Palmer Square is setting for pilot reality TV show
By: Olivia Tattory
Love, Princeton-style, is in the air and may soon be on the air.
"Welcome to the Family," a potential pilot for NBC, began filming Thursday in Palmer Square outside the Nassau Inn, profiling a local couple ready to move into the next phase of their relationship but facing cultural differences.
The couple were selected for the new romantic comedy-reality show in a nationwide search by Reveille, an independent production and distribution company.
The blending of families can be difficult for any couple, but the added frustration of different ethnic backgrounds can conjure up some serious laughs, said Executive Producer Greg Johnston.
Mr. Johnston, executive producer MTV’s "The Newlyweds," with celebrities Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey and VH1’s "The Osbournes," profiling Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath and his family, said the process to find the perfect couple for the show was a long one.
"We interviewed couples from across the country and were looking for a true love story," he said. "We wanted to be able to profile them taking the next step and overcoming the differences."
Unlike most reality shows on primetime television, "Welcome to the Family" will not feature celebrities, contests or competitions. Instead it will focus on two real people with a real story.
In any relationship, "time to meet the family", can be ridden with anxiety. In the world of TV reality shows, the meeting and potential culture clash between the families of each partner will become part of the action and, the producers hope, part of the comedy. "It’s going to be a great romantic hilarious comedy," said the producer, Ann Meek. "It’s a real love story and it already existed." She declined to reveal the name of the couple, citing the preliminary nature of the project.
In the days prior to production, the crew searched Princeton for couples to be used as extras during the Palmer Square scenes. Filming will continue for the next few weeks throughout Princeton. The large equipment and production set didn’t seem to phase the locals walking through town although a few onlookers could be seen from a distance.
"It’s absolutely beautiful here in Princeton," said Ms. Meek.