Informercial Pitchman Billy Mays gets his own reality show! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 01-08-2009, 07:53 PM

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...870d813a602fe4

First is "But Wait ... There's More" from executive producer Beers, which follows longform ad salesmen Billy Mays and Anthony "Sully" Sullivan as they evaluate quirky new products, craft pitches and take to the airwaves to push the goods.

The entrepreneurial advertising-age setting marks a departure for Discovery and Beers, the latter best known for his gritty, naturalistic series such as the network's top-rated "Deadliest" and History's "Ice Road Truckers." Discovery has ordered 13 episodes of the show and plans to premiere it in the spring.

robyrob · 01-08-2009, 08:09 PM

they should give him a game show where contestants try to RESIST his overpowering sales pitch and see how long they can hold out and not BUY IT NOW

catlover79 · 01-08-2009, 09:10 PM

Just when you thought reality TV couldn't get more annoying...

Zoneboy · 01-08-2009, 09:36 PM

Brian Damage · 01-08-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

^

catlover79 · 01-08-2009, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Jude The Obscure · 01-08-2009, 10:05 PM

As usual, Charles delivers a winner!

catlover79 · 01-08-2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

As usual, Charles delivers a winner!

As Mikado would say, "YUP YUP YUP"!!!

Zoneboy · 01-09-2009, 03:39 AM

Link

As seen on TV, Billy Mays is louder than life.

That might explain his meteoric rise to fame -- or infamy -- as arguably the nation's most prolific pitchman.

"Life's a pitch, and then you buy," said Mays, 50, a McKees Rocks native who's back in Pittsburgh this week visiting family.

In reality, Mays is a soft-spoken family man best known for his boisterous delivery and trademark blue button-down shirt, khaki pants, slicked-back hair and perfectly coiffed beard.

During the past 11 years, Mays has sold more than 30 products from cleaning supplies to health insurance. Using products he pushes, he's repaired a parachute in seconds, pulled an 80,000-pound tractor trailer and cleaned the dirtiest of bathtubs.

Along with adult dating hotlines and televangelists, he's become a staple of late-night television.

But Mays doesn't invent the products he peddles -- he simply lends his face to them.

After graduating from Sto-Rox High School, he started hawking items on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, learning from more-experienced salesmen who took him under their wings.

"I was there as an apprentice," Mays said. "If you can make it in Atlantic City, you can make it anywhere in the world."

He cut his teeth selling Ginsu knives, mops, chamois cloths and cheese graters, eventually learning the tricks of the trade.

"(The other salesmen) saw potential in me and gave me a shot," he said. "They gave me that gift, and the longer I stayed there, the more I learned. They told me what I was doing wrong, told me it's not just about the product. I pitch today with that in mind."

It was at the Pittsburgh Home Show in the early 1990s that Mays met the man who'd give him his biggest break.

Hours into hawking their products, the salesman wore down. Mays, still going strong, lent the man a spare microphone and helped him through the afternoon. A few years later, the man offered Mays a job selling Orange Glo on the Home Shopping Network, launching him as a national pitchman.

But wait -- there's more!

Mays recently began appearing in TV ads for ESPN360.com broadband service and was seen this weekend at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. This spring, he will star in the Discovery Channel reality series, "Pitchman: Gadgets to Glory."

"I am the last pitchman trained on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, and I'm proud of it," Mays said. "I take it with a lot of pride and with a lot of honor."

"Hi, Billy Mays here..." to answer some of your most burning questions:

Being from McKees Rocks, do you like pierogies?

"Yes, potato pierogies, but I like Halushki the best."

Is your beard really that dark?

"Actually, it's salt and pepper. I wish it was all black or all gray, but I get patches and it looks kind of weird on television. So I dye it."

What's with wearing the same clothes in every commercial?

"Continuity. It's my trademark."

Do you actually use any of your own products?

"Yes, we use them all. My wife uses OxiClean on all of our laundry."

Do you ever buy anything on television?

"All the time."

What's your favorite product you've pitched?

"OxiClean. It jump-started my career. It got me to where I am today."

The ShamWow guy is getting a lot of play lately. Are you afraid of the competition?

"Please. He's a one-hit wonder. He took a shot at the title but can't compete."

(Years ago Mays pitched a similar product, Zorbeez, which is launching a new campaign in response to ShamWow.)

Brian Damage · 03-27-2009, 11:24 PM

The guys behind Mighty Putty, the Big City Slider Station, the Swivel Sweeper and the FoodSaver now have their own Thom Beers-produced reality show, and it's not an infomercial.
Discovery is set to bow the 13-part series "Pitchmen" on April 15. It will feature infomercial mavens Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan taking "miracle-product" pitches from inventors all over the world.

Series is produced by Original Prods., with Beers, Mays, Sullivan, Philip D. Segal and Chris Wilson serving as exec producers. Chris Rantamaki will handle exec producing duties for Discovery.

Meanwhile, Discovery also commissioned Darlow Smithson Prods. and IMG Media to produce a three-part documentary on the wonders of the cosmos featuring physicist Stephen Hawking.

"Stephen Hawking's Universe" will use a combination of CGI, live action and archival footage to reveal the phenomena of the universe.

Project is set to bow on Discovery's channels worldwide starting early next year.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=14&cs=1

80sTrivia · 03-28-2009, 06:40 AM

I'm sure Billy will be SHOUTING his way through the series!

I always have to turn the sound down on the television whenever one of his annoying commercials is on the air!

Speaking of annoying infomercials, has anyone seen MadTV's hilarious send-up? Too funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfQCje-aUck

catlover79 · 03-28-2009, 10:59 AM

^ That's beautiful.

robyrob · 03-28-2009, 11:05 AM

i hear he is going to be doing all of his own stunts on the show too

kev501 · 04-21-2009, 06:40 PM

Name: ATV_320x140.jpg
Views: 59
Size: 24.5 KB

Coming Wednesday at 9p ET on CNBC... It slices! It dices. But wait... there's more! Watch the all-new CNBC Original, "As Seen on TV" as Darren Rovell goes inside the $150-billion infomercial industry with an all-access look at the most successful direct response products and pitchmen. From the “ShamWow!” to the “Snuggie” products have demanded you buy NOW! See how this industry is thriving - even profiting! - in this down economy. "As Seen on TV” premieres Wednesday at 9P ET│10P PT on CNBC.

See slideshow featuring some of the most popular products and pitchmen: http://www.cnbc.com/id/30190654?slide=2

For more on the show visit http://www.asseenontv.cnbc.com/

catlover79 · 04-21-2009, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robyrob

i hear he is going to be doing all of his own stunts on the show too

Good luck trying to get someone to insure the show.

01-08-2009, 07:53 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Informercial Pitchman Billy Mays gets his own reality show! http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...870d813a602fe4 First is "But Wait ... There's More" from executive producer Beers, which follows longform ad salesmen Billy Mays and Anthony "Sully" Sullivan as they evaluate quirky new products, craft pitches and take to the airwaves to push the goods. The entrepreneurial advertising-age setting marks a departure for Discovery and Beers, the latter best known for his gritty, naturalistic series such as the network's top-rated "Deadliest" and History's "Ice Road Truckers." Discovery has ordered 13 episodes of the show and plans to premiere it in the spring.
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

01-08-2009, 08:09 PM	#2
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,200	they should give him a game show where contestants try to RESIST his overpowering sales pitch and see how long they can hold out and not BUY IT NOW
	__________________ * firefox * AdAware * HiJackThis * CoolWebShredder * Spybot * SpywareBlaster * Spyware Terminator * * GeeksToGo * AntiVir * Avast antivirus * Housecall Online * Sysinternals Security Utilities * * ZoneAlarm * Agnitum-firewall * Comodo Firewall * AVG Anti-Rootkit * RootkitRevealer * ParasiteCheck * * Annoyances * FreeCodecs * Mikes-Hosts-File * GRC.com * MSAntispyware * DVD's * TradeList * myspace *

01-08-2009, 09:10 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Just when you thought reality TV couldn't get more annoying...
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

01-09-2009, 03:39 AM	#9
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,419	'Life's a Pitch' for McKees Rocks Native Billy Mays Link As seen on TV, Billy Mays is louder than life. That might explain his meteoric rise to fame -- or infamy -- as arguably the nation's most prolific pitchman. "Life's a pitch, and then you buy," said Mays, 50, a McKees Rocks native who's back in Pittsburgh this week visiting family. In reality, Mays is a soft-spoken family man best known for his boisterous delivery and trademark blue button-down shirt, khaki pants, slicked-back hair and perfectly coiffed beard. During the past 11 years, Mays has sold more than 30 products from cleaning supplies to health insurance. Using products he pushes, he's repaired a parachute in seconds, pulled an 80,000-pound tractor trailer and cleaned the dirtiest of bathtubs. Along with adult dating hotlines and televangelists, he's become a staple of late-night television. But Mays doesn't invent the products he peddles -- he simply lends his face to them. After graduating from Sto-Rox High School, he started hawking items on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, learning from more-experienced salesmen who took him under their wings. "I was there as an apprentice," Mays said. "If you can make it in Atlantic City, you can make it anywhere in the world." He cut his teeth selling Ginsu knives, mops, chamois cloths and cheese graters, eventually learning the tricks of the trade. "(The other salesmen) saw potential in me and gave me a shot," he said. "They gave me that gift, and the longer I stayed there, the more I learned. They told me what I was doing wrong, told me it's not just about the product. I pitch today with that in mind." It was at the Pittsburgh Home Show in the early 1990s that Mays met the man who'd give him his biggest break. Hours into hawking their products, the salesman wore down. Mays, still going strong, lent the man a spare microphone and helped him through the afternoon. A few years later, the man offered Mays a job selling Orange Glo on the Home Shopping Network, launching him as a national pitchman. But wait -- there's more! Mays recently began appearing in TV ads for ESPN360.com broadband service and was seen this weekend at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. This spring, he will star in the Discovery Channel reality series, "Pitchman: Gadgets to Glory." "I am the last pitchman trained on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, and I'm proud of it," Mays said. "I take it with a lot of pride and with a lot of honor." "Hi, Billy Mays here..." to answer some of your most burning questions: Being from McKees Rocks, do you like pierogies? "Yes, potato pierogies, but I like Halushki the best." Is your beard really that dark? "Actually, it's salt and pepper. I wish it was all black or all gray, but I get patches and it looks kind of weird on television. So I dye it." What's with wearing the same clothes in every commercial? "Continuity. It's my trademark." Do you actually use any of your own products? "Yes, we use them all. My wife uses OxiClean on all of our laundry." Do you ever buy anything on television? "All the time." What's your favorite product you've pitched? "OxiClean. It jump-started my career. It got me to where I am today." The ShamWow guy is getting a lot of play lately. Are you afraid of the competition? "Please. He's a one-hit wonder. He took a shot at the title but can't compete." (Years ago Mays pitched a similar product, Zorbeez, which is launching a new campaign in response to ShamWow.)

03-27-2009, 11:24 PM	#10
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Discovery falls for 'Pitchmen' The guys behind Mighty Putty, the Big City Slider Station, the Swivel Sweeper and the FoodSaver now have their own Thom Beers-produced reality show, and it's not an infomercial. Discovery is set to bow the 13-part series "Pitchmen" on April 15. It will feature infomercial mavens Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan taking "miracle-product" pitches from inventors all over the world. Series is produced by Original Prods., with Beers, Mays, Sullivan, Philip D. Segal and Chris Wilson serving as exec producers. Chris Rantamaki will handle exec producing duties for Discovery. Meanwhile, Discovery also commissioned Darlow Smithson Prods. and IMG Media to produce a three-part documentary on the wonders of the cosmos featuring physicist Stephen Hawking. "Stephen Hawking's Universe" will use a combination of CGI, live action and archival footage to reveal the phenomena of the universe. Project is set to bow on Discovery's channels worldwide starting early next year. http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=14&cs=1

01-08-2009, 09:36 PM	#4
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,419

01-08-2009, 10:05 PM	#7
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	As usual, Charles delivers a winner!

03-28-2009, 06:40 AM	#11
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,714	I'm sure Billy will be SHOUTING his way through the series! I always have to turn the sound down on the television whenever one of his annoying commercials is on the air! Speaking of annoying infomercials, has anyone seen MadTV's hilarious send-up? Too funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfQCje-aUck
	__________________ Perfect Gift Books for Pop Culture Fanatics: Thank You for Being a Friend: A Golden Girls Trivia Book The Bouquet Residence: A Keeping Up Appearances Trivia Book Cooking With the Golden Girls: Fun & Delicious Recipes from a Hilarious Miami Kitchen Love in the Afternoon: The Ultimate Soap Opera Trivia Book The Last Great Decade: The Ultimate 90s Trivia Book Betty White: A Celebration

03-28-2009, 10:59 AM	#12
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	^ That's beautiful.

03-28-2009, 11:05 AM	#13
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,200	i hear he is going to be doing all of his own stunts on the show too

04-21-2009, 06:40 PM	#14
kev501 Member First Time Poster Join Date: Apr 21, 2009 Posts: 1	CNBC Original “As Seen on TV” Coming Wednesday at 9p ET on CNBC... It slices! It dices. But wait... there's more! Watch the all-new CNBC Original, "As Seen on TV" as Darren Rovell goes inside the $150-billion infomercial industry with an all-access look at the most successful direct response products and pitchmen. From the “ShamWow!” to the “Snuggie” products have demanded you buy NOW! See how this industry is thriving - even profiting! - in this down economy. "As Seen on TV” premieres Wednesday at 9P ET│10P PT on CNBC. See slideshow featuring some of the most popular products and pitchmen: http://www.cnbc.com/id/30190654?slide=2 For more on the show visit http://www.asseenontv.cnbc.com/