THE ATLANTA HEARING DOCTOR GOES PRIMETIME ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TV SERIES

The National Geographic Channel’s new television series “The Great American Manhunt” taps into the audiology expertise of Dr. Maria Wynens, the Atlanta Hearing Doctor, to help “find their man” during the “Captain Courage” episode scheduled to air Thursday, June 21st, at 7pm.The new reality CSI-type of show follows a team of experts — a police officer, a psychiatrist, and a forensic scientist — as they track down mystery targets across the United States. Throughout the 8-episode series the team often turns to other law enforcement and medical professionals to help “find their man,” and that’s where Dr. Wynens comes into the picture.“It was fun, and kind of crazy at the same time,” describes Dr. Wynens. “Only a few people in the show knew who the targets were, the producers were very hush–hush about the details. I was only allowed to know a little bit about the part of the show I was involved in. Honestly, I really knew absolutely nothing ahead of time about what I would be doing and how I would be helping out in the filming. The production company would tell me just a little bit of what they were looking for the minute or two before the cameras started rolling – talk about being on the spot!” she said.The doctor can’t let on if she actually helped the detectives solve the case or not. “You’ll just have to watch the show for that. All I can tell you is that finding their target had something to do with noise-induced hearing loss – and that is why they needed the expertise of an audiologist,” Wynens said.A spokesperson for the producers of the program, Olivia King, said, “We were looking for an expert on hearing loss to interview for our new series about identity and came across Dr. Wynens’ website. Her training and background made her the perfect candidate for our purposes. She’s articulate, engaging and passionate about her subject. She has a wealth of knowledge on all aspects of hearing loss and is a true professional.”Dr. Wynens enjoyed the stint in the spotlight, but doesn’t plan to “quit her day job” anytime soon. Says Wynens, “I would much rather spend my time helping my patients solve their hearing problems, than mysteries!”