Nancy Hadley

The stage for best prank ever as modeled by my carpenter friend.

I just got home three days ago after a long run on the road with a new show for Spike TV, shooting a series of ten episodes for a show that premieres in July. We began in LA for the first two episodes, and then travelled to half a dozen states across the country.  This is par for the course on renovation shows, and I have done more than my share; I figured this one would be pretty much like all the rest.  The hosts of the show are from New Jersey, and, while I was raised in California, I have Jersey in my blood; my mom was born and raised there.  Those kind of roots apparently run deep; I felt perfectly at home talking to and working with these two remarkable, and very vocal, individuals. They made my experience on this traveling roadshow as enjoyable as any show I have ever been on, dating back to my first tour of the country with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition all those years ago. Combined with an incredible art team, the time on the road was as creatively productive as any I have ever spent. However, with all that being said, you still need to liven things up a little…

Deep into one of our makeovers, we were behind schedule; the time frame shifted in the middle of the shoot, and where we thought we were on time, we suddenly were not. The whole production was under an immense amount of pressure to finish the renovation early. Pitching in to help, our co-host drove me, his local friend who was helping on the episode, and my project manager to set in the middle of the night, to a very bad area to make the new deadline. Having someone like him jump in and give a hand in the overnight/early morning sprint made me feel very safe on the set.  An experienced construction worker, talented in all aspects of build, he nevertheless stressed that there is one tool more important than all the rest when you really need to get a job done: the radio. I have to agree; there is no better way to crank up your work rate while simultaneously reducing your stress level than dancing through a build.

In addition to an incredible work ethic, our hosts have matching senses of humor; the charisma you will see on camera is not an act. And, like all truly funny people, they can take it, as well as dish it out. With the help of my carpenter, I was able to pull off what I consider to be the greatest practical joke of my entire life.  At one of our locations, we found out that there was a basement which had once been used as a stable; it was now reputed to be haunted by the long deceased stable owner.  On my phone, I have an app for detecting ghosts – hilarious and and a great conversation starter.  When I heard the stable was haunted, I fired up the app, and went through the space looking for ghosts; when I read the findings to the cohost (who will now be referred to as “the mark”), it became readily apparent that he is not a fan of ghosts or devices that detect them.  I teased him about it, and waved my phone around, but that was it.

Until…

One of the great side effects of my job is that I occasionally find myself in places most people do not go, and those places can be serendipitous. So, unlike most people, it is not unusual to find myself in a costume shop, where, in addition to some of the things I was looking for, I found not only the most incredibly scary unicorn mask, but also the germ of a very great idea. Bought it, wrapped it up carefully an unobtrusively, and brought it back to set.

The lighting in the basement was dim, and the rock walls were divided with ancient posts that used to be connected to stable walls.  The spaces between the posts were open, save for one section, which was separated by waist-high stone wall with an opening at window height. I found an old grocery cart, and positioned behind the wall, giving me a little room to move, but also just enough space to be out of arms reach.  At this point, it became clear that we needed a lure- someone to bring the mark down to the basement, so we spoke to the show’s host, who was more than happy to get in on the prank.  In the course of the shoot, my team was removing a large item that needed to be stored in the basement; I told my carpenter to stall and raced downstairs to get ready.  I crouched in the semi-darkness, behind my protective shopping cart, so that the dim lighting would just highlight the white horn, blue eyes, and snout of the unicorn mask. “The mark” was sent through the door first.  I will now transcribe what he said as he traversed the room…..the video is dark but the audio is very clear.

The team is carrying a long item that takes 5 people to maneuver into the basement space.

The Mark – “Drop your back end……there you go”  then he looks to his left where I am crouched in the shadows wearing a dark jacket and the unicorn mask.

“Look at that horse to your right.”

My carpenter- “What?”

The Mark – “The horse!”

Carpenter ignores comment.

Key PA -”That’s almost too easy”.

The guys find a spot to set down the large cumbersome item.

The Mark – “Lay it against the wall”

My Carpenter – ” Woohoo!”

The Mark – “That f—ing horse is moving!”

I was trying to stay steady in a crouch and had lost my balance.  The team ignores his comment completely.

“See that horse?”

Again the team ignores him.

“Who’s moving that f—ing unicorn thing!!!?”

He is shouting at this point and still he is ignored.  At this point he is back beside me staring into the shadows when I stand up and lean toward him over the grocery cart.

“Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!! YOU MUTHA F—ER!!!!!!”

At this point, it became evident that although everyone knows you can not kill a ghost, even a unicorn ghost, my Mark was ready to test that theory. I quickly pulled off the mask.

“YOU!!!!!”

Meanwhile, the key pa (who was not in on the joke) is buckled over saying he may need to barf because he was so scared.

Me – “Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Best prank ever!!!!