he missed the mark sometimes. He set the stage where anyone could go on tv to entertain and show a message. You have to understand that dutch was VERY or literally divided. Most shows were filled with stereotypes not written by the people that portrait it or played in it. And he made that little change that still holds on in dutch tv network

[@evefarrel]

A few years back my 19 year old cousin passed away....his family donated all his organs because other people could use them and live. It was one of the best things I had heard of them doing ever. His death, terrible and I miss him everyday, but I know his organs saved so many lives.

[@thiscrushhate]

Great video! This story really hits home. My dad is currently on a waiting list for a lung donor.

[@joeyengelman]

well wishes to you and your dad 💛

[@JonkoJointson]

Aye man you don't know how much I respect you as a dutch man for researching who Bart is and how BNN came to be. BNN operates seperate from the government networks so as dutch people we were very happy to have such a uncensored funny network in the 90s and 2000s. I guess it could be compared to a comedy central but even more decentralized.

[@MeJustLittle]

This all happened when I was just a child. My parents loved this show so much, as I was in the hospital with a kidney disease on dialysis. My entire family got a very rude awakening. And they are all donors now ❤

[@OldManBOMBIN]

The world is quite wild. Even with all the interconnectivity, and with all the hours I've spent watching random shit online, I've never heard of BNN, and it's honestly broken my heart. This is amazing content.

[@ashleyencalada]

Thank you for sharing this! I had NO clue. What a creative way to spread awareness! I, for one, am an organ donor & I think it's incredibly important. I do think the show had something to do with 'moving the needle.' Doesn't matter how big or small a catalyst is, only how powerful the reaction turns out. This was like a Mini-Doc & I LOVE a Doc. Would love to see how you apply this style of video structure to the next story! Have you thought of sharing these videos as it's own upload on FB? Videos like these get shared like hotcakes. Anyway, keep it coming!

[@joeyengelman]

o0o0o i hadn't thought about that before, great idea i'll have to look into that 🤔

[@ashleyencalada]

@@joeyengelman that’s why I get paid the big bucks as producer

[@jhosk92]

What an incredible journey this video was that I was in no way expecting or prepared for (in the best way possible). Absolutely amazing job, Joey. Keep up the good work ♥️

[@joeyengelman]

Joss thank you!

[@rachelmcdonough1506]

This started out with horror but wound up being oddly inspiring.

[@martingoode6994]

I have been waiting for 7 years and finally have a kidney at 35 now . I can only imagine how it was there .

[@whynot4188]

I liked your channel when you released the iceberg videos, but this ONE video made me LOVE IT.

[@joeyengelman]

hey thank you i'm really glad to hear that, i loved making this one

[@RonaldMacias]

Happy to see you making videos again & this one is so interesting & well done. Excited to see what's next & congrats for getting a sponsor, that's so cool to see! And thanks for inspiring me to do one second everyday, excited to hopefully see yours soon.

[@joeyengelman]

Ronald thank you man! And I’m so stoked you’re doing 1SE if you wanna share yours when your done I’d love to see it

[@timojissink4715]

Seeing the thumbnail I thought "wait a sec, I know that guy" I was like 10 when Bart died so I didn't really bither following all of this though it sparked some memories. So freaking awesome to have all of this summed up like that, thank you for making the video! I was soo happy when the law to opt out went through, it just made too much sense.

[@l4m3frogggaming26]

As someone who can't donate their organs, I try to promote it as much as I can, as I have people in my own family who needed transplants. It's scary not knowing whether or not you'll be allowed to live, even after the transplant.

[@yeahyeahd]

my brother was one of the many who have died while on the waiting list in the US. whatever country you're in, please please please research how you can become a [living] donor. it will save someone's life.

[@joeyengelman]

i'm so sorry about your brother 💙

[@Rathayibacter]

one more! realized id wanted to sign up to donate but never had, so now i have. thank you!

[@joeyengelman]

you're awesome 🙌

[@larsjj2794]

How the most unethical TV show became the most ethical. I'm Dutch and I remember this so well, and to be honest, there were a good number of people that already figured out that the show was mainly for media attention and awareness for the need of donors. That said, it is one a landmark moment in history and for organ donation in general. Also BNN is not dissolved, it fused with the Dutch TV network VARA to form BNN-VARA (catchy, I know) :)

[@bowkatiewow]

I was so ready to make an angry comment but instead it’s going to be one of praise. Brilliantly done. One hell of a way to get people to talk about the importance of organ donation and I sincerely hope the people on the show got the kidney’s they needed

[@Teknikah]

Sometimes drastic actions are needed. This was a very good decision to get awareness out there by making the terrible situation hit home hard. In the UK, not too long ago, the organ donor system is now opt out. As far as I'm concerned, take what you can salvage when I don't need it. If my life ending can prolong someone else's then I don't want to prevent that.

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

The system being opt-out is abhorrent. That's a carte blanche to harvest people's organs without their input unless you bring it up to them in advance. It SHOULD be opt-in.

[@Nyxxeonn]

Man, blast from the past seeing this randomly pop up in my recommended. I was only 11 when this aired but I remember hearing about the controversy and then the big reveal. I think that even if the show didn't change things immediately, it definitely had some kind of impact!

[@tlr5519]

I remember when I turned 18 and had to request to be opted out of the donor register, despite this I do think the opt out method works better

[@TheHarmpo]

Bart was a big part of my childhood tv time, Bizarre to think he's been gone for over 20 years. Thanks for this video, this was cool to see again 💚

[@nolandderlugner1351]

so happy to see you do videos man, cant believe that i been watching u on dashies channel for over 10 years

[@joeyengelman]

it's good to be back!

[@amandaclbn8324]

I don’t know when the last time a commentary video about a reality tv show made me well up and cry 😢 Definitely signing up to be a donor in my country

[@georgegeorgenstein]

a great story, for such an important reason. so incredible to hear and see and feel. an actual message for the betterment of life pulled off like a well written heist movie. but there's 3 really dying people sitting in the chairs. asks a thousand questions of art. it seems to me sometimes on walks when im looking at trees that asking someone to hear my song is wrong. this again pushes that question to the front of my head. you, Joey Engelman, in translating and pushing this story to a wider audience, have helped the world. how can we do this. creating is hard

[@JohnDontFollowMe]

Wow this video was short, compact and of very high quality. Really well done. Subscribed!

[@NANIanime]

This video was great Joey...more people need to learn to always "appreciate" what they have in their lives..again, what an amazing video.❤

[@joeyengelman]

thanks nani i appreciate it!

[@NANIanime]

@@joeyengelman no...THANK YOU JOEY..much Love.❤

[@curiokryptic]

It's fantastic what this show was able to do to increase the number of donors. And now with your video on it, there'll be even more! Just signed up myself thanks to this video :) Thank you for the great video and for the side effect of helping to raise awareness through it!

[@joeyengelman]

this is what it's all about! thank you for watching and signing up to become a donor Kris 💛

[@rmyikzelf5604]

For those interested: The Dutch system offers 3 categories. The automatic opt-in still allows the family of the deceased to choose. Category 2 and 3 require action on the part of the potential donor, by either opting out or providing a definitive yes.

[@samsaverino8159]

My best friend had a kidney transplant at 14 and in his early 30s it wasn't working so well and he had to be put on dialysis. He was on a list I believe but passed away before he could get a donor kidney. God I miss him so much.

[@Dingobabee]

I'm so glad that the "contestants" all got the kidneys they needed That was the biggest question that was haunting my mind

[@enbeast8350]

This is why we also need to keep up stem cell research. I genuinely believe that organ donating could be a thing of the past with stem cells

[@LL-rb8wd]

Wow. Brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I've never heard this story before and I'll never forget it. I'll be thinking of this video for the next couple weeks I think. Thank you! This is the first video of this channel that I've watched, and I'm about to go check out your other stuff. I'm very interested to see what I might find. 😊❤

[@eblaser7407]

I teared up a bit at the end. Amazing way to spread awareness and amazing video.