ABC revealed brothers Joe and Mike Miller and their "Wrap Away" plastic-wrap dispenser as well as husband and wife George and Denise Tucker and their "EZT4U" tea brewer as the last two finalists for American Inventor's second season at the conclusion of last night's broadcast of the reality competition show.
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As the winners of the show's Houston and Tampa audition locations, the Millers and Tuckers each received $50,000 to continue developing their invention ideas in the hopes of claiming American Inventor 2's $1 million grand prize.
The 63-year-old George and 55-year-old Denise invented "EZT4U," a home coffee maker add-on that allows people to brew better tasting tea more effectively.
"It's potentially one of the best things I've seen," said American Inventor judge Peter Jones following George and Denise's presentation in Tampa.
The Tuckers defeated Carols Reid and his "Reid Building Blocks," an unproven concept invention that would allow builders to construct buildings made of giant sand-filled Lego-like blocks, and Furney Eubanks and his "Easy Mower," a push lawnmower that features a steering wheel that lets it turn like a car or bicycle, to claim American Inventor's Tampa auditions title.
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"All the things we've done have just led to this," said George when American Inventor host Nick Smith surprised him and Denise in their hometown with the news. "It's like a perfect path."
The Miller brothers -- who invented "Wrap Away," a specially designed cabinet or drawer add-ins that dispense plastic wrap -- defeated fellow Houston auditioners Marcus "Sandy" Wall, a 51-year-old retired police officer from Damon, TX whose invention "The Wallbanger" assists law enforcement officers in breaking down doors; and Christopher Khanoyan, a deaf 20-year-old from Austin, TX who had presented an unproven concept for "The Voice Inside," a handheld electronic device that would use speech recognition software to allow a deaf person to communicate without the use of an interpreter.
The Tuckers and Millers join previously announced Los Angeles finalist Ricky DeRennaux and his "HT Custom Racers" toy product; San Francisco finalist Greg Chavez and his "Guardian Angel" automatic Christmas tree fire extinguisher kit; Chicago finalist Elaine Cato and her "Six in One" bra; and New York finalists Craig Forrest and David Moeller and their "The Claw" bike rack as American Inventor 2's six regional finalists.
American Inventor 2 will air a special two-hour episode next Wednesday, July 25 at 8PM ET, in which the six finalists will develop their inventions with designers before unveiling their prototypes to the show's judges -- Jones; former The Rebel Billionaire runner-up and Spanx pantyhose inventor Sarah Blakely; former boxer and grill master George Foreman; and former talk-show host and entrepreneur Pat Croce.
The judges will narrow the field of finalists to three at the conclusion of the broadcast, and it will then be up to home viewers to cast their votes. The $1 million winner will then be revealed during American Inventor's second-season finale on Wednesday, August 1 at 8PM ET.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio