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Let your ‘quirky life’ shine

If you’re a colourful character or have hidden treasures to sell, you could soon have your 15 minutes of fame.
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Two new Canadian reality TV shows include a different take on the BBCÕs Antiques Road Show, which had a number of Canadian tours, including this one in Ottawa.

If you’re a colourful character or have hidden treasures to sell, you could soon have your 15 minutes of fame.

Producers of two new reality shows are eyeing Victoria as part of a nationwide search for potential participants — one that some are comparing to the A&E series Duck Dynasty, the other described as a Canadian twist on Antiques Roadshow.

“We’re looking for groups of people who have interesting lives, a sense of humour and are big characters,” said Laura Toplass, casting producer for an untitled series for a “major broadcaster” being developed with Force Four Entertainment.

The Vancouver-based production company has already produced two reality TV series with Victoria connections — The Bachelor Canada for Rogers/Citytv and the Gemini Award-winning The Cupcake Girls, which featured Heather White and Lori Joyce, the Victoria-raised best friends who co-founded the Canadian cupcake empire, for the W Network.

“Could you or someone you know be the next Honey Boo Boo, or your business the next Duck Dynasty?” says Force Four’s head of development Robert Hardy, referring to the hit U.S. series about child beauty pageant contestant Alana (Honey Boo Boo) Thompson and her family, and the lives of the Robertsons, the Louisiana family that became wealthy by manufacturing products for duck hunters.

Another model, says Toplass, is Southie Rules, about the South Boston family fighting to preserve its Southie way of life.

You needn’t be a family, however, she says, noting the show’s “crazy group of characters” could even be workmates.

“What we’re not looking for is people who say ‘We all party!’ ” laughed Toplass. “We don’t need that. We’re looking for the types of people who are over-the-top and who’ve maybe been told, ‘You should have your own show.’ ”

Producers of the new CBC series Four Rooms have a different objective during their cross-Canada audition tour that stops here June 26 — to find items from a variety of fields including sports, art and history.

“The sky’s the limit,” says producer Katie Cumby. “We’re looking for anything and everything from rare antiques and pop-culture collections to fine works of art and even wild and wacky objects.”

In the new series from the producers of Dragons’ Den, sellers will appear in-studio and meet with Canada’s top buyers who wait in four rooms.

The deadline for the first round of casting for the Force Four series is Wednesday.

To apply, go to realitystarswanted.ca, fill out an application and email it to casting@forcefour.com.

Applicants should also submit a photo of themselves or their group, and a one-minute video explaining their “quirky life” and why they feel they deserve their own TV show.

Four Rooms applicants should download an application from cbc.ca/fourrooms. Bring it along with items you’re selling, and photos or documents such as authentication certificates or appraisals, to the Inn at Laurel Point, 680 Montreal St., on June 26 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

mreid@timescolonist.com