On the Cover Berkus Heads New Project BY CANDACE HAVENS FYI Televsion, Inc. Designer Nate Berkus is pas- sionate about his work On his new reality competition, he's looking for someone who shares his love for transforming homes into beautiful showplaces. Each week, two teams take on a ma- jor project that must be reno- vated in a matter of days. The 12 contestants are professional designers and must perform miracles if they want to win on "American Dream Builders," air- ing Sunday at 8 p.m. on NBC. The style of homes varies and the designers are expected to bring out the beauty in whatever architecture is there. "We picked homes based on architectural style,";' Berkus says. 'A lot of peo- ple look for design inspiration in other countries, other places, and what we thought would be re- ally special would be to highlight the different architectural styles that we have here in the United States. So, we picked them based on the architecture and the design, from Spanish style to Tudor style to mid century modem log cabin. We travel through these different eras and these different "They're homes that are owned by people," adds executive producer Tom Shelly. "I would say that they're in disrepair; it's a very connective disrepair for America. I mean, everybody has something they want done with their home. Some people have been hit harder than oth- ers with the economy. It's not so much that they're literally fall- ing apart, though, in some cases they are. It's really about the real people of America and what you want done with your home and how they can be elevated by these incredibly talented people." Joining Berkus on the real- ity show as judges are designer Monica Pedersen ("Bang for Your Buck") and Heisman Tro- phy winner and former NFL star Eddie George. While he might not be the first person one might think about when it comes to design, George has been doing landscape architecture for years. "When I was playing at S Ohio State, instead Heisman Trophy i NFL star Eddie Ge the judges on Builde at to really challenge myself' George says. "I fell in love with the whole concept of designing a space through materials, plant materials, creating memorable spaces. I got my degree in 2001, graduated and started my own firm, the Edge Group, based in Columbus, Ohio, and Nashville, Tenn., since 2003. I went on and got my MBA from Kellogg, and I've been trying to grow that business, sustain that business through some tough economic times. This opportunity pre- sented itself for me not only to show the talents of a landscape architect, but also to be creative in that regards, as well. So, it's been a great opportunity for me." "Can I just say, Eddie brings something really special to this shove adds Berkus. 'As a judge, what's fantastic is obviously the background with the NFL. These 12 people are leaders in their in- dustry. They're not trying to be- come anything. They already are. So, they're used to being the boss. They have legions of assistants and massive budgets in their regular lives, and we're forcing these people who have 12 mas- sive egos to work as teams. When they don't work well together, Monica and I are like hiding un- der the desk It's so scary when people aren't good team players. There's an eye for detail that Ed- die brings as well to the exteriors of the homes, and through the course of this show you'll see Ed- die open up a lot to the inside. So, it's been great because I think what Ed- winner and former dieha gs orge is one of to the "American Dream co e rs," airing Sunday tion is 8 p.m.onNBC. ton ils entirely different thanwhat N Ionica and I bring. It's interest- ng to see the contestants react to Eddie's judgment week after week because, if they don't get the details right, he notices every time." George also brings a practicality to the design element. "Ed- die keeps it real, too," Pedersen adds. "With interior de- sign, we have these super high end designers. They can easily get carried away into a level of design where sometimes it's hard for us to understand. Nate and I will understand it and get really excited about it, and then we're like, 'Breathe; and then Eddie comes in. Eddie sits on the fimrniture. He checks it out. It's a lot of pressure as designers to know that a former NFL star is coming in to check it out!" "Because they like really pristine, clean lines and these artistic looking rooms;' George elaborates. "I'm like, 'Is it com- fortable? Can you sit here com- fortably and watch television and have a conversation?' And nine times out of 10, it's no." index Cover Story................................ 3 Sports ..................................... 4-5 Soap Update ............................. 21 Radio/News/Weather............... 5 OQ&A........................................... 11 TV Crossword.......................... 42 Movies ..................................... 48 guide to symbols **** = Exceptional*** = Good **= Fair* = Poor Symbols & codes: (CC) = Close Captioned, 'R' = Repeat, 'N' new, (HD)' = High Definition, DVS = Descriptive Video Service, iTV = Interactive television, T = Taped Parental Guidelines forTV: You may see rating codes on your TV screen Here what they mean 'Y'- appropriate for all Children 'Y7' appropriate for 7 and older 'G' general audience 'PG'- parental guidance suggested '14'- 14 and older 'M'- 17 and older Along with the rating codes mentioned above, you may see additional abbreviations Here's what they mean 'AC'- adult content 'AH' adult humor 'AL'- adult language 'AS'- adult situations 'BN'- brief nudity 'GL'- graphic language 'GV' -graphic violence 'MT'- mature themes 'MV'- mild violence 'SC' sexual content 'SSC'- strong sexual content 'V- violence Motion picture guidelines: Movies that appear on movie channels may have a theatrical rating Here's what they mean 'G'- general audiences 'PG'- parental guidance suggested, some material may not be suitable for children 'PG-13' special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13 'R'- restricted, under 17 requires accompanying parent or guardian 'NC-17'- not recommended for persons under 17 contact information Programming Questions? 1-800-Comcast or www.Comcast.com Why is TV Schedule Different from this book? 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