My Friends Have Their Own Reality Show! Starts Tonight!

We all want good things to happen for our friends, right?

Of course we do, and I'm no different.

Well, I have a couple of friends who now have their own reality show, and I want to share a little about them.

Meet Frank and Kim Belcastro and their kids, Emma and Adam.

Frank and I worked together while I was a designer on the Carter Can show. Frank was our construction supervisor. He started with Carter on Trading Spaces and took him under his wing and taught him the ins and outs of construction, and when Carter got his own show, Frank was a part of the deal. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

In fact, Frank taught us all a lot of things.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and always will.

I had to work directly with Frank and the construction crew on a daily basis, and Frank never once treated me like I was 'the girl' on the crew. He tried his best to explain things to me thoroughly so that I would understand them the way he did. He never told me "we can't do that" without explaining to me WHY we couldn't. He taught me alot about patience and working with your circumstances too.

ALL of the construction you see on all of the Carter Can shows has been built by Frank and his team.

(I won't give any behind the scenes secrets (HGTV just hates when I do that!), but let's just say, you can take my word for it - Frank and the crew are the ones who do the work.)

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I always thought that Frank deserved his own show..................I just had no idea it would be the KIND of show it is. I can't wait to see it!

The show is called Apocolypse, PA, and it airs on The History Channel tonight.

PLEASE, I'm pleading with you to tune in and give it a chance.

Now, I know Frank to be a sane and civil man who is highly intelligent. He is a man who loves his family and adores his wife of many years, Kim, who is a school teacher with the sweetest disposition of anyone you'd ever hope to meet. They are a fun and funny couple, and they are dedicated to their kids and teaching them to be self-sufficient.

I want to get that out of the way because, if you've ever been behind the scenes in tv you know that what you think may be going great may get to post edit and become something totally different. You can do a fantastic job on something and post edit can make you look like a wack job if they want to. (If you ever get a chance to do tv, be sure to make great friends with the cutiing room floor editors!)

I'm hoping that post edit has done good by the Belcastros. They sure deserve it. If they haven't, just remember that you heard it here - they are a sane family!! :)

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The deal is that The History Channel will air 2 shows and based on their viewership and feedback, they will decide whether to go forward with more episodes.

PLEASE, PLEASE, I beg you to watch it tonight. Their success depends on it.

What's the show about?

Here's what THC has to say about it:

" Master carpenter and History buff Frank Bellacastro knows that the world isn't ending anytime soon-- but just in case, he wants to be ready. A believer in the spirit of self reliance that made America great, Frank's wants his family to become self sufficient, whether they like it or not. From building wood burning cars to making stills and gunpowder, the Bellacastros are 21'st century pioneers, much to the amusement of their neighbors. "

Reading this, I just hope they really convey the family's fun loving personality, and don't make them out to be something they aren't.

Here's something else I found online:

A Nazareth man who thinks society is too reliant on technology and has a life-long desire to live a self-sufficient lifestyle is the subject of The History Channel’s new Apocolypse, PA.

And another:

A reality series following a father who teaches his family self-reliance by making things by hand instead of using modern conveniences.

There are two episodes back to back tonight, and here is the information THC gives for each:

1st epsiode: Fired Up

The Belcastro family sets out on a quest to prove they can become self-sufficient. Frank and son Adam attempt to build a truck that runs solely on burning wood. They encounter many roadblocks and are down in the dumps at the failed attempts to get the truck running. Frank suggests that a switch to an "alternative" source of energy produced daily from the backside of the family horse may be needed. Are the boys moving in the right direction or will their plans blow-up in their face? Meanwhile, Kim and daughter Emma purchase a goat and her kid in order to obtain milk in case of a food shortage. The mother goat is not exactly willing to give up the goods. Do Kim and Emma enjoy the sweet taste of success, or do they wind up crying over spilt milk?

2nd Episode: Handguns and Hooch

Frank believes it's time for the family to learn how to protect themselves. So the guys hop in the truck they built which runs on horse manure and head into town to purchase a gun for Adam from Dixon's Muzzleloading shop. Owner Greg Dixon shows them an 1850 Colt revolver, which they fall in love with immediately. Even more enticing to Frank is the fact that in order for the gun to work they will need to learn how to create their own gunpowder and cast their own ammunition. Meanwhile, Adam's 21st birthday is quickly approaching and Frank is looking forward to sharing a drink with his son. However, Frank does not plan on simply buying Adam's drink. Instead he is going to build a backyard still and produce the whiskey himself. Not only will this help bring in his 21st in a fashion only Frank could think up, if they have to, the hooch is perfect barter if there's a financial collapse. This causes Kim and Emma to express concern that Adam's first legal drink will not be very legal.

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Please join me tonight in front of the tv!

Congratualtions Frank and Kim!!