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Car Designers: Reality TV Heroes?

March 01, 2014, 11:54 AM by  Alan Stamm


A graduate student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where master's of fine arts candidates can specialize in transportation design. (CCS photo)

This only seems like a stretch until you realize that the string of TV-worthy jobs is playing out.

We've seen -- or avoided seeing -- Bering Sea fishing crews, North Carolina loggers, homicide detectives, Alaska truckers, Manhattan chefs, fashion designers. cake bakers, Coast Guard rescuers and other professionals on "reality" shows.

So it probably was inevitable that production would begin this week on 10 episodes about the grueling, dramatic, high-risk challenges of car design.


"Competitors will be judged on their creativity, execution and forward-thinking design," truTV says.

That's right -- the folks who propelled Les Gold and family from Detroit pawnbrokers into national celebrities now "will pit 10 designers against each other to test their limits of design expertise and creativity," as a truTV release says.

Fasten your seatbelt. The search is on for America's next great car designer as truTV and Chevrolet team up on the brand new competition series "Motor City Masters." hosted by Brooke Burns ("Baywatch," "Melrose Place") . . . .

In each episode, the contestants will have the ambitious task of creating new, fully functional (though not street legal) concept cars based on a theme that will showcase the each competitor's unique personality. . . . Competitors will be judged on their creativity, execution and forward-thinking design, among other criteria. The field will narrow with each elimination challenge until only the top two designers remain.

Imagine the edge-of-seat thrill as we'll watch creatives use CAD programs, sketch pads and clay models to "test their limits." Heart patients better not tune in, right?

The first nine episodes are being taped in Los Angeles (the show's name tricked us, too) before Detroit gets a piece of the action, if that's the right word.

The exciting season finale will then take place in the Motor City itself -- Detroit -- and will provide one final show-stopping challenge. . . .

The winner of Motor City Masters will receive a brand new 2014 Camaro Z28 and $100,000 cash. The winner will also be named a Brand Ambassador, with the opportunity to showcase his/her designs at major auto show exhibitions.


Brooke Burns will host "Motor City Masters," a sharp swerve from roles in "Baywatch" and "Melrose Place."

Still unsure this can be riveting TV? Listen to Jonathan Murray, an independent producer in Van Nuys, Calif., who created "Project Runway" for the Lifetime cable channel and is behind the new show:

"This is going to be a really fun competition for the designers. The challenges they face will push them to really think about what the American public wants in a car and how the car can better serve their needs."

No word yet on the debut date for this must-see TV.


Read more:  truTV


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