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Reality TV producers impressed with Queen Charlotte

TV producers were out hunting for hunters, because men are just as important to the process of determining whether Queen Charlotte will be the next town that ships its women away for the sake of reality TV. That's what local people who attended a meeting on Oct. 3 heard from the producers of "The Week the Women Went".The reality television show, which airs on CBC-TV, is currently searching for a town that will embrace the idea of sending most of its women away for a spa week, while the men are left to cope - and be filmed by the crew.Lee-al Nelson said he'd be willing to be left on his own at Key West Insurance while the four women who work in his office go. "I'd be the only male. I'd have to do all the Autoplan by myself and look after my little girl too," he said.But not many men showed up to the meeting, which was held at the Queen Charlotte community hall, he said. One other man said he wasn't sure how it would go looking after his four children, but Mr. Nelson said that's part of the show - the men would band together to help."It's just a week," he said.Mr. Nelson said the show isn't just for those who have kids or those who are married either. They are looking for all kinds of stories, like businesses that would be left with no women workers. "They're looking for a real mix of people," he said. Mr. Nelson heard they were heading to City Centre to talk with Werner Funk as well.Meanwhile, the producers say they are still waiting to hear whether the show will run again next year on CBC and are also researching other communities across Canada, so Queen Charlotte won't necessarily be on the show anyway."But I've had nothing but good responses since we arrived," said Kelly McClughan of Paperny Films, who was in Queen Charlotte from Oct. 1 to 8. She wasn't worried that there wasn't a huge turnout at the Saturday meeting, as she was told there were a lot of other things going on that sunny day. She says people who are interested have been stopping them on the street ever since. They will continue the process of gathering names and story ideas from those interested after they leave.She said enthusiasm from the community, both men and women, is important but it doesn't hurt that Queen Charlotte is such a beautiful place either.Christine Martynuik, who also attended the meeting, thinks it would be great for the community to be part of the show."Now that this is not a resource town, we are trying to promote tourism," she said. "There is no way you can buy that kind of advertising." She said the producers left DVDs at the Queen Charlotte library of last season's show. "It's really fun when you see it on the DVD," she said.