Compassionate or sentimental?

Great article incisively taking apart television shows that are meant to make you "feel good" and perhaps like a good person for feeling good (ie, I must be compassionate to cry about this family getting a whole home makeover!!!.) But the show isn't really about compassion-- that it provokes a sentimental reaction is one thing, but does it simply provide a feel-good moment to the spectator, get ratings and ad dollars with not many substantial, long-term results? Clearly, most shows are not going to establish a relationship with the show participants or viewers, and then follow up and continue to walk with them after the cameras have stopped rolling. But wouldn't that be a more complete rendering of compassion, if compassion is truly "to suffer with"? As opposed to sentimentality, which begins and ends with the tv power button...