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American Idol for the outdoors
Belleville News-Democrat
BY ROD KLOECKNER
June 29, 2006 Neither one of our spouses hunt at all Reality television could turn two local teachers and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates into mini-celebrities in the hunting world.
Kyle Lamore and J.J. Kolesar were chosen in the fall to appear on the reality-based hunting show 'Dream Season.' The show, which appears on The Outdoor Channel, premiered Tuesday. New episodes will air every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and conclude on Sept. 19, when the winning team is crowned.
Lamore, 29, teaches science at Gillespie Middle School. Kolesar, 28, teaches science and social studies at Staunton Junior High. They were chosen from hundreds of applicants to represent Team Illinois.
They are one of five teams competing for a chance to win over $50,000 in cash and prizes and the opportunity to become a pro-staff member of Drury Outdoors, which produces the show.
Lamore -- who attended a premier party with Kolesar and about 60 family members and friends at R.J.'s Restaurant in Staunton on Tuesday -- doesn't expect instant celebrity status.
'We're only going to be shown for about seven or eight minutes every week,' Lamore said. 'If we're walking down the street, 99 percent of America still doesn't know who you are because they don't know anything about this hunting stuff.
'In the big spectrum, we're just another Joe Schmo.'
That includes both of their households.
'Neither one of our spouses hunt at all,' Lamore said. 'They're not real interested in it. When we got selected, I was telling my wife and J.J. was telling his, and they're like 'You bunch of dorks.' They were happy for us, but honestly, they could care less.'
American Idol for the outdoors
The premise of the show has the five two-person teams competing against one another for the duration of the deer season, from the first hunt on Oct. 1 to the last on Jan. 30.
Drury Outdoors arranged three group deer hunts at outfitters in northern Missouri, Oklahoma and Mississippi. A group turkey hunt also was staged at the same outfitter in northern Missouri.
The rest of the footage is shot by the teams as they film themselves hunting on their home turf. For Lamore and Kolesar, that would be timber near Staunton and Litchfield in Macoupin County.
The number of deer killed is not a primary factor in determining the winner. Mark and Terry Drury, the show's producers, will select one of the amateur teams to join their pro-staff team, which means they would be featured in the company's hunting videos.
Viewer votes determine which team wins the grand prize package, which includes cash, hunting trips, hunting gear and other goodies.
'The audience is expected to vote on whatever merits they perceive as being important,' said Aaron Crozier, editor of the 'Dream Season.' 'When those four group hunts are going on, they're kind of living and interacting together. We have some individual competitions between the teams head-to-head, but primarily, they're filming their own deer season.
'The audience member at home watches and if they think a certain team doesn't know what they are doing in the woods, or they don't like such and such's personality ... we really have kind of left the criteria open-ended.'
Viewers are asked to vote online at www.druryoutdoors.com.
'A lot of times, viewer votes are more about their personality, how well they come across on camera,' Lamore said. 'It's kind of like an American Idol spin on an outdoors show.'
The other four teams are Team Kentucky, Team Minnesota, Team Pennsylvania and Team Texas. Crozier said a story arc will be the friction that developed between Team Illinois and Team Pennsylvania.
Representing the Land of Lincoln
This is the third edition of 'Dream Season' but the first time a team from Illinois was chosen.
'That's kind of what we were hoping for,' Lamore said. 'Illinois is known for its deer, and it kind of shocked me that no Illinois guys have been on there.'
Lamore met Kolesar five years ago through teaching circles, both are 1999 graduates of SIUE. Both shared the same passion for hunting and soon became partners.
They watched the first two 'Dream Seasons' and decided to apply, creating a 15-minute application DVD of their previous hunting seasons.
'We took our film, put it all on the computer and did all of the editing,' Lamore said. 'We've always watched the show, but never really thought we could do that. It worked out.'
Lamore thinks he and his partner have a good shot at winning the competition.
'I know we are definitely more than in the running,' Lamore said. 'I'm comfortable with where we are. We definitely have a very good chance, but we sure could use a little help, too.'
Contact reporter Rod Kloeckner at [email protected] or 239-2663.
Belleville News-Democrat
BY ROD KLOECKNER
June 29, 2006 Neither one of our spouses hunt at all Reality television could turn two local teachers and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates into mini-celebrities in the hunting world.
Kyle Lamore and J.J. Kolesar were chosen in the fall to appear on the reality-based hunting show 'Dream Season.' The show, which appears on The Outdoor Channel, premiered Tuesday. New episodes will air every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and conclude on Sept. 19, when the winning team is crowned.
Lamore, 29, teaches science at Gillespie Middle School. Kolesar, 28, teaches science and social studies at Staunton Junior High. They were chosen from hundreds of applicants to represent Team Illinois.
They are one of five teams competing for a chance to win over $50,000 in cash and prizes and the opportunity to become a pro-staff member of Drury Outdoors, which produces the show.
Lamore -- who attended a premier party with Kolesar and about 60 family members and friends at R.J.'s Restaurant in Staunton on Tuesday -- doesn't expect instant celebrity status.
'We're only going to be shown for about seven or eight minutes every week,' Lamore said. 'If we're walking down the street, 99 percent of America still doesn't know who you are because they don't know anything about this hunting stuff.
'In the big spectrum, we're just another Joe Schmo.'
That includes both of their households.
'Neither one of our spouses hunt at all,' Lamore said. 'They're not real interested in it. When we got selected, I was telling my wife and J.J. was telling his, and they're like 'You bunch of dorks.' They were happy for us, but honestly, they could care less.'
American Idol for the outdoors
The premise of the show has the five two-person teams competing against one another for the duration of the deer season, from the first hunt on Oct. 1 to the last on Jan. 30.
Drury Outdoors arranged three group deer hunts at outfitters in northern Missouri, Oklahoma and Mississippi. A group turkey hunt also was staged at the same outfitter in northern Missouri.
The rest of the footage is shot by the teams as they film themselves hunting on their home turf. For Lamore and Kolesar, that would be timber near Staunton and Litchfield in Macoupin County.
The number of deer killed is not a primary factor in determining the winner. Mark and Terry Drury, the show's producers, will select one of the amateur teams to join their pro-staff team, which means they would be featured in the company's hunting videos.
Viewer votes determine which team wins the grand prize package, which includes cash, hunting trips, hunting gear and other goodies.
'The audience is expected to vote on whatever merits they perceive as being important,' said Aaron Crozier, editor of the 'Dream Season.' 'When those four group hunts are going on, they're kind of living and interacting together. We have some individual competitions between the teams head-to-head, but primarily, they're filming their own deer season.
'The audience member at home watches and if they think a certain team doesn't know what they are doing in the woods, or they don't like such and such's personality ... we really have kind of left the criteria open-ended.'
Viewers are asked to vote online at www.druryoutdoors.com.
'A lot of times, viewer votes are more about their personality, how well they come across on camera,' Lamore said. 'It's kind of like an American Idol spin on an outdoors show.'
The other four teams are Team Kentucky, Team Minnesota, Team Pennsylvania and Team Texas. Crozier said a story arc will be the friction that developed between Team Illinois and Team Pennsylvania.
Representing the Land of Lincoln
This is the third edition of 'Dream Season' but the first time a team from Illinois was chosen.
'That's kind of what we were hoping for,' Lamore said. 'Illinois is known for its deer, and it kind of shocked me that no Illinois guys have been on there.'
Lamore met Kolesar five years ago through teaching circles, both are 1999 graduates of SIUE. Both shared the same passion for hunting and soon became partners.
They watched the first two 'Dream Seasons' and decided to apply, creating a 15-minute application DVD of their previous hunting seasons.
'We took our film, put it all on the computer and did all of the editing,' Lamore said. 'We've always watched the show, but never really thought we could do that. It worked out.'
Lamore thinks he and his partner have a good shot at winning the competition.
'I know we are definitely more than in the running,' Lamore said. 'I'm comfortable with where we are. We definitely have a very good chance, but we sure could use a little help, too.'
Contact reporter Rod Kloeckner at [email protected] or 239-2663.
