Casting call for reality TV show slated for Carson City

Banyan Productions, the group which created the reality-based television show "Trading Spaces," is casting for its new series, "Nice Package."

They're looking for a few Carson City residents to take the ultimate decorating challenge.

"We're filming Jan. 10, 11 and 12 in Carson City," said Tim Hedden, spokesman for Banyan.

Contestants will be chosen through an application process and, once the date is set, they will be mailed a large crate filled with everything for the makeover.

The team will then have 24 hours to decorate a room using everything inside the crate, combining the usual paint and wallpaper with more challenging items like an antique bike, a bearskin rug or an old pair of skis.

The producers are calling it a nonstop 24-hour thrill ride, combining the transformation of "Trading Spaces" with the ingenuity of a junkyard war, all coming together with humor, suspense and lots of coffee.

Once the walls are painted and that nifty old elephant's head has been placed, the effort is graded by a designer.

"A team leader is chosen at the beginning of the challenge. The leader will accompany the decorator to defend the design," Hedden said.

The prizes are customized, geared to the participants based on a pre-game interview, Hedden said.

"They could win a spring break, or a trip to Disneyland. A firehouse group might want a new home theater - things like that," he said. "We hope that raises the stakes, so they'll take this a little more seriously."

The program doesn't have a launch date yet but will air on the "Oxygen" channel this spring, Hedden said.

Banyan welcomes Carson City homeowners to join in the fun, but any group, from a bunch of college kids in an apartment to the men and women from the city's ambulance service, are invited to apply.

Hedden expects the teams to consist of five members.

"If you're funny and creative and can take constructive criticism, our team at Banyan would like to hear from you," he said. "This could be the chance you've been waiting for, to give your home a new look and win a prize made-to-order for you."