Today the second season of “Noble Exchange” premieres, and if you’ve seen the first season you’re in for a surprise. It looks a little different … OK, a lot different.

We spoke with producer Tamara Park to find out what old and new viewers can expect from this season of the show.

What’s different about this season of “Noble Exchange”?

Almost everything …. except the impulse behind the show. “Noble Exchange” is based on the idea that we have so much to learn from each other, especially from other cultures…and every story shared is a gift exchanged.

For the first season my colleague, Tyler Garnett, and I trekked from Mozambique to Morocco asking African leaders what we in the West can learn from them. It was an extraordinary time of discovery.

Yet we realized something en route. It’s one thing if we as TV producers are taken out of our comfort zones and encounter remarkable people from other cultures. But how much more powerful—and frankly more entertaining—is it if we took up-and-coming celebrities away from LA and NY to the far reaches of the globe. So that’s what we’ve done.

I took musicians, actors and models and connected them with mentors in Latin America and the Caribbean. They got to learn from these mentors something that would help them further their career….and they got exposed to social justice issues too. We ended up with some amazing stories…and true Noble Exchanges.

What were some of the biggest challenges shooting this season?

Oh, my…whenever you set-off on adventure—especially overseas—there are always disaster stories. Here are a few: we took this gorgeous model, Sheena Sakai, to hike Machu Picchu. We (OK, I) decided we’d take the off-the-beaten trail and somehow ended up in a snow-blizzard at 15 thousand feet elevation. It was definitely a tough few days of hiking and shooting…but she and the crew were stellar. Oh, and there were the four out five days of rain during our shoot in Rio, only topped by a real shoot-out in the favelas. And of course, coming face-to-face with the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti was deeply affecting.

But these kind of challenges ultimately make the show so special. These celebrities risked getting out of their comfort zones…and in the end met such stunning people who move through difficulties with great strength and resilience. I personally learned so much from both the celebrities and the mentors in each country.

What were a couple of your favorite moments producing the show?

I ended up loving every story….but here are two snapshots of stories that stuck out to me. I got to take American Idol participant and award-winning songwriter Jared Cotter to Bogotá, Colombia. I connected him with one of the top pop-bands there, Wamba, to learn guitar. They ended up connecting so much they wrote a song together, performed a concert and shot a music video. As Jared performed with them, he absolutely sparked. He came so alive on stage with the band…I got to see someone living his dream in a place he never thought he’d go. Stunning.

Another absolute joy was taking Dawn Richard—of Diddy-Dirty Money—to Haiti. Dawn is a native of New Orleans and lost everything when Hurricane Katrina hit. As her career skyrockets she wanted to see how artists in another natural disaster zone were coping with life. Dawn happens to be of Haitian descent, so we took there to learn to paint and ultimately to heal from her own tragedy. While there she visited a school in one of the most dangerous ghettos in the Western Hemisphere. Suddenly the students started singing some of Dawn’s songs. It was one of those magical moments, reminding us all that music is an international language.

What do you hope your viewers will get from the show?

Of course I hope they’re entertained. They’re going to get an insiders look at some of the most fascinating and fun up-and-coming celebrities. Every one of the participants are such great characters.

But I also hope that they’re inspired. If they see the series and say…Maybe I too can pursue a dream I’ve had on hold, then that’s fantastic. And even more, if they realize they too can pursue their own Noble Exchange – whether it’s trekking to a foreign country or getting to know their neighbor from another culture, then they’ve really gotten what the show’s about.

Watch the premiere of “Noble Exchange” online and on-air, Aug. 30 at 8pm ET! See if your cable provider carries Halogen.

  Noble Exchange
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Halogen TV

Halogen TV is a network that’s about much more than entertainment. Our aim is to be a platform for social good where people can connect with their purpose and with each other. Together, let’s be the change.

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