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Berwyn, IL —
With his long-running and Emmy-winning “Wild Chicago” program off the air, host Ben Hollis has taken his act to the suburbs — and the Internet.
The first few “WILD Berwyn” webisodes already have been posted to the Berwyn Development Corporation’s YouTube.com channel in hopes of promoting some of Berwyn’s local businesses.
The idea for a localized series came from a Berwyn resident who posted the idea on Hollis’ Facebook page. Hollis pitched the idea to the BDC, and is in the midst of producing a total of 11 segments.
Why did you decide to take on the ‘WILD Berwyn’ project?
I had a eureka moment sometime last year that taking the ‘Wild Chicago’ brand and applying it to the business world would be a great success. What I discovered, when I reflected back on the best ‘Wild Chicago’ segments, was that they were frequently small businesses featuring business owners that were passionate about what they did.
In the course of that, I also came up with a new acronym for wild called ‘What I Love Doing.’ So when you love what you're doing, you're living wild. People who are passionate about what they do are interesting and entertaining to watch.
What did you discover about Berwyn in the filming process?
Well, I discovered that it’s a very cool place that I would like to live in someday, maybe. I loved the old buildings and the neighborhoods, the fact that it’s a magnet for artists and people who want a good quality of life without spending an arm and a leg.
I also discovered that the people are so friendly. Lori Thielen at Serendipity Antiques said even though it’s a fairly big town, it still has a Mayberry feel to it. And I think that’s true because I’d be shooting one place and people would walk by the window and wave hello. Everybody seems to know each other and that's quite nice.
Is Berwyn really wild?
Berwyn is wild! As I define ‘WILD’ as ‘What I Love Doing.’ The people in Berwyn love what they're doing. They're good, community-minded people.
Originally, ‘Wild Chicago’ meant to some people like wild-scary and all kinds of different things, but to me, it meant natural habitat. It meant getting away from downtown and Michigan Avenue and seeing people where they live, which I found in Berwyn, as well.
With his long-running and Emmy-winning “Wild Chicago” program off the air, host Ben Hollis has taken his act to the suburbs — and the Internet.
The first few “WILD Berwyn” webisodes already have been posted to the Berwyn Development Corporation’s YouTube.com channel in hopes of promoting some of Berwyn’s local businesses.
The idea for a localized series came from a Berwyn resident who posted the idea on Hollis’ Facebook page. Hollis pitched the idea to the BDC, and is in the midst of producing a total of 11 segments.
Why did you decide to take on the ‘WILD Berwyn’ project?
I had a eureka moment sometime last year that taking the ‘Wild Chicago’ brand and applying it to the business world would be a great success. What I discovered, when I reflected back on the best ‘Wild Chicago’ segments, was that they were frequently small businesses featuring business owners that were passionate about what they did.
In the course of that, I also came up with a new acronym for wild called ‘What I Love Doing.’ So when you love what you're doing, you're living wild. People who are passionate about what they do are interesting and entertaining to watch.
What did you discover about Berwyn in the filming process?
Well, I discovered that it’s a very cool place that I would like to live in someday, maybe. I loved the old buildings and the neighborhoods, the fact that it’s a magnet for artists and people who want a good quality of life without spending an arm and a leg.
I also discovered that the people are so friendly. Lori Thielen at Serendipity Antiques said even though it’s a fairly big town, it still has a Mayberry feel to it. And I think that’s true because I’d be shooting one place and people would walk by the window and wave hello. Everybody seems to know each other and that's quite nice.
Is Berwyn really wild?
Berwyn is wild! As I define ‘WILD’ as ‘What I Love Doing.’ The people in Berwyn love what they're doing. They're good, community-minded people.
Originally, ‘Wild Chicago’ meant to some people like wild-scary and all kinds of different things, but to me, it meant natural habitat. It meant getting away from downtown and Michigan Avenue and seeing people where they live, which I found in Berwyn, as well.
How did working on ‘WILD Berwyn’ change your perception of the city?
I went from basically knowing nothing except for the idea that more artists are moving there, and bungalows, to just seeing it with my own eyes and meeting people and letting it come alive. So I’m much more informed. I think what I really got out of was the fascinating warm people and I’m curious to know more, really.
I love all the old buildings and there’s so much promise there. Hopefully when this economic situation goes away, a lot of those grand old buildings can be filled.
