Invention TV Shows - Helpful Information or Entertainment?

I’ve noticed a wonderful trend on television lately. There are a bunch of new programs about innovation. I was once interviewed to be a judge on the ABC show “American Inventor”; although I didn’t win the position, I was later asked to do some behind-the-scenes consultant work. I recommend checking out some of these programs for information, but mostly for your entertainment!

To start, there’s “The Pitchman” on the Discovery Channel with Billy Mays. I wasn’t too wild about the show at first, but it has generated a lot of buzz and a lot of people seem to enjoy it. The show offers some good information. If you are an inventor (or really, anyone with an idea), watch it! I have also seen advertisements for a show about Mom inventors that Kelly Ripa is helping to create; I believe they are still in the casting stages. Check it out! And of course, there is always “Everyday Edisons”. It’s a great show for people with ideas, although I often have a difficult time finding it.

What I really love about these shows is that they support the belief that you don’t have to be an inventor to successfully bring a product to market – a belief I absolutely support. You need to know the process. And when you choose to license, you don’t have to start a business and you don’t have to invest a lot of capital. It’s an exciting time for people with ideas, and this is really not always the case. I’m glad to be a part of the industry.

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Stephen Key is a successful award-winning inventor who has licensed over 20 products in the past 25 years. Along with business partner Andrew Krauss, Stephen runs inventRight, a company dedicated to educating inventors about selling their ideas and the skills needed to succeed. You can ask questions and get advice on the inventRight forum, check out the resource center, and listen to the weekly radio show on inventing. Get In The News, list your invention to have media outlets find you for news stories.