Salem is not only haunted by ghosts of witches and the wrongly accused but, apparently, victims of fashion as well. The crew of the popular TLC show “What Not to Wear” was spotted filming in Salem last week with their latest makeover challenge, Leanne Marrama.
The show essentially selects people (nominated by their family and friends) to receive $5000 shopping sprees to re-vamp their entire wardrobe by following the advice of the show’s fashion savvy and brutally honest hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly. The featured fashion victims are usually unknowingly pre-recorded to capture some of their poorer fashion decisions, then surprised with a total overhaul of their closets, giving London and Kelly total power to keep or discard any article of clothing at their discretion.
Keeping with the Salem theme, the show gave Marrama, who was caught in an all black getup complete with lace, corset, combat boots, and black skull purse, a public trial that mirrored the Salem show “Cry Innocent,” a re-enactment of the trial of accused witch Bridget Bishop, complete with a jury full of Marrama’s closest friends and family. The show also filmed a few scenes with raving village people (also known as the “Cry Innocent” cast) chasing after London and Kelly, presumably to play intermittently between footage of the actual makeover process.
According to the Salem News, the hosts and their “What Not to Wear” crew chatted with the public after filming in Derby Square and the Old Town Hall, drawing crowds made up of locals and tourists alike. They signed autographs and offered fashion advice to their fans, occasionally stopping to pose for photos before they moved on to reportedly do more filming at the Burying Point Cemetery later that day.
“What Not to Wear” wraps up a busy entertainment week for Salem as crews from the Canadian reality TV show, “Chris and John to the Rescue” were also spotted doing some filming. In addition, a local couple is appearing as contestants on “The Amazing Race.” Though the Salem episode date has not been released yet, “What Not to Wear” airs every Friday at 9 p.m. on TLC.
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