2/15/07

Guess who’s coming to town? Will HGTV make your home a star?
By Cathy Gilbert

Submitted Photo
Look familiar? Mike Siegel is the host of HGTV’s “If Walls Could Talk” and the show could be coming to Manning in the coming months.

It’s not often that Manning or Clarendon County receives national television exposure, except for Police Chief Randy Garrett heroically pushing a fugitive off a burning  gas pump. While we are all certainly proud of Chief Garrett, it would be nice to tell the rest of the world some of the fascinating things that abound in our area.

“If Walls Could Talk” the weekly series seen Sundays on HGTV, is planning to come to Manning and surrounding areas to film homes with intriguing pasts and unusual stories. Now in production on its eighth season, the series kicks off with new homeowners who make surprising historical discoveries about their homes as they explore and restore them.  

“We are primarily interested in homeowners who have actually found artifacts or items in their home that relate to the history of the house,” sai Keri Grogan, research/casting director for the show. “A lucky few will be amazed to learn that the historic artifacts they’ve discovered are worth a fortune when the ‘If Walls Could Talk’ appraiser drops by for a look.”

Each half-hour episode features homeowners from across the country who share their amazing discoveries.  Recent stories include:

• A Connecticut family who moved into a neglected 1800s Victorian only to find antiques and a mysterious locked cabinet. What they find inside told the touching story of their home’s original owner. Then, in the attic they discovered original paintings and the “If Walls Could Talk” appraiser paid them a visit. The expert revealed their discoveries were worth thousands of dollars.

• A husband and wife turned a turn of the century bank into their dream home. In the process they found the original bank vault full of safety deposit boxes that were still locked!

• A New York bachelor bought a hundred-year-old mansion and made a chilling discovery in the basement— his home sweet home used to be a funeral home!

The series, which premiered in September of 1998, has aired over 200 episodes –each filmed in historic neighborhoods throughout the country.

Mike Siegel hosts the show, produced for HGTV by High Noon Entertainment in Denver, Colorado.
Siegel is a professional stand-up comedian, host and actor. He can be seen nationally every week as host of “What You Get For the Money” on the Fine Living Channel, as well as “The Movie Break” on TBS. But his TV appearances hardly stop there.

He has performed stand-up on numerous television shows, including “Late Friday” (NBC), “Comedy Showcase with Louie Anderson” (NBC), “Stand-up, Stand-up” (Comedy Central), and “Friday Night” (NBC).

Siegel has also been seen on the small screen as an actor. He was a recurring guest star on the CBS drama “JAG”, and had supporting roles in such shows as “24” (FOX), “Less Than Perfect” (ABC).

Siegel made his transition to movies with a bang by landing a role in the highly acclaimed Steven Soderbergh drama Traffic, starring Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

When not plying his trade, Mike enjoys foreign travel, good food, good wine, and playing just about every sport. A Chicago native now based in Los Angeles, Mike continues to support all his Chicago teams – no matter how painful that may be at times.

Homeowners who would like to be considered for the program should contact Keri Grogan at (303) 712-3302 or email at kgrogan@highnoonentertainment.com.