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TV Media Weekly|September 15 - 21, 2012 tition,and each week the weakest player is eliminated.However, each episode of "Hot Set"is a stand-alone competition. As a result, producers have come up with a roster of experi- enced designers,much like the "Top Chef Masters"series has drawn on the talents of eminent professional chefs.Some of the contestants featured in the series have worked on iconic TV series, feature films and even in theater. The debut episode features production designers Abra Bray- man and Craig Pavilionis,who are asked to create a devastated alien landscape to be explored by an astronaut.They'll have just three days and $15,000 to make it hap- pen. Luckily,Brayman and Pavilio- nis will have some help as each "Hot Set"contestant gets two team members to help with the task. Not only that, the competi- tors will be able to draw from a well-stocked supply room and many Hollywood prop and set dressing houses. Future episodes will feature such industry veterans as Greg Arnowitz,who's worked on such TV series as "The X Files"and "Cold Case,"and Brandy Alexan- der,who was twice nominated for an Emmy for her work on "thir- tysomething."Roger Ambrose is well known for his work on hun- dreds of commercials,as well as the cult classic movie "Return of the Killer Tomatoes"(1988). Other contestants include Carlos Osorio ("24"),Charlotte Newman,Carol Clements,Tudor Boloni (MTV's "Teen Wolf") and Thomas Brown. In the film industry, a hot set is one that's ready for an imminent shoot, and it's an appropriate ti- tle for Syfy's new series since the fun doesn't stop at presenting the completed set. Once the de- signers finish creating their mas- terpieces, they'll have 30 min- utes to film a scene on the set, taking some of them out of their element. Saturday afternoon|5 (left to right) "Hot Set" host Ben Mankiewicz with judges Curt Beech, Lilly Kilvert and Barry Robison

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