A Ventura bowling center targeted for possible demolition hosted a reality television show from Los Angeles this week in an attempt to save the business.

The Oxygen Network's "5ive Hot Blondes" show provided remodeling work, done by two male and three female helpers. It was capped off with an unveiling at the Ventura Bowling Center late Thursday.

The one-named helpers included the men, "Perk," the motivator, and "Bart," the handyman and customer service representative. The women were "Cupcake," the public relations specialist; "Danushka," the food, style and hygiene expert; and "Quinn," the organizer.

Field Producer David Sambuchi explained that the show's concept theorizes that "hot blondes" would attract business, because statistics show attractive people have more success in business than unattractive people.

The five spent three days brainstorming with the owners, Kathy and John Higgins, and then got busy removing clutter, painting, replacing furniture, adding a lounge area and restyling the place; Kathy described it as a "retro '50s update."

Passers-by will notice a large yellow arrow painted on the side of the building at 1888 Thompson Blvd. that reads "since 1957."

The TV show, produced by Magical Elves Inc., is the pilot episode of a series with no air date yet. Sambuchi said to check local listings for the Oxygen Network to see when it is scheduled.

Higgins believes the effort — which included dying her blond hair brown to avoid clashing with the stars — will be good for business. She described it as an "amazing adventure" that she hoped would prompt a petition drive to designate the center a historical landmark.

Oxnard developer Gaiser Enterprises has submitted an application to the city of Ventura that calls for replacing the center with some type of housing. A Gaiser representative could not be reached for comment.

The project is in its infancy, however, according to Brian Randall, the city case planner assigned to the project. The developer must go through the housing approval program. A hearing is tentatively set for Sept. 18.

Because the building was constructed in the late 1940s, the developer will also be asked to show the city the building is not worthy of preservation as a landmark.

"They'll submit a report, and we'll have our historic preservation committee review the report, and they'll provide a recommendation to the city," Randall said.

"It could be a historical landmark," said Higgins. "It's been around that long. So that's what we're hoping, and if we get a little attention maybe other people will feel the same way."

Alice Waites, 47, moved to a home on nearby Ocean Avenue in 1962 and said she began bowling at the center three years later, when it was still called Poinsettia Bowl.

Hearing that, someone in the crowd waiting in line to see the unveiling Thursday commented on how long ago that seemed.

"Yes," Waites said. "We've bowled here a long time."

Magen Knight, 23, of Ventura does not want the center torn down. "Look at all the families who come here," she said.

The Higginses bought the business in 1995. They lease the property month-to-month. Last year, the landlord sold it to Gaiser.