"American Inventor" already a reality

ColoradoBiz, Jan, 2006 by Mike Taylor

BILLED AS AN EXCITING NEW PRIME-TIME REALITY SHOW, "American Inventor" is scheduled to premiere on ABC early this spring. Auditions were held in November and December in eight major cities, including tryouts in Denver that attracted more than 250 inventors hoping ultimately to win $1 million for the invention voted best by TV viewers.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but don't we already have "American Inventor" shows?

We do. They're called infomercials. I've judged them for years with my TV remote control and, much less often, with my credit card. I've bought or changed the channel on the Miracle Mop, the George Foreman Grill, the Buttoneer (Why waste 20 minutes sewing a button back on when you can staple it to your shirt in seconds?), the Inflatable Guest Bed, and the Gazelle fitness device peddled by a stubby guy in a pony tail and a baseball cap named Tony Little.

"American Inventor" was conceived by Simon Cowell and his production company, the same people who brought us "American Idol." As I said, pitting one invention against another is not new. Most of us cast votes with our wallets and by word-of-mouth all the time--at Target, Home Depot, Circuit City, King Soopers, Ace Hardware and other venues.

Granted, this doesn't allow us to hear the compelling stories of perseverance and triumph by the inventors that we'll likely get from "American Inventor," but that's OK. I prefer to let unproven inventions wind their way through the trials of product creation, patent application, marketing, manufacturing and distribution before I invest in them emotionally. I'll check them out once they've made it to the big leagues of a retail-store shelf, or that Arena Football League of product competition--the TV infomercial.

I'm skeptical about a TV program that will rely on inventions--inanimate objects--to carry the show. But then, I'm not captivated in general by reality TV, a concept that took off about six years ago when the threat of an actors' strike prompted producers to come up with shows that wouldn't require actors. That's how we got "Survivor," a show in the mold of "Gilligan's Island" except with the motives inverted so that campers strive to stay on an island rather than find a way off it.

"Survivor" was a big hit, and it spawned a plethora of other reality shows like Donald Trump's "The Apprentice," the aforementioned "American Idol," and other shows dealing with everything from home-improvement contests to spouse swapping to ESPN sports-anchor tryouts.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

And now "American Inventor."

Because it is TV and will need to entertain to survive, the inventions will need to be visible and easily explainable, which rules out highly technical, abstract inventions that often have a bigger impact on our lives. I discussed "American Inventor" with Thomas Frey, the president of the Louisville-based futurist think tank DaVinci Institute, which has an inventors' support group. Although he admitted he's not familiar with all aspects of the show's format, Frey worries about what rights a winning inventor might give up in exchange for prize money that seems hefty now but might one day prove paltry compared with the revenues a nationwide winner could generate. But Frey also applauds ABC for celebrating intellectual achievements, a counter to the nonstop canonizing of sports stars.

Along those lines, I suggest that if "American Inventor" wants to ensure viewer interest, it should build on a proven commodity and announce that the winner will go head-to-head with Ron Popeil, the undisputed king of TV-friendly inventions and one of the first to recognize the power of the infomercial. Popeil knows a thing or two not only about creating compelling products, but about showmanship. Some of his creations have had merit, like his early Veg-O-Matic food chopper and more recently the rotisserie oven he devised for home use after noticing customers lining up to buy pre-roasted rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.

Then again, some of Popeil's creations have been downright ridiculous, like his in-the-shell egg scrambler and his remedy for baldness--aerosol spray-on hair in various shades. But in a nation that celebrates bold entrepreneurs, Popeil is an American hero for ponying up to directly advertise his creations and for personally holding them up for public vote on cable TV.

I wish the "American Inventor" contestants well, especially the ones from Denver. But as usual the only votes I'll be casting on TV will be with my credit card and my remote. You think Simon Cowell is cruel on "American Idol"?

You should see me judging infomercials from my couch.

... But wait, there's more! ...

No there isn't. Zap. Next contestant!

MIKE TAYLOR IS THE MANAGING EDITOR OF COLORADOBIZ. HE WRITES ABOUT SMALL-BUSINESS MONEY ISSUES AND HOW STARTUPS ARE LAUNCHED.

READ THIS AND TAYLOR'S PAST COLUMNS ON THE WEB AT COBIZMAG.COM AND E-MAIL HIM AT MTAYLOR@COBIZMAG.COM.