By Laura Acuff, Opinion Editor
ABC’s hit show Supernanny is bringing a casting call to Abilene from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Abilene Family Expo 2008 at the Abilene Civic Center.
The show features experienced, professional nanny Jo Frost as she helps families struggling to function with misbehaving children; casting director Johnnie Raines said producers will be searching for a variety of situations at the Abilene casting call.
While Raines said the demand for casting calls had been growing across the state, Abilene, specifically because of its college student and college-employed population, offers a unique pool of potential participants, including single or young mothers and professors.
“Everyone thinks [professors] are just so perfect,” Raines said. “But actually, maybe they teach just fine when it’s students, but when it comes to their own kids, maybe there are some challenges they could present to Supernanny, and maybe she could help them.”
While the number of families the show can accept is limited to the number of shows ABC orders, Raines said, there is a “really, really good chance” that at least one family will be chosen from the Abilene community.
“We get thousands of people who want Jo to come to their house across the country, so we have to be really certain that we’re making the right decision,” Raines said. “We’re looking for families who really want the help and are interested in making a positive change in their lives. And also, you know, we look for families who would be an inspiration to other families.”
Interested families may report in person for the casting call on Saturday. There, they will fill out an application explaining why they need the help of a Supernanny, chat with producers and take a picture.
“We’re really interested in talking with moms and dads about why they would like Jo Frost to come to their house,” Raines said. “It’s more of like a meet-andgreet than an audition.”
Families who want to avoid the in-person casting call can apply online or call the show’s hotline at 877-SUPERNANNY (877-626-6984).
“Sometimes moms and dads are a little busy, so they might not be able to make it on a Saturday,” Raines said. “Sometimes they’re just embarrassed, and they’d rather not go to a casting call where they might bump into the neighbors or friends or whatever, and they’d rather do it online in the privacy of their own living room. It just depends.”
Raines also said a certain stigma that might deter some applicants also accompanies the show, which by nature requires parents to admit shortcomings in childrearing skills.
“I think that it’s really courageous to ask for help, and the families who let the stigma get in their way – I hope that one day they will be courageous enough to say, ‘hey, I need some help with these problems,'” Raines said.
Unlike other reality shows like Fear Factor and The Biggest Loser, Supernanny is not meant to embarrass participants. “Unlike a lot of reality shows, Supernanny is really trying to affect positive change,” Raines said. “Jo Frost, she’s not just a TV show host. She really believes what she does. She’s a bestselling author and she’s become one of the leading childcare experts in our country. And it’s kind of like a catchphrase that we use, but she actually is America’s No. 1 nanny.”
