Few would suggest professional painting is as entertaining as professional racing. But producers of a new documentary about pro painters are hoping it will popularize painting contractors the same way the hit “Drive To Survive” Netflix documentary popularized Formula One racing.
The TV series will follow six contractors who own painting companies in the U.S., highlighting both their personal and business lives. The series is tentatively scheduled to air this fall on a cable network. But producers are not disclosing details, as contract negotiations are not yet finalized.
While the series title, the TV network, and the names of the painting contractors are not being revealed, producers are beginning to promote the show in hopes of generating buzz. “If there’s one thing we do well in America, it’s reality TV,” said one of the producers. “I have no doubt this will become a hit show, so we just need a network to commit.”
The Netflix documentary “Drive To Survive” took viewers behind the scenes of the largely European auto racing series known as Formula One of F1. Viewers got to know the individual drivers, as well as their racing teams and often mercurial owners. The competition drama and glamorous locales (Monaco, Monza, Mauricia) captured the attention of U.S. viewers, helping lead to a spike in F1 popularity here. Producers of the painting show have ties to the painting industry, but they’re keeping those details secret.
“We know how hard pro painters work,” says one of the producers. “These are likable, salt-of-the-earth people…business owners. And they’re everywhere. Every town has a bunch of professional painting contractors. Yet our society doesn’t always think highly of painters. But this show will not only be entertaining, but it will raise the respect we give painters.”
While those sound like honorable intentions, the TV project is not without controversy. Current investors of the project are the second set, after the original producers backed out, citing deep differences with the network.
What caused the drama? Would you believe…a lack of drama? The original investors wanted to stick close to the “Drive to Survive” recipe. In other words, more of a documentary about the painting industry. But network brass demanded fewer documentaries and more reality shows. Producers balked and then walked. For better or worse, new producers love the idea of a reality show. “We have a big hit on our hands,” said a member of the production team. “Think This Old House meets The Real Housewives of Orange County. Or even Grey’s Anatomy…it doesn’t hurt when one of the doctors is known as Dr. McSteamy.”
Artistic differences led several of the painting contractors involved in the original project to bail. One online gossip site quoted a contractor as saying “I run a legit business. We ain’t doing this crap. My guys don’t have time to flirt with customers.” The show still features some heart-warming stories of people starting a painting business, companies with three generations, and workers performing CPR. But now there are also plenty of reality show hijinks between painters and homeowners. And much like producers of Man vs Wild (the Bear Grylls show) took heat for faking (or manufacturing) animal encounters on the show, some people are saying some businesses and storylines on the show are fake.
Producers defend their show: “You’re telling me contractors never develop romantic relationships with customers? Sure they do. We’re simply putting it on TV. These are all consenting adults, and everyone signed the waiver.”
Does that justify Pec Painting, a company in Southern California where all the painters work shirtless and seem to come straight out of Magic Mike casting? “Not only is Pec Painting legit, they’re awesome,” says the producer. “This is Hollywood. Sex sells. If you can have a hot guy paint your powder room, why not do it?” Or Clown Coatings, a Florida contractor whose painters all dress as clowns, complete with giant clown shoes despite climbing ladders? “When Roger and his crew get to the job site and ten clown painters fall out of that little PT Cruiser…that’s hysterical and viewers will love it.”
Still, some people with connections to the show say storylines are too odd to believe. Competitive painting companies in one Midwest town are shown to have a violent rivalry, with increasingly dramatic encounters, including equipment destruction, stolen trucks, and customer sabotage, culminating in a late-night brawl.
“Haters gonna hate, but we love America and America loves painters,” says the producer. “We create art. It’s no different from APC. Every year, they deliver the BEST industry news for April 1, and some people don’t like it, but APC just smiles and says the same thing…Happy April Fool’s Day America!”
