Joey Travolta's Entertainment Experience

Yet another reality show is on the horizon. A team of Manhattan Beach-based producers are hoping their show, "Scavenger Hunt", will be the next big hit like "American Idol" and "The Bachelor". The show, which is currently casting for its pilot, however, does not require signing ability nor does it include a bevy of women vying for one man's attention. The show is aimed at a younger demographic, combining young people between the ages of 9 to 24 with celebrities as they work together in teams to perform a list of challenges. Producers Joey Travolta (yea, John's older brother), along with Walter Josten, a producer for Blue Rider Pictures and the upcoming Jackie Chan film "Around the World in 80 Days", and Al Burton, producer of "Win Ben Stein's Money", believe the beach cities are the hub for new talent. The goal, they say, is to create a show for the whole family to watch. "I thought, what a place to cast," Burton said. "Reality and young people. You see it on the air a lot. Working with young people guarantees it'll be fairly clean. This is more of a wholesome variety". Travolta came up with the concept of the show after throwing his 16-year-old daughter a birthday party with a scavenger hunt theme. "They had so much fun", he said. "We liked the concept and added celebrities to up the ante". The game consists of six teams with four kids and one celebrity each week who will be given a list of items or challenges, which they must accomplish within a set time. Each team will be given a video camera and will be in charge of documenting each of their successful challenges. Additional points could be earned for those who get more creative with the footage they shoot. Resourcefulness and teamwork will be key as the challenges become increasingly difficult. There will be one winning team each week that will advance to a championship round in week five. The two teams beside the winners each that have the highest scores will also advance to the final round as wild cards. Each segment of the scavenger hunt will involve a series of challenges not intended for the limit. Team members will have to perform tasks such as going into a sushi restaurant to sing "Happy Birthday" in front of all of the customers or going to the pizza place, getting a quarter pound of pepperoni, then bringing it to an ice cream parlor, having them roll it in ice cream and make someone eat it. "It's what they create, that's the fun of it." Travolta said. "They have to map out what the easiest way is. It's interesting the competition that comes out. You just mix it up and that's what makes it fun". Some of the participants for the show will be cast from The Entertainment Experience, a performing arts and digital filmmaking studio also based at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach , but the remainder of the talent will be cast locally. "These are trained, young undiscovered actors," Josten said. "We see the amount of talent that hasn't been exposed yet. We're looking for normal., everyday people who want to go out on the interesting mission".