Tonight was the first episode of HGTV's reality show called Design Star. As much as I love home shows, I can't say I normally watch many shows on HGTV because of their 'Better Homes & Gardens' aesthetic, but this is different: my friend Matt is a contestant on this season of Design Star. I went to Matt and Heith's place tonight to watch the first episode with some of their friends. It was fun, if not a little surreal. Having worked on the other side of shows/networks like this, its interesting and strange to see the experience from the view of a participant in the show. Matt is naturally restricted about what he can do or say about the show - and he was a little nervous himself, since he hasn't seen the shows before they air. Though most of his friends are, I'm not nervous for him. Once he was able to reveal where he had been (after disappearing on a mystery trip for several weeks), he told me the experience was a great one for him and that he got more than he could have imagined from it. So whether he has won it all or not, he's happy with it. Unfortunately he's sticking to the rules and not revealing anything. The most he did was check the shows website after the show (which the producers told them to ignore for the sake of their own sanity - even though they are allowed to). I have his table saw stored in my garage. I threatened to hold it hostage unless he tells me what happens, but even that isn't working.