'Joe,' Hawai'i style

Advertiser Staff

For the second incarnation of "Average Joe," NBC decided it wanted a little more of everything.

So, when "Average Joe: Hawaii" debuts Jan. 5, viewers will see a more unusual location than the first show's Palm Springs digs, more aesthetically imperfect Joes vying for one beauty's affection and, a few episodes in, more male hotties brought in to shake up the game.

The second edition of the show is in the can, taped in the Islands before the first "Average Joe" premiered earlier this month.

The premise of "Average Joe: Hawaii" will remain the same. An attractive woman — this time a model and one-time Miss USA contestant — is whisked away to Hawai'i for a dating show, told she'll meet a group of "Prince Charmings." The guys she does meet — 18 for the second show, up from 16 the first time around — don't conform to the usual TV standards of male beauty.

She'll then have to get past their looks and get to know the Joes better, eliminating some in each round. Partway through the show, eight "traditional dating-show studs" (in NBC's words) will join the game to test the theory that looks usually win out over personality.

"Average Joe," hosted by Kathy Griffin, has performed well for NBC at 9 p.m. Mondays. The show is bringing in about 10 million viewers a week and keeping up with its time-slot rival "CSI: Miami."