EPISODE RECAPS

EPISODE 101: CASTING

PREMIERED SEPTEMBER 14, 2005
Inventors from across America anxiously faced a panel of expert judges as they vied to be one of six teams to compete for a once in a lifetime opportunity: a one-year contract to sell their product on HSN. These inventors have worked countless hours, mortgaged homes and strained relationships with loved ones... all to get to this point. Whose idea will be the next big thing? From "traveling stilettos" to the "grass-o-matic," it was the good, the bad and the ugly! Read the recap

EPISODE 102: DOES IT WORK?

PREMIERED SEPTEMBER 21, 2005
The six teams arrived at their state-of-the-art laboratory, where they hoped to transform their prototypes into mass-marketed must haves. The first step was quality assurance testing: Bob Monti leads the HSN quality assurance team, whose job it is to ensure that all products that exit HSN are exactly as they appear to be on television. Since the inventions in this competition must live up to the same high standards, Bob and his team began the competition by testing the six inventions to see if they could live up to their claims. The inventors' practical know-how was then put to the test when they took part in an ingenuity challenge under the supervision of SuperSoaker inventor Lonnie Johnson. In the end, the teams applied all of their collective quality assurance expertise to their own inventions before once again facing the expert judging panel, resulting in one team being sent home. Read the recap

EPISODE 103: DOES IT LOOK GOOD?

PREMIERED THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Neither function nor aesthetics could be ignored, so would the remaining teams product packaging leave the judges breathless or bored? Subliminal or not, all consumers make snap judgments based on first impressions. Brand loyalty is based on a number of factors, only one of which is how well the product functions. The remaining inventors all have products that work, so the next step was to make sure they looked great. The teams began their makeover competition by redesigning a local high school mascot, and they not only had to impress fashion expert Robert Verdi, but also a brutally honest high school student body! Finally, the teams took their own products to once again face the expert judges, and another tean went home heartbroken. Read the recap

EPISODE 104: DO PEOPLE LIKE IT?

PREMIERED FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
The experts have commented and tweaked all of the remaining products, but the only opinion that truly matters is that of the consumer. The four remaining teams faced this reality head-on when they went through a series of focus group tests. Their products may work and the look might be right within the vacuum of their inventors' lab, but how will the public respond? The teams processed the public's advice and then met with PR expert Rachel McCallister for some continued scrutiny. After the focus groups and the experts weighed in, the teams prepared for yet another pitch to the expert judges. One more team was sent home, but the other three teams earned a trip to the HSN Headquarters in Tampa, Florida! Read the recap

EPISODE 105: READY TO PITCH?

PREMIERED FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14 2005
Lights! Camera! Action! The final three teams went to Tampa, Florida to get ready for their close-up in front of the HSN cameras. They began their training with HSN on-air trainer Kathy Levine. Kathy trains all of HSN's on-air personalities, so her "boot camp" was the perfect training ground for the three remaining teams of inventors. Once their work with Kathy was through, the teams got some practical field experience under the watchful eye of HSN celebrity pitchwoman Patti LaBelle. Then, after all of the hard work, training, nerves, sweat, and tears, it was time to go in front of the camera and pitch their products to the nation. Finally, it was up to America to call in and vote for the one team who would win a one-year contract to sell their product on HSN. In a result revealed exclusively on usanetwork.com, Chris and Sammy, inventors of the Hydromax System, won the coveted grand prize and had their lives changed forever! Read the recap