County Residents Sought For ABC Reality Program

THE REPUBLICAN & HERALD
BY LISA COONEY
CORRESPONDENT
04/23/2007

Does your 6-year-old have the vocabulary of a sailor?
Do you find your 3-year-old asleep at the foot of your bed each morning?

Do you consider giving your 4-year-old a bath comparable to a tax audit by the IRS?

Supernanny Jo Frost from ABC’s hit television show Supernanny may have the help you need to take back control of your children and you may have the opportunity to be a recipient of her expertise.

Producers of the ABC television series Supernanny will be holding a casting call in Harrisburg for the upcoming fourth season and one local mother's group was personally invited to participate in the application process for the show.

“I was very surprised to get a call from a casting director in Hollywood but I was also very delighted. It’s a great opportunity for all my members,” said Kristine E. Kelly-Kaplan, Frackville, organizer of The Mommy & Child Connection of Schuylkill County

Kelly-Kaplan began this group in January 2006 as a resource to bring young families in our area together. Presently 44 families are members.

A casting director, Bria Holub, discovered the local play group through their Meetup.com website. Holub personally called Kelly-Kaplan and issued an invitation to any of the group’s members who may benefit from Frost’s guidance to attend a local open casting call.

Kelly-Kaplan said she has forwarded the information to all members and at least 2 members have expressed an interest.

“Jo Frost is right on top of things. She really seems to know what she is doing. I enjoy watching the show ” said Kelly-Kaplan.

“It takes a lot of courage for people to admit they have problems and even more for them to ask for help. If a family is courageous enough to reach out to us, we want to respond to them,” said casting producer Johnnie Raines, of Ricochet Television, in a phone interview Thursday. Ricochet Television provides casting for Supernanny and other reality shows.

He praised his casting teams for seeking innovated ways, such as contacting Kelly-Kaplan, to connect with young families who may be in need.

For the upcoming season, Raines said there are a few specific things the show is watching for.

“We are looking for families that really deserve this opportunity. There are a couple of key types we are looking for. We are looking for families who are preparing for a big event, like a wedding, or a family reunion. We are looking for parents who are just obsessed with sports. Do you have mean girls or bullying boys?”

A Supernanny Web site was also recently launched at www.supernanny.us.com.

“This is a new Web site for the show that began just this month in the United States,” pointed out Raines.

Plans call for the site to be a parenting skills resource and sounding board for all types of parent and child behavior as well as a place to keep up-to-date on Supernanny happenings.