ON TELEVISION
COURTESY ABC
"Extreme Makeover" star Ty Pennington will host a show in Hawaii.
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‘Extreme Makeover’ will open an isle family’s door to millions
One lucky family in Hawaii will open the front door and find Ty Pennington ready to change their lives in front of 15 million viewers.
'Extreme Makeover Home Edition'
To participate or nominate another family:
Apply online: Visit www.abc.com, key word "Home Makeover." Or e-mail makeoverhawaii@yahoo.com.
Include: Names and ages of household members, a five-sentence description of the family story and the Top 3 things that need improvement in the home.
Deadline: Feb. 23.
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"Extreme Makeover Home Edition" will shoot an episode here for its fifth season in the show's ongoing effort to visit all 50 states. But before the crew of 100 arrives, there is the laborious process of selecting an appropriate family.
Casting producer Melissa Gravlin said people mistakenly think the show focuses on families dealing with physical disabilities. But the truth is, they are open to anyone -- on any island.
"It's our first time in Hawaii," said executive producer Denise Cramsey, who spends 10 months a year on the road. "And it's a big undertaking for us, obviously. It's a traveling circus. But we're coming all that way, and we really want to make sure to pick the family that needs us the most."
Casting will take place in March. Producers will use written nominations and applications to select 20 or 30 potential families. Then they'll fly to Hawaii to create casting videos for ABC executives, and conduct "extensive background checks." Several families will be notified that they could be chosen. But nobody will know for sure until Pennington knocks on the door.
When the weeklong reconstruction begins, "There's probably close to 200 people working on the house 24 hours a day," said Gravlin. "The contractors are amazing everywhere we go. And they bring in a lot of people."
The show involves neighbors by getting their input on landscaping or decorating. "The neighbors are actually a big part of how we get everything done," she said. "Most are willing to help in any way possible."
"Extreme Makeover Home Edition" airs on ABC/KITV at 7 p.m. Sundays.