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4|Saturday morning Feature this week By Kyla Brewer TV Media "American Idol" exploded into prime time,TV competition series T he Olympics may be over, but those with a thirst for competition have no shortage of TV options. Ever since ratings juggernaut have become all the rage, and it isn't just singers having all the fun these days.Prime time is now home to all kinds of competitors, from chefs ("Top Chef") to hair stylists ("Shear Genius") and even movie makeup artists ("Face Off"). Now, set designers are getting in on the act in "Hot Set,"pre- TV Media Weekly|September 15 - 21, 2012 miering Tuesday, Sept. 18,on Syfy. Each week,two Hollywood pro- duction designers and their tal- ented teams square off in a com- petition to create a film-quality movie set in just a few days on a limited budget. ries,and he's no stranger to the movie industry.Not only is he a radio and television personality in his own right, he's part of a Holly- wood dynasty that includes his grandfather Herman Mankiewicz, Ben Mankiewicz hosts the se- the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Citizen Kane" (1941). His grand- pa's other credits include "The Wizard of Oz"(1939) and "Pride of the Yankees" (1942). His great uncle Joseph Mankiewicz was also an Oscar winner thanks to his work on "A Letter to Three Wives" (1949) and "All About Eve" (1950). Mankiewicz's cousin Tom is a writer and director who worked on "Superman"(1978), "Superman II"(1980) and three James Bond movies. Many viewers likely recognize Ben Mankiewicz as a host on Turner Classic Movies.He also works as a talk radio host and film critic.Such experience makes him well qualified to guide the con- testants through some very chal- lenging tasks. Considering how much time and money goes into the movie industry these days, building a Hollywood-worthy set is no small feat. But "Hot Set"ups the ante even more by challenging the competitors to produce sets in- spired by the science fiction, hor- ror and fantasy genres.There won't be simple living room sets or offices in this reality TV series. These challenges will require some serious creativity,and the contestants will have just one shot to shine. Unlike a lot of simi- lar TV competition series,"Hot Set" features new designers each week.Other such shows tend to follow the same contestants through several rounds of compe-