Proposed reality show on Civil War draws crowd in Gettysburg

ledger-enq ^ | Nov. 21, 2004

[stainlessbanner]

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - A weekend casting call for a proposed reality TV show based on the Civil War drew potential contestants hoping for the grand prize: $1 million in gold.

Producer Kevin Dolan is shopping around "Sabers and Roses" and said he is hopeful of landing a network deal. Dolan owns the historic Landon House in Maryland, where real-life Confederate Gen. Jeb Stuart hosted his "Sabers and Roses" ball in 1862 before the battle of Antietam.

Dolan would host the show in the guise of his alter ego, "Johnny Reb." Contestants would be divided into Yankee and Rebel teams; each contestant would take on a role and have to fulfill increasingly difficult challenges while staying in character.

"I'm confident taking on big projects," Dolan said. "I've had a really good response to this. People are really passionate about the Civil War, and reality TV is really hot. There is an untapped mainstream market."

Saturday's casting call drew actors, Civil War re-enactors and those simply in it for the prize money.

"I've never shot a gun or a cannon, so I think that would be awesome," said Sarah Nance, 20, of Mount Airy, Md.

Dolan would like to premiere the series on April 9, the 140th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. The series would shoot in Texas, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York, and would conclude in July in Gettysburg during the annual re-enactment there.

Dolan is working on a pilot culled from 50 hours already shot in Texas.

[stainlessbanner]

Hey Ya'll - anyone on the show?!

D-I-X-I-E ping
< to get on / off dixie list send freepmail >

[Tulsa Brian]

We can use liberals as cannon fodder...

[CatoRenasci]

Can we arrest the entire mainstream media as Copperheads and have the character playing Lincoln suspend habeus corpus for the duration of the War? Sounds good to me....

[wideawake]

Contestants would be divided into Yankee and Rebel teams; each contestant would take on a role and have to fulfill increasingly difficult challenges while staying in character.

This is painfully vague.

[stuartcr]

How can you have a 'reality show', about something that happened in the past??

[rabidralph]

Someone should get Carole Simpson to do a story on it.

[Rebelbase]

Ungh.

[Tax-chick]

Glarb. This doesn't seem like that great an idea to me ...

[lentulusgracchus]

This is painfully vague.

It's also vaguely painful.

Reality shows -- ugh. Tugs of war in slime, eating worms and letting those big Madagascar hissing roaches crawl on you.

[ARCADIA]

Contestants would be divided into Yankee and Rebel teams; each contestant would take on a role and have to fulfill increasingly difficult challenges while staying in character.

A reality show about pretending.....Next! (better yet, it's time to drop in another I Love Lucy DVD)

[DocH]

Hope "WE" win this time y'all.

[stainlessbanner]

Contestants can expect a surprise visit from the Wlat Brigade.

[Lee Heggy]

"I've never shot a gun or a cannon, so I think that would be awesome," said Sarah Nance, 20, of Mount Airy, Md.

Well I have Sarah and if you don't know what your doing and haven't drilled the proper proceedures you will get hurt, 'awesomely' hurt. This sounds like a real bad idea.

[TexConfederate1861]

Yes, but do they get to SHOOT at the Brigade....:)

[stainlessbanner]

Drilling should be one of the competitions. Drill for 80 days consuming only hardtack, bacon, and campfire coffee. March 300 miles with no shoes in the freezing cold.

Sounds like fun.

[4CJ]

Wonder if Wlat is jockying for a position?

[TexConfederate1861]

Wlat can play Lincoln....I will play Booth! :)
Or he can play Joshua Reynolds....I will play the Sharpshooter :)

[4CJ]

No fair - you get all the good roles ;o)

[Lee Heggy]

Yeah, you got it right. Throw in extra points for those lucky enough to get trench foot or dysentry. I rennact it. I have no desire to relive it.