OXYGEN'S WHO NEEDS HOLLYWOOD? SEARCHES FOR THE NEXT "MISS EXOTIC WORLD"

AIRDATE: 11/27/02 at 9 p.m. on OXYGEN

Latest episode of one-hour comedy/reality series pits the local ladies against burlesque industry vets

Hollywood, Calif./Nov. 11, 2002 -Who Needs Hollywood?, the one-hour comedy/reality series produced by Shanda Sawyer and Katie Puckrik, finds host Puckrik and flamboyant choreographer sidekick Marvin Thornton at Exotic World in the California desert searching for five local ladies willing to compete in this year's Miss Exotic World burlesque contest.

"The burlesque revival celebrates the sexual power and appeal of women of all ages, shapes and sizes. And our local team gave the pros a real run for their money," Shanda Sawyer, Executive Producer, said. "These women were willing to shake their shimmy for town pride," she said.

Exotic World is the world-famous burlesque museum located deep in the Mojave Desert, right off historic route 66. The vivacious 76-year-old Dixie Evans often referred to as the "the Marilyn Monroe of burlesque" curates the museum and hosts the Miss Exotic World contest every June.

A celebration of womanly sensuality, the event invites women of all ages to release their inner Gypsy Rose Lee. Emphasis is on tease rather than strip.

While the competitors range from 20-somethings with a Bettie Page fixation to grannies fresh out of the senior center belly dancing class, Miss Exotic World also serves as a class reunion for retired burlesque artistes.

Tempest Storm, the titian-haired temptress beloved by bikers and hipsters alike, is one such performer who regularly appears at the event to remind the youngsters that 70 can still mean sexy.

In this episode, host Puckrik roars into town on the back of a biker's hog to recruit local ladies for a hometown team to enter the Exotic World competition.

As always, her secret weapon is choreographer Marvin Thornton, whose charisma and flamboyance encourages even the shyest wallflowers to discover for themselves the joy of performing.

In their mission to coax their last-minute team towards confidence in the power of their femaleness, Pukrick and company receive advice and guidance from Dixie Evans and the other Burlesque veterans at the Exotic World ranch.

The result is an affectionate tribute to the innocent days of peekaboo performers, which in turn empowers the women of Helendale to embrace their own sexuality.

The show airs on the Oxygen network at 8:00 PM PDT and EDT, November 27, 2002.

About Who Needs Hollywood?

Executive producers Shanda Sawyer and Katie Puckrik have created a genre-busting series that melds reality with comedic improvisation for an eccentric yet heartwarming look into human nature. Who Needs Hollywood? is a quirky comedy/reality show that celebrates the human spirit and the power of creativity to bring a community together. The show follows host Puckrik and her flamboyant companion, choreographer Marvin Thornton, into various locales including "Exotic World" (in Hellendale, Calif.) and the Catskills (in New York), where they must cast, write and perform a local talent show in 72 hours. The show airs on the Oxygen Cable Network.

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