CASTING (#101)

EPISODE PREMIERE: September 14, 2005

50 teams of inventors from across the nation converged on Los Angeles for a once in a lifetime opportunity: the chance to win a one-year contract to sell their new invention on HSN! The stakes were high as the teams of two pitched their inventions to a distinguished and discriminating panel of judges:

• HSN's multimillion dollar sales queen Joy Mangano.
• Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell
• World-renowned industrial designer Karim Rashid

The judges were pitched a vast array of products, from the bizarre to the ingenious - visit the Invention Guidebook to see what they were. Ultimately, after a heartbreaking elimination, only 12 teams were left standing to continue in the competition.

The lucky 12 teams celebrated and bonded over dinner, only to learn that the next day they would face another daunting task: one member of each team must pitch a mystery project in front of a camera. Afterwards, the judges would deliberate again and then send six teams onto the next phase of the competition.

Back in the studio, the nervous teams were surprised to discover the object was... a banana! Each team member was given 90 seconds to pitch the popular piece of fruit, and some choked while others sold their hearts out. A great salesperson can sell ANYTHING, and this task tested just that.

After the banana pitches, the three judges entered a lengthy deliberation process to determine which teams would make it to the final six. The 12 anxious teams entered the elimination area, where the judges revealed the six teams of inventors who would continue in the competition:

1. Quintana Kemp and Jessica Prasse - Quintana Karena Interchangeable Shoe
2. Alexi Padilla and Sara Dishman - Advanced Non-Chemical Highlights
3. Chris Spenser and Sammy Davis - Hydromax System
4. Landon Worthington and Marvin Dinovitz - Gorilla Gripper
5. Joe and Lisa Byles - Instant Waterfalls
6. Justin Marty and Josh Pace - Quad Zipper

These six teams are now about to go all-out for the grand prize - but only one will be Made in the USA!