The Wisconsin State Journal recently spoke to the show's creator, Alex Duda, an Emmy-award winning producer with credentials that include "Talk Soup" and "Wild On," about what she looks for when casting. "Elimidate" is in its third season and can be seen at 11:05 p.m. Monday through Friday, on WSMN (Fox 47).

Wisconsin State Journal: How did "Elimidate" come into existence?

Alex Duda: I created it last century (laughs), at the end of 1999. I was in an overall deal at Telepictures. I pitched it to them. We went forward with a couple of pilots. And then they sold for launching in fall of '01.

WSJ: What was the pitch meeting like?

Duda: It involved food. (Laughs.) Pitches go better with food. The pitch was based on high school, because that's where life is shaped. It was all about this basketball cheerleader in my high school named Shelly, and she had this strange power over every man. It didn't matter if he was the captain of the chess team or captain of the basketball team, they all loved Shelly. On the surface, she was just a regular girl, but she had some strange, strange power. That's what "Elimidate" is - my quest to understand Shelly and girls like Shelly. Why does the guy choose this girl and not that girl?

WSJ: Are the contestants based on some archetypes - the shy girl, the loud girl, etc.?

Duda: Well, it's based on what the picker is looking for.

You try to nail down the picker first. We try to get into their head, and find out all the different types they're looking for. Attraction is key. If there's no attraction, the rest of the show is not going to work. If the picker is looking for someone tall, blond, smart and rich, then we're going to give you one of each. If there's the attraction underneath, then the game works. Unlike other shows that they set people up for conflict, we don't want conflict between the player and the picker, we want the conflict between the people who play the game.

WSJ: What are you looking for in Madison?

Duda: The only criteria are that you're 21 and single, but other than that we're looking for all types. That's the great thing about "Elimidate" is it's not just two people we're setting up, we want to find four different people for the cast.

WSJ: So you're not looking for the Hollywood idea of Wisconsin: wholesome?

Duda: We'd like one of those. But we want every different type.

WSJ: This state is full of non-wholesome people.

Duda: I know! We shot in Milwaukee last summer and it was gold! I will tell you something: We try to get six shows out of the every city - we got eight out of Milwaukee.

WSJ: Why?

Duda: They were just great. You have cute singles, characters, they have every type. I'm partial to the Midwest, I'm from Ohio. My supervising producer of the show went to school in Madison. She said that if we went back to Milwaukee, we had to hit Madison because it's a great town. So we're splitting our time.

WSJ: Why hold the tryouts now and not a couple of weeks from now when the students are back?

Duda: Because we'll be shooting Madison by the time they get back. We wanted to hit it when the weather is nice. The one thing I know about the Midwest is that if you just scoot it a couple of months it's going to be freezing and we do a lot of shooting outside.

WSJ: Is there an inside track to get on?

Duda: We want people to be real. If you're enthusiastic and have big energy that's great. But that's not the only thing we're looking for. But if you're quiet and shy, you'll get swallowed up by the show. Usually, that's the first person to get cut. So it's good to be outgoing.

WSJ: Do you notice any differences between men and women?

Duda: Men play it like a game, like they're on the court with their friends. They're trash talking, but it's all in good fun. Women take it a little more seriously (laughing). They kind of get a little more catty. That's what I find, overall. Of course there are exceptions; it's hard to make a sweeping generalization.

WSJ: Do you encourage people to be more catty or acerbic?

Duda: We say to them, "We want you to be yourself, but yourself playing a game." Be yourself, but instead of a five, be a 10. Be your best self, whatever that does. If you're a catty girl, be that. If you're the moral compass, be that. But don't be quiet.

WSJ: In trying to keep the show fresh and with the success of the Bravo's "Queer Eye," and "Boy Meets Boy," will "Elimidate" ever do a gay episode?

Duda: We haven't done a completely gay show yet, although we'd like too. It's just not something we've done yet. That would be great.

WSJ: As executive producer of the show, do you worry about sponsors or TV stations leaving?

Duda: My main job is the creative (part) - to keep it good. You want to make sure the people you are selling to are happy with the product.

WSJ: What do you say to critics who say that reality TV is the bottom?

Duda: I just think there is good and bad in any genre of television. I hope that "Elimidate" is good reality. That's my main job, to keep it fun.Yeah, it's sad when people say that they don't get it. But I love it, because when you're doing a show with real people there's something at stake that's not when you watch a great scripted drama.