• September 7, 2005

To hype NBC's new fall reality series "Three Wishes," the network will be granting wishes in 15 markets, starting the week of September 12. The feel-good reality show--in the vein of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"--will grant small wishes at various retailers, including grocery stores and restaurants, where NBC will surprise shoppers and restaurant patrons by purchasing their groceries or their meals. Cities will include New York City, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Des Moines, Baltimore, and Spokane.

Shoppers will pay the retailers with specially stickered one-dollar bills, which will then be distributed to other customers, who will then be directed to the nbc.com Web site. Those new customers will be encouraged to use the specially marked dollars to fulfill the wish of someone else--which is the premise of the "Three Wishes" show. There will also be a big wish for a local charity in each city, where NBC will present a check for $2,500 to purchase items on the charity's own wish list.

"Three Wishes" premieres September 23, 9:00 p.m. EST, hosted by singer Amy Grant.

--Wayne Friedman