There are plenty of TV shows that come through Atlanta seeking talented or pretty people: singers, dancers, models, sword swallowers.
Then there's NBC's "The Biggest Loser."
Entering its 12th season this fall, "Loser" is the granddaddy of weight-loss shows. Since its debut in 2004, it has spawned versions in more than 20 countries. Viewership each season has consistently averaged between 8 to 11 million viewers per episode.
The show stops by The Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Atlanta Saturday seeking new candidates for season 13, set to start taping this fall and debuting in early 2012. The winner, after spending about four months sequestered on a special ranch and exercising eight-plus hours a day, takes home $250,000.
The makeovers are often stunning. People who could barely jog one mile the first week are running marathons a few months later. Winners have lost 110 to 264 pounds.
Here are some basic requirements to be on the show:
- Candidates need to be at least 18 years old and legal residents of the United States.
- You can come as an individual or teams of two (friends, family, colleagues)
- Each person must be at least 85 pounds over their ideal weight.
The casting call begins at 9 a.m. and runs through 5 p.m. Lines will begin to form at 6 a.m. Candidates have to bring a non-returnable photo of themselves or their team for reference.
"It's fulfilling when you get to help somebody and do something positive," said D.J. Feldman, casting director since season three.
Like any reality show, he said, "Loser" seeks people with memorable back stories and interesting personalities that pop on camera. "Viewers have to be able to relate to them," he said.
During open-casting calls, people are brought into a room, typically 8 to 12 at a time. They have 10 minutes to describe why they should be on the show. If this is not a comfortable setting for you, Feldman said, that casts doubt about whether you'd be good for TV.
But, he said, there is a more controlled alternative: send in a video. "We watch them all," he said. (Details are at www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.)
Dolvett Quince, an Atlanta-based trainer who operates Body Sculptor in Buckhead, just joined as the show as a coach with model and former tennis star Anna Kournikova. Quince said would-be contestants need to be totally honest "with everything from your medical state to your emotional state to things that may hinder you from being on the show. And you have to have a good attitude."
The show has its fair share of critics. Michael Feigin, a New York-based fitness and nutrition expert, said the artificial environment "Loser" creates builds unrealistic expectations for viewers.
"If it motivates people to start exercising and eating right, that's fantastic," Feigin said. "But as a professional who has to deal on a day-to-day basis with the mindset the show helps create, I feel it does more harm than good."
Here are a few stats showing how extreme the weight loss on "The Biggest Loser" can be:
- Most weight lost by a man: 264 pounds by Michael Ventrella from "Biggest Loser: Couples" in 2010.
- Most weight lost by a woman: 183 pounds by Ashley Johnson from "Biggest Loser: Couples' in 2010.
- Biggest percentage weight loss in a season for a man: 55.58 percent by Danny Cahill from "Biggest Loser: Second Chances" in 2009.
- Biggest percentage weight loss in a season for a woman: 54.57 percent by Helen Phillips from "Biggest Loser: Couples" in 2009.
CASTING CALL
"The Biggest Loser"
9 a.m to 5 p.m. Saturday,The Hard Rock Cafe, 215 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta
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