"In the Beginning, There was

A producer, a very SMART producer once told me "Brian, the hardest thing in the world to do, is to sell a tv show". Guess, what party people? He was DANG right. For the past two years, I have been trying to marry my two passions: carpentry and television. I love them both so much. If I am not watching tv, I am in my workshop building. So I began on this journey, and I am coming close to marrying my two passions. This blog will take you along for the ride, on this weird and wild journey of trying to make a home renovation television show.

It all started 2 years ago, while recording a voice-over (what I do for a living) for a producer working on a show on The Fine Living network. I told him about my idea for a show, and he thought it sounded fantastic. So a month later, with the help of my brother-in-law, we conceptualized, shot and edited a short 13 minute pilot called "2 HANDS: LIFE WITH BRIAN".

Check it out here: www.2hands.tv

We showed it to him, and he loved it! After some tweaks he brought it to HGTV, where it got the greenlight right to the top! They loved me as a host, and had a few show notes, but for the most part they were sold. I couldn't believe it, one try and I may have my own show! But alas, it was too good to be true. It was JUST then, that there were major changes in the network, and many positons changed, including the decision makers in my show. Bad timing they told me. But I learned a lot in the process, and developed some very good contacts at HGTV. So I persevered. I was (and still am) determined to make this happen.

Where I live, The DIY Network is not offered on our cable system, so HGTV is the channel I have followed since it's inception. Before HGTV, I was (and still am) an avid "This Old House" fan. My dad (who taught me everything I know about carpentry) and I watched it from the beginning back in 1979. So HGTV has been my real focus. Recently I noticed HGTV running :30 sponsored "quick tips". I thought about how I could make them better; I could make mini-shows. So after to talking to some contact at HGTV, I shot a few demo's with the help of Mindsmack - a super hip production company here in New York City that I have done voice-over's for. Guess what? Again, HGTV loved them! I was in; sort of through the back-door at HGTV. Normally you go through programming when trying to get on a network, I snuck in through the marketing and sales side of things.

So now what? Well not much, it's all in the hands of the sales department who need to actually sell "The Creative Edge with Brian". They tell me it could be tomorrow, or 2 years frm now. So, I am not holding my breath, but it certainly isn't BAD news in my quest, right?

While that is cooking, I am still working the machine, managing contacts, building relationships, pouring over social media outlets like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I have created pages of show pitches, ideas, and inspirations. I go to and schedule many meetings, all of which I make sure are beneifical to BOTH parties. In the coming blogs, I will take you along on what I do, who I see and talk to, the ups and downs, the accomplishments and failures of "The Making (hopefully) of a Home Renovation Television Show"