‘Thunder From Down Under’ cast to star in Las Vegas real estate show
The buff bods in “Thunder From Down Under” have entertained legions of bachelorette parties and other ladies looking to cut loose in Las Vegas for years.
Now, the famed male revue on the Strip is set to use its “talents” in a new Las Vegas real estate show.
Cast members from “Thunder From Down Under” are slated to appear in a TV show called “Flip The Strip” that will feature them at various Las Vegas-area properties, according to a tax-incentive application filed with the state of Nevada.
The show is “expected to air around the world through HGTV/Discovery+”, the application says, citing a TV channel known for its housing-related programming and its affiliated streaming service. It has a total budget of more than $1.6 million, and its producers applied for nearly $206,000 in tax incentives, the filing shows.
The Nevada Film Office, part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, discussed the application during a meeting Aug. 4.
All told, “Thunder From Down Under” has been a “fan favorite for visitors of Las Vegas for decades, and now they’re taking their talents to the construction site to show what they’re made of!” the application states.
In each episode, “we follow the guys as they work to transform properties around the Las Vegas area,” it says, adding the TV show will be in production in Las Vegas from September to January and feature six hour-long episodes.
The application does not give a list of filming locations, nor does it explain what kind of construction work the Thunder guys will be doing, whether they have any formal construction training, or, perhaps more importantly for their fans, whether they will be wearing clothing while they work.
America’s casino capital is no stranger to reality TV filming, and its never-boring real estate scene has also gotten in on the action over the years, with such shows as “Flip or Flop Vegas” and “Flipping Vegas.”
Efforts to speak with the production company behind “Flip The Strip” and with a “Thunder From Down Under” representative were unsuccessful.
Representatives for HGTV — which boasts such shows as “Unsellable Houses,” “Ugliest House in America” and “Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?” — did not respond to requests for comment.
Starring Australians, “Thunder From Down Under” performs at Excalibur. The male revue features “chiseled bodies, seductive dance routines, cheeky humor, and boy-next-door charm” and is the “ultimate bachelorette party, divorce party, and girls’ night out destination,” the hotel-casino’s website declares.
Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, whose district includes the Excalibur, presented Thunder and the show’s producer, Adam Steck of SPI Entertainment, with a Key to the Las Vegas Strip last month. According to Naft, more than 1 million people have seen the show, and reservations are often made months in advance.
Some "Thunder From Down Under" at the "Welcome to Las #Vegas" sign. Cmsr. @MichaelNaft presented show members the Key to the Las Vegas Strip. "Thunder From Down Under" opened here #OnThisDay 21 years ago, July 5, 2001. And the show has just signed a 10 year contract extension! pic.twitter.com/l410kSFgZa
— Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) July 5, 2022
As the Thunder’s website explains: “There’s nothing sexier than an Aussie storm and the kind of explosive thunder you feel down under.”
Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter.