or


[07/19/07 - 07:42 PM]
American Inventor Announces the Six Finalists to Compete for the Million-Dollar Grand Prize
The Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Houston and Tampa winners will now all compete in a two-hour special on Wednesday, July 25.

[via press release from ABC]

"AMERICAN INVENTOR" ANNOUNCES THE SIX FINALISTS TO COMPETE FOR THE MILLION-DOLLAR GRAND PRIZE

On last night's exciting episode of "American Inventor," the show's expert panel of judges named the last two finalists, who now join the previously announced four finalists to vie for the million-dollar grand prize and the chance to become the next great American Inventor. National casting calls were held in six major cities across the country -- Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Houston and Tampa. Thousands of inventors, tinkerers and entrepreneurs of all ages applied.

Using the criteria of innovation, mass appeal, marketability and passion, the judges selected one winner from each city to receive $50,000, a ticket to Los Angeles, and one month to perfect their invention with the dream of seeing their product on shelves across the country and winning the one million dollar grand prize. Following is a rundown of the six finalists:

� Los Angeles Winner:

Ricky DeRennaux, a school teacher from Oklahoma, describes his Custom Build Racers invention as, "The design and fabrication of custom vehicles through the use of computers and patented tools. Intended for use by individuals and groups ages 13 and up for entertainment and educational purposes, my invention is a kit that lets teens design, engineer and build remote controlled vehicles."

� San Francisco Winner:

Gregg Chavez, a firefighter from Camarillo, California, describes his Guardian Angel invention as, "A small, pressurized tank of water, disguised as a Christmas package, that is placed under the Christmas tree and attached to a small hose leading to the top of the tree, where a fusible link is disguised as an angel. The heat from a fire pops the link and water suppresses the fire. There is also an alarm that works without a battery�intended to suppress (not fully extinguish) a Christmas tree fire and sound an alarm to get people out of the house alive."

� Chicago Winner:

Elaine Cato, a realtor from Tennessee, describes her 6-in-1 Convertible Brassiere invention as, "A convertible brassiere that accommodates the full wardrobe of small frame women with a "C" cup or above. This is a traditional brassiere that converts into six configurations and affords the full back to be exposed with comfort because there is no mid-section and it can be worn with full wardrobe."

� New York Winner:

David Moeller & Craig Forest, a team of two former Georgia Tech University buddies who now attend MIT grad-school and Harvard Business Graduate School, respectively, describe their invention they call The Claw as, "A ceiling or wall-mounted bicycle storage mechanism. Any cyclist who is frustrated with a lack of secure, simple, elegant storage options would use our invention. The bicycle wheel is grasped by opposing hooks when the central plunger is depressed. Re-pressing the central plunger opens and locks the hooks for bicycle wheel removal. The bi-stable plunger relies on an internal rotary mechanism."

� Houston Winner:

Joseph & Mike Miller, two brothers from Missouri � one an engineer, one retired � describe their Wrap-a-Way Cabinet/Gift Wrapper invention as, "A gift wrapping station for storing/organizing gift-wrapping paper that provides a method for scissor-less cutting with a safety cutter while holding a tape dispenser for hands-free taping and dispensing. 1) Kitchen Cabinet made to hold and dispense paper towels, food wraps and baggies. 2) A Gift wrap work station that holds 25 rolls of paper, with a tape dispenser and scissor-less cutting."

� Tampa Winner:

Denise & George Tucker, a married couple from Ft. Lauderdale, where they own a psychic shop, describe their EZT4U invention as, "A simple, inexpensive replacement basket for the common electric coffee brewing machine. It automates the control of water temperature and steeping time, two critical components in the proper brewing of loose-leaf tea. This brew-basket is for every person who would like to drink brewed, loose-leaf tea and desires the convenience of automation. The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, automatic device to brew loose-leaf tea."

In the special two-hour episode of "American Inventor," airing WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network, host Nick Smith sends the inventors to participate in focus group testing. Then the inventors meet with their chosen team of experts to design, create and package their invention, working within the $50,000 budget. Each inventor must struggle to make the right decisions and race against the clock to complete their prototype and plan their presentations to the judges, who will choose three of the best inventions while sending the other three home. America will then be called upon to vote to determine who will win the million-dollar prize and the title of American Inventor, which will be revealed in the season finale episode on August 1.

"American Inventor's" panel of expert judges are businessman/former heavyweight champion/ordained minister George Foreman, British tycoon Peter Jones, entrepreneur Pat Croce and Spanx creator Sara Blakely. Nick Smith hosts.

"American Inventor" is produced by FremantleMedia North America, Simon Cowell's Syco Television and Peter Jones TV Ltd. Simon Cowell, Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Siobhan Greene, Peter Jones and Clay Newbill are executive producers. Dug James and Tabitha Hansen are co-executive producers.

This program is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.





  [july 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· AMERICAN INVENTOR (ABC)





[10/14/25 - 03:06 PM]
ESPN Records the Most-Watched WNBA Postseason Ever Across Its Networks
Across 24 games, the '25 WNBA postseason averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 5% from last year.

[10/14/25 - 03:03 PM]
"College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Delivers Most-Watched West Coast Episode Ever; ESPN College Football on ABC Scores Top Three Programs Across All Networks and Content for Saturday, Oct. 11
The Texas Longhorns' upset victory over the Oklahoma Sooners averaged 8.7 million viewers.

[10/14/25 - 02:50 PM]
ALCS Game 1 on FOX and FOX Deportes Draws 5.3 Million Viewers
The Mariners victory over the Blue Jays averaged 5,310,000 viewers across FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports streaming services.

[10/14/25 - 02:39 PM]
FOX Sports Delivers Most-Watched LDS on FOX/FS1 Since Launch of Postseason Baseball on FS1 in 2014
On Friday, 8,723,000 viewers tuned in for the Mariners' historic 15-inning ALDS Game 5 victory.

[10/14/25 - 02:15 PM]
"Sunday Night Football" Registers Record Fourth Blockbuster Audience of 25+ Million Viewers This Season, As Lions-Chiefs Averages 27.3 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock
Lions-Chiefs averaged 27.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics, marking the second-most watched October audience in the history of NBC "SNF."

[10/14/25 - 02:01 PM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Announcement - Netflix
Your favorites from Season 9 will join hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey to reveal where their relationships stand today and revisit the moments that made us all wonder is love truly blind?

[10/14/25 - 01:45 PM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Return Strong for New Seasons
"Shifting Gears" earned the biggest audience since the show's Valentine's Day episode; while "Abbott Elementary" jumped over the show's season four premiere among Total Viewers as well as the season four average.

[10/14/25 - 01:01 PM]
Video: "Ms. Pat Settles It" Returns Nov 4 at 10/9c - Season 3 Trailer
In the third season, the comedian and actress returns to the bench to preside over real-life court cases with her signature "real and raw" brand of humor.

[10/14/25 - 12:28 PM]
NBC Sports Announces 2025-26 Big 12 Men's Basketball Schedule Featuring 20 Games Streaming Live Exclusively on Peacock
Peacock Big 12 men's basketball schedule tips off on Friday, November 21, with a non-conference matchup of preseason Associated Press Top 25 teams as No. 8 BYU hosts No. 24 Wisconsin at 4 p.m. ET.

[10/14/25 - 12:19 PM]
Lifetime Greenlights New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movie for 2026 "Shopping Cart Killer" Starring Lela Rochon and Jarod Joseph
Elisabeth Rohm continues her relationship with Lifetime to direct and executive produce the movie.

[10/14/25 - 12:14 PM]
ESPN and the Big 12 Announce Men's Basketball TV Schedule for 2025-26 Season, Tipping Off November 9
Games will be presented across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU an stream on the all new ESPN App.

[10/14/25 - 12:05 PM]
Video: Oxygen Debuts Trailers for Three New Series Premiering on Sunday, November 9
The night of killer new programming kicks off with season three of "Snapped: Behind Bars"; followed by the fourth season of "Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins"; and wrapping with the premiere of new series "Killer Grannies," hosted by Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb.

[10/14/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of October 6: "The Woman in Cabin 10" Rocks the Boat as No. 1 Debut in This Week's Top 10
In the spirit of the season of chills, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" claimed the No. 1 spot on the English TV list, rising to the top in its second week with 20.7 million views.

[10/14/25 - 12:00 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for "Angela Diniz: Murdered and Convicted," Debuting November 13
The series is inspired by the acclaimed podcast "Praia dos Ossos" and revisits the story of Ângela Diniz, a woman who, through her freedom and autonomy, defied the standards imposed on women and was brutally punished for it.

[10/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Official Trailer and Key Art Debut - "Obituary" Season 2 (APC Studios)
The second season of "Obituary" is now streaming all six episodes on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.