Zig Gauthier, the owner of TV production company Red Varden Studios, has offered some details on the non-scripted television show FleaMarketZone.com reported on yesterday.
He said that trends in TV programming go in cycles, and the time is right for shows about bargain hunters and people who do business at flea markets and swap meets. “With American Pickers and the pawn shop show, there are a bunch of opportunities in that world that people are responding to, and they’re enjoying watching on television,” says Gauthier. “We’re trying to find something that’s got a little unique twist on it.”
He said that the topic is one that is relevant and compelling. “There’s something about the world of collectibles or items that people find interesting. There may be an inherent mystery about it, or a thirst for information — what’s the backstory behind a particular object. When you take that thirst or that mystery and combine it with interesting characters, hopefully there will be more opportunities for similar shows. That’s what the marketplace is suggesting,” he explains.
Consequently, his company is on the look-out for people who could become the stars of a non-scripted TV show. “We’re looking for a person or group that operate in the world of trading that also have really strong, engaging, interesting personalities,” Gauthier says. “We’re hoping that someone in this world — a small business entrepreneur or a trader or a collector — will look at swap meets as an opportunity for them to conduct their business, and therefore we may have luck exploring those places and finding those personalities.”
Is he looking for a particular kind of vendor? “We’re not,” he says. “We’re looking for someone whose motivation is not categorized by whether they are selling collectibles or they’re into new merchandise. We want someone who is always out to get a deal, to trade up, to find a way to turn a dollar into two dollars.”
For more information, contact Red Varden Studios at rvscasting@gmail.com.