Big Break!
Sunset Tan Scores Reality Show

by John P. Ribner

LOS ANGELES – In some of the biggest news in indoor tanning, the L.A.-based Sunset Tan salon chain has become “Sunset Tan” the reality TV show. The show’s first season recently premiered on E! Entertainment Television.

Loyal Island Sun Times readers might remember Sunset Tan and its owners, Jeff Bozz and Devin Haman – they were featured in an October 2005 Salon Spotlight®. The two friends/business partners opened the first of their ultra-glamorous Los Angeles facilities in February 2003 with business partners Brooke Burke, hostess of the E! network’s “Wild On” series, and her ex-husband, Dr. Garth Fisher, of “Extreme Makeover” fame. Today, there are five Sunset Tans in and around L.A., with client rosters that read like Hollywood’s A-list. Currently, Jeff and Devin are busy opening another location in the Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

With every aspect of life being made into a reality TV show these days, why not have one centered around the indoor tanning biz? The fast-paced, fun, hectic and wild environment, where anything goes and often does, would surely provide plenty of entertaining material. Well, the Senior Vice President of E! Entertainment Television thought so, too, which is why he created “Sunset Tan,” an indoor tanning reality show with the Los Angeles-based business as his salon of choice.

“ We did a photo shoot for our ad in 944 Los Angeles, a popular fashion, entertainment and lifestyle magazine,” explained Jeff Bozz. “Apparently, the Senior VP of E! wanted to do a reality show based in a tanning salon, and after seeing our advertisement in 944, he asked us for a meeting.” His pitch to the two partners was simple – E! would shoot a pilot episode at Sunset Tan, and if the executives liked it, they’d sign up for at least one season. “It took a month to complete the pilot, and after it was finished, we were invited back to the E! offices,” Devin recalled. “The Senior VP told us that out of 17 different pilots, he liked ours the best and wanted to sign us up for at least two seasons. To say we were excited about this would be the understatement of the year.”
Jeff and Devin said that getting used to a lobby filled with TV equipment and a crew of studio technicians was tough at first, but the Sunset Tan team eventually got the hang of it. Now, as they head into taping of the show’s second season, they barely notice the cameras in their faces or the microphones above their heads.

Like any reality show, “Sunset Tan” promises to be filled with wild antics, competition and high emotion as the salon staff strives to keep clients happy while maintaining their busy personal lives. In addition to Jeff and Devin, the show also features Nick, the cocky, young salesman; Erin, the “new girl” from Oklahoma; Janelle, who doesn’t let anyone get in her way; and the wild and outrageous double-trouble team of Holly and Molly, known as “The Ollies.” And the story lines promise to be equally outrageous – a Hawaiian Santa Claus in need of a tan, twins who tan their names on their bodies so their boyfriends can tell them apart, and a corpse whose dying wish was to be tan for the funeral.

The pilot episode starts off with a bang, according to Jeff and Devin, and includes a surprise appearance by Britney Spears (“pre-meltdown” and subsequent hair-shaving stunt.) The first installment features the day-to-day drama of a tanning salon, the celebrity Sunset Tan clientele and the lifestyles of the cast. “The second season will focus on the salon we’re opening in the Palms and the competition between the managers to become the manager of that location,” Jeff explained. “If the show is extended to a third year, it will focus on our efforts to open a salon in Miami.”

“ Sunset Tan,” the TV show, debuted Monday, May 28 at 10:30pm ET/PT on E! and currently airs in its regular time slot – Sundays at 10:30pm ET/PT. Ironically, the show will be televised right after “The Simple Life,” starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, both of whom are Sunset Tan clients.
“ This whole experience has been a wild ride, to say the least!” Jeff exclaimed.