On Location: 'Mobbed' scene plays out at a mall in Glendale

 
It may look more like Bollywood than Hollywood: One thousand "flash mob" volunteers recruited via Craigslist and Twitter show up at a mall in Glendale, where they break out in a song-and-dance routine for the new Fox TV show "Mobbed."

The scene, among the more unusual film shoots in Los Angeles, filmed late last year at the Americana at Brand with 16 hidden camera crews. The pilot episode will play out Thursday on national TV as Fox premieres its latest reality show.

Hosted by Howie Mandel, "Mobbed" uses hidden cameras and thousands of unpaid volunteers recruited via social network sites who help special guests plan "extraordinary surprises" -- a marriage proposal or a husband learning that his wife is pregnant -- for friends, family members, loved ones and co-workers.

Thursday night's episode took one week of preparation but shot just one day at the Americana. Married choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha D'Umo of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" worked with the hundreds of volunteers, who performed two songs, "Everlasting Love" and "Forever." The unwieldy size of the cast, however, meant that the entire sequence had to be captured in real time, with only one chance to get the shot right. 

"The whole event is a high-wire act,'' said Chris Cowan, executive producer of "Mobbed" and co-chief executive of Angel City Factory. "We're combining a hidden camera bit with over 1,000 choreographed amateur dancers performing two separate musical pieces. Either element is a risky investment for a network and putting them together is nuts, but it's a rush as producer to try and pull it off."

More rushes could be in store for Cowan. Similar mob scenes will play out across L.A. and other parts of the country if the show gets picked up by Fox.

RELATED:

'Mobbed' host Howie Mandel talks about his 'annoying' feud with Piers Morgan

-- Richard Verrier

Photo: Volunteers perform a dance routine at Americana at Brand in Glendale for the new Fox TV show "Mobbed." Credit: Eric Vlasik / Fox

Comments

[Debbie Bone]

When she started to cry... I started to cry and I cried through the rest of the show. I loved it!!!!!!!! It reminded me of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as she followed the yellow brick road. I want more!

[Linda Pecille]

The show was unbelievable! I absolutely loved it! So very refreshing. Way to go Howie!! and THREE CHEERS TO ALL YOU SINGERS AND DANCERS. Can't wait for the next episode.

[sandy b]

I love, love, love this show. I watched it 4 times last night (from my DVR) and I've already watched it again 3 times today.

It is a HUGE HIT!!!

[Jeanne Smith]

I watched Mobbed last night, more or less to see what Howie was up Toooo :) LOVE HIM :) I loved how they did the whole set up the first half hour...kept watching , actually was just going to check it out..got caught up with the show because it was fast moving, I wasn't bored, i'm 64 years old ..Love to be entertained I was !!! I bawled like a BABY !! I am totatly hooked , the way they did that production with all those people , the whole work's , and when the girl's were swarming around her ..puting her wedding dress on her , it was something like out of a disney Movie , my Heart stopped...It was so delightful, and well done , I can't wait tell next week , I keep trying to explain the show to anyone who will listen that didn't see the show ,thank god it can be Googled :) I was delightfully ENTERTAINED, it's one of the reasons I weatch IDOl , I never watched their results show tell tey got smart and had entertainement added to to it...now can't wait to see who's gonna be on the results show , not to see who's been voted off , thats dpressing, NOT NO MORE !! Howie , you've done it again , all I wanted to do is in someway give ya' a big hug , and Lordy ,THANK YOU SO MUCH , as alway's Jeanne

[sandy lavins]

It was a greattttt.....show...hopefully it will be a regular!!!

[Myra Jean Reed]

I loved the show" mobbed" It was very refreshing, even to the open dress in the back and her smear of eye -make-up for THAT WAS REAL and in the moment. Many that did not get to see it and myself would love to have it rerun, soon. Is that possible? Thanks for all your hard work, to give us a very enjoyable hour. And, yes, I, too, was choked up with all kind of emotions.Looking forward to the next one. Jean

[Myra Jean Reed]

To all of you who made this so special--thanks, Howie!That was alot of hard work and we so appreciated it for it was an hour of true , real excitment. I,too, had all kinds of excitment and even my husband loved it.And I loved the open back to the dress and her smeared eye-make-up for that made it real and in the moment.Several who did not get to see it would like a re-run, if possible. Me,too! We are looking forward to the next one, thanks ,again. Jeanp.s. YOU ALL DID GRREAT!!

[Jeanne Smith]

OMG..cannot believe there was anything negative to post , looked at ANDREA'S , I've posted already , but was curious to see what EVERYONE but ANDREA thought! I'd like to say to her , does she not think you some how checked things out throughly with her family and friend's , or they wouldn't have even showed up..... for someone to even think Howie doesn't know what he's doing irriatate's me ta' death, this show doesn't have nothing to do with " Deal or No Deal " , People have forgotten what True Entertainment is , or their just TO young and haven't experienced any at all, even if she would have said NO.. By God , I was Entertained to that point...and the point is they drug the Entertainment all the way to the end , at that point, I didn't care what she had said, if she had said No, then that Dude had been exposed to a lot of women who would have chased him down , for just the type of guy he is, and pushed her aside , get my drift !! If she hadn't wanted to get married , she wouldn't have ....and I totatly believe that ...could have said , " thanks for the entertanment" and walked......I do not belive someone can be pressured into doing something they don't want to do, it's the 21 St Century..Think about it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jeanne Smith]

I sure wish the show could be repeated ....a lot of people want to see it , that missed it , Please, Please repeat, it was Wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!

[Agent .25i]

uh... cant wait till this happens in pittsburgh, or some other hugely negro populated area... German shepherds, and water hoses for the bunch.

But on a serious note, this is dumb. Real life Glee? No thx.

[Scott Manville]

Just wanted to share with "Mobbed" fans a recent interview with Mobbed Executive Producer, Chris Cowan. Great insight on their process of creating and producing for Reality TV.
http://www.tvwritersvault.com/TVExecutiveInterviews/chris_cowan.asp