ABC TV:

Ever dreamed you could be someone else...if only for a day. See life through someone else's eyes and live their experiences? Would their life be the complete opposite of your own, a radically different world of surprises and fascinating people. Or, would the same day-to-day challenges remind you of how we're really all alike? SWITCHED! gives you the chance to find out the answers to these questions and more.

A new ABC TV prime time show, Switched! gives two individuals the chance to simultaneously trade lives during a four-day adventure. The challenge is to see how each will cope in a new environment, dealing with a new job, new friends, new family, new activities -- everything that involves trading a life with a counterpart somewhere else in the USA. ABC is looking for adults between the ages of 18 and 34 who want to experience the day-to-day life of another person.

The show answers the question, "What would it be like to actually step into the shoes of another person whose life is different than mine?"

Now, here's an "Adventure & Escape" in-one, not to mention the ultimate "Vicarious Living" opportunity! If you are 18-34 years old and interested in pitching yourself or a friend, the deadline is October 15th.

Unlike a lot of negative reality shows out there, this is for a "Family" Channel, and will focus on more positive real life elements like work, friends and family. Also, whomever is cast would undoubtedly receive a great amount of visibility for their organization/business.

ABC's casting director, here in San Francisco, is looking for "real people" (ie: non-actors).

***Please note that people selected will "switch lives" for 4 days with a celebrity-type or non-celebrity individual!***

IN GENERAL ....

The Bay Area Casting Search Team is particularly, but not exclusively, looking for the following types of jobs and people who work at them:

Marine life animal rescuers (or anyone who works actively with marine life)
African american barber or beautician in a African American barber/beauty shop
Shabby chic flea market buyers who refurbish and then sell at flea markets
Outdoor adventure guides
Kid party entertainers and planners!!!
People who live and work in Chinatown
wedding cake designers
wedding dress designers
small town bed/breakfast owners
Wedding planners
Clothing/jewelry designers
Blue-collar diner waitress/cook
surfers (but have an interesting job as well)
Department store buyers
Socialites

To give you a little inspiration, here is the email I sent to the Casting Director this afternoon pitching Tim for the show. The good news: She was ready to sign us both up. The bad news: We're over 34. So, no competition here. Darn!

Hope this gets your creative brain cells working:

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Dear Christie,

My partner, Tim Fredel, perfectly fits the type of person you are looking for...

Marine life animal rescuers - Tim is constantly screaming to the seals to get the-heck-out-of-dodge, the minute our Golden Retriever jumps in the water at Crissy Field.

African American Barber or Beautician in a African American Barber/Beauty Shop - Our daughter used to be called The Rasta Pasta Girl. She and Tim have since chopped most of her hair off (after I shaved it at age one). Tim's skin color is white, but he's got the soul of an African American barber.

Shabby Chic flea market buyers who refurbish and then sell at flea markets - Through our new business, we are promoting the real Shabby Chic on our upcoming travel guide, "The Rugged Elegance Companion...Your Guide to Places of Taste in San Francisco." In fact, Shabby Chic has been selected as one of This Year's Most Rugged Elegant Establishments in Pacific Heights. (We also happen to own two Shabby Chic couches, one chair, and bedrooms full of her linens.) Does that count?

Outdoor Adventure Guides - Check out http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com

New week we are launching a series of 13 travel/adventure guides for San Francisco.

Kid Party Entertainers and Planners!!! - This Wednesday, we are hosting our daughter's Kindergarten social at our home. Last January, we had 50 kids in our playroom downstairs for an Old West Storytelling time. In May, we had 30 kids over for a pool party followed by a KFOG Kaboom fireworks party on our roof deck. (Can you believe we have a pool in San Francisco? It's the 13th built out of only 19 in the city.) Lots of parties here!

Wedding Dress Designers - Tim's fantasy has always been to go to Italy and become a fashion designer (It's still a fantasy, but Rugged Elegance will get him one step closer, eventually, to fulfilling it.)

Small Town Bed/Breakfast Owners - We own a cottage in Kennebunkport, Maine that becomes a B&B every summer. Tim also runs TASK, "Tim's Attending School in Kennebunkport" for bachelors who need a few gentlemanly finishing school tips. Every time one of our friends thinks she has found her match, we kid about sending her prospective husband to "TASK" before heading to the alter.

Wedding Planners - Our wedding in '89 was a four-day event complete with golf tournament, birthday brunch for the bride and guests traveling from Paris and Japan. My cousin, Jim, who is a news broadcaster on the East Coast, served as the MC for the Offbeat Hat Party at Noonan's Lobster Hut on Saturday night. My grandmother (aka the real Milli Vanilli - that's another story) won the hat contest upon strolling in wearing her husband's dead wife's old shower cap. The weddding took place in Maine, 3000 miles away from where we live. The day we arrived home from our honeymoon, October 17, 1989, we returned to our small apartment on Chestnut Street for a romantic dinner, a little World Series baseball, and the California Quake. Boy, does this guy know how to plan a memorable wedding!

Clothing/Jewelry Designers - Tim custom designed his wedding band. Circling the band, he had the designer create a Taurus the Bull, a Christian fish, the 16th hole at Carnoustie, a Maine lobster, a duck (which ties back to his Wisconsin roots - "ducks fly north over Wisconsin," he says), and an eagle (because he's an All-American kid at heart).

Blue-Collar Diner Waitress/Cook - Tim's the only cook in this household. A Zone Diet expert, he BBQs salmon once a week and serves the best Sunday brunch in town, on our roof deck, with a view of the entire city.

Surfers (but have an interesting job as well) - Tim's purely an Internet surfer, but one of his buddies -- our 8 year old daughter's best friend's dad -- is a prominent neurosurgeon in San Francisco who surfs regularly. Dr. Pete grew up at Stinson Beach.

Department Store Buyers - We select all our "rugged elegant" products from Amazon and Affiliate programs, and then sell them through The Rugged Elegance Marketplace. Low overhead. 5-15% Commission. Not bad!

Socialites - This guy used to be the most shy in a room. At his 15 year highschool reunion he was voted "Most Changed." Tim's last job was CEO of BioSpace, Inc, the leading portal for the life sciences industry. Now, he is in the business of promoting "life" - healthy, adventuresome, soulful life. He'll never run for mayor or governor, but he hosts a great party. Tim has come a long way in the twenty years I have known him. Next thing I know he'll be featured in "The Nob Hill Gazette" peeking behind the paper with the publishers asking their audience "Guess Who This Is?"

The last paragraph of his Thrive Foundation for Youth bio reads:

As a kid, Tim dreamed of being an astronaut (thus, the name "BioSpace"), a meteorologist (Jennifer frequently catches him checking the Weather Channel), and a Green Bay Packer (he still hasn't given up on this dream...Watch out Brett Favre.). One of his best dreams-come-true: hanging out in San Francisco being a kid with his two daughters.

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Oh, well! It was a good try!!

If you are an adventurous, fun-loving, attractive person with an interesting Job in the Bay Area, and if you are willing to dedicate four days of your life to ABC Family TV, please contact C. Every Productions at: christieevery@yahoo.com or call Ms. Every's hotline at (415) 995-4698.

Along with a little creative, please include a description of yourself, your age, occupation, a small personal bio, and photo if available etc.) by NOON Wednesday, October 15th. Those who fit the bill will be called back by Wednesday night, October 15th, 2003.

We hope you get cast in the show! Go break a leg!!

~Jennifer