'Big Island' bids for run on MTV

BreAnne Mortenson's mother says her daughter is no Paris Hilton.

Mortenson is the 2010 U psychology grad we may get to see if "Big Island TV," the reality show project being shot in Lake Minnetonka, makes it to MTV.

"It's about kids with money and opportunity who've gone off track for some reason," said writer Bo Kaprall, who noted the show's tag line is "Big Houses, Big Boats, Big Problems, Big Island."

Kaprall said they are shooting "a sizzle reel, a three- to five-minute demo of what we think the show is going to be. Just like 'Jersey Shore' has the house they live in, 'Big Island' is the place they come together. It's about three individual stories. She and her boyfriend are one of the unique stories. All of the stories end up at Big Island. Her parents are very wealthy.

"I can't guarantee it's going to get on the air," said Kaprall, "I can guarantee the right people at MTV and my contacts at VH1 are going to see it." Kaprall said his best-selling mystery writer girlfriend Gerry Shmitt, who writes under the pseudonym Laura Childs, is handling most of the "Big Island" writing chores.

In a column last week that did not mention Mortenson by name, I reported that a sailing spy who witnessed last weekend's taping described Bre, as she prefers to be called, as a Paris wannabe.

"Oh yeah," JoAnne Mortenson, said when asked if her daughter was the blonde on the set. "She kind of stands out in a crowd, she's really tall."

Could Bre be a level-headed presence on a reality show? "You bet," said JoAnne.

On the set, Bre drives a UK-made luxury convertible that, if new, would cost in the $360,000 range. "We did not buy it new, I can tell you that," said JoAnne, "My husband collects cars. I don't consider us wealthy, we're very fortunate. I work for a railroad and [Robert works in] commodity risk management."

Although Bo told me that Bre and her boyfriend, Matt, live at her parents' home, JoAnne said nope.

"He doesn't live here, for sure. Matt lives with his parents in Eden Prairie."

This show is a go While "Big Island TV's" prospects are iffy, Bo Kaprall said a TV project geared to tweens, "M@dAbout," is a go.

"We have an incredible cast of nine young comedians [seven from Minnesota] in their 20s who play, oh I don't know, 100 characters in funny sketches," NTC founder and prez Ward Eames told me Friday. The characters include: "'Zombie Dad,' which is all about getting educated so you can get a good profession because the zombie doesn't seem able to keep a job. 'Captain Doorknob' is about water conservation; he's one of the water pirates of Neverland. 'Lemonade Stand Girl' [is] very funny, she's all about entrepreneurship."

Music and videos for M@dAbout are being created by Nice Purse and Total Babe, two local indie bands made up of 20-somethings.

Kaprall said, "Eames took his concept and sold it to a major syndicator. He came to us at Pixel Farm [a production and post-production company] a couple months ago. This probably is the first time a sketch series for network has ever been shot here. It's going to be on KSTP; it's sold in 85 percent of the country."

Great minds? On WCCO Radio (830 AM) Friday, Dave Lee and Mike Max joked about something I've got my fingers crossed will happen Sunday at the Starkey Hearing Foundation's gala in St. Paul's RiverCentre.

What if Sid Hartman interviewed Ozzy Osbourne?