Small-Business Product Inventors Get a Chance at Stardom

Creating new products is often a long, lonely process. But one PBS show gives would-be inventors a shot at the limelight with its series Everyday Edisons.

Better yet, for its fourth season, the show has done away with in-person auditions. So inventors everywhere can make a video, send it in, and take their shot at fame.

It's good news that this show is doing away with the in-person interview format. Apparently, hopeful inventors waited up to 10 hours in line to audition for last's season episodes, which you can view on Hulu if your local PBS station doesn't carry the show.

Everyday Edisons will feature a different product category for each episode -- toys and kids products, pet products, kitchen/home/bath, hardware/tools, fitness and outdoor products, and health/wellness/beauty. Hopefuls need to fill out a casting call agreement. There's more details on their application process in the video below.

To give you a flavor of what the producers go for, previous winners that made it onto the show include ping-pong variant Monster Pong, and the Emery Cat, a board which gives cats somewhere to scratch while dulling their claws...and which is now on shelves at Target, PetSmart and other national chains.

Did you invent a great new product? Leave a comment below and give us a link so we can check it out.