Matt Gallant Movies
- 2006
If American Inventor came off as yet another variation of American Idol, it was hardly surprising: the weekly, hour-long ABC series was executive produced by Simon Cowell, who had gained fame (not to mention infamy) as the most abrasive and insulting member Idol's three-person team of judges. Debuting March 16, 2006, American Inventor likewise boasted a panel of judges, whose job it was to decide who among several contestants was the best and most creative inventor. Said contestants had previous been chosen in open auditions in several major U.S. cities, and were whittled down to a small group of finalists as the series progressed. Each finalist was then given 50,000 dollars advance money to bankroll their invention, which if deemed the winner would net the lucky entrepreneur one million dollars. Matt Gallant, formerly the emcee of The Planet's Funniest Animals, acted as host, while the American Inventor judges included British venture capitalist Peter Jones, female marketing specialist Mary Lou Quinlan, New York ad executive Ed Evangelista, and of course the traditional "Simon Cowell" clone, eccentric and outspoken professional inventor Doug Hall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Gallant, Doug Hall, (more)
- 1999
Debuting in 1999, but not truly shifting into gear until a few years later, this cable TV series was the animal world's answer to America's Funniest Videos. Hidden camcorders ground away as squirrels, ducks, parrots, and dogs cavorted in an (unintentionally) amusing fashion. Much of the footage was gleaned from amateur home videos and wildlife TV programs from other countries, organized into such regular segments as "Animercials," "Useless Pet Tricks," and "Animail." Hosted by Matt Gallant, The Planet's Funniest Animals was seen in American on (you guessed it) the Animal Planet cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Gallant
