It seems that Kankakee-area residents are busy getting their 15 minutes (or seconds) of fame this week, as at least one business and three individuals have appeared or will appear on major TV networks.

Here’s a rundown and info on when to catch them:

• H & H Custom Woodworking of Bradley and Bourbonnais is expected to be profiled in Sunday’s episode of Extreme Makeover on ABC. The business specializes in kitchen cabinets and remodeling, and they supplied the counter tops for this particular makeover. According to the TV listings, the show will air at 7 p.m. The show summary says: “An Illinois family takes a vacation in Florida while the team makes over its home with an eye toward safety and independence for 8-year-old Jake, who has brittle-bone disease.”
• Last Sunday, Lindee and Al Kutemeier of Momence appeared briefly in an episode of Challenge on Food Network. Both are fans of the network, and they made plans to go to Hico, Texas, this past summer for the taping of the “Texas Steak Cook-off” episode. The show first aired Sunday. According to TV listings, it is scheduled to rerun on Saturday (Jan. 10) at 1 p.m. and Sunday (Jan. 11) at 6 p.m. The Kutemeiers can been seen about 45 minutes into the show, but Lindee says they’re only on screen for a second.
• Amy Noble of Bourbonnais also appeared this week on Food Network’s Challenge, though Amy was there as a competitor. “The Great Cake-off” episode was actually taped in 2003 and first ran in 2004, but it lives on in reruns, which was the case Monday night. In the show, Noble prepares Caramel Apple Cake, a recipe passed down from her husband’s grandmother. Amy didn’t win the grand prize, but she did win an Accubake oven just for being selected as one of the ten finalists. You can read more about Amy’s experience on my Best Bites blog.

Thanks to Gwen, Amy and Chris for these tips!

Is anyone else miffed that “Vicky Christina Barcelona”, the steamy new romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen, has yet to get to Kankakee area theaters? It was released Aug. 15, so I’ve now been waiting exactly a month, which seems like three weeks too long if you ask me. Classic Cinemas, if you’re listening, I don’t want to wait for DVD!!

On the bright side, I see that Burn After Reading is showing at Movies 10.

The title of this blog is “Get off the Couch!”, but here’s something you CAN enjoy from the comfort of your nearest Lay-Z-Boy:

TNT’s “Raising the Bar” premiers tonight at 9 p.m. The new legal drama from producer Steven Bochco stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (NYPD Blue), Gloria Reuben (ER) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle). The TNT Web site includes a plot summary. Thanks to Pfizer, who is the “presenting sponsor” of the first episode, the show will not have any commercial interruptions.