A local couple's daughter is testing her knowledge of her husband as contestants on the hit ABC reality television series "Here Come the Newlyweds."

Dana Krashin — the daughter of Steve and Carolyn Schulman of Bridgewater — and her husband Steve have been featured on prime-time television for the past two weeks on Sundays at 10 p.m. doing everything from driving cars blindfolded to taking part in a challenge that asked couples to take part in the other ABC hit series "Dancing with the Stars."

Taping for the show ended in August and Carolyn Schulman said she still had no idea how far her daughter and son-in-law advanced as such reality producers require such information to be kept secret until the show has ended its run.

"We have no idea ... they can't tell us a thing," said Carolyn Schulman with a laugh.

The Krashins are the latest people with local connections to end up on a reality show. Last week the Graf family of Danbury was featured on an episode of "Wife Swap."

The idea behind the new one-hour ABC show is simple and involves seven just-married couples competing for a "nest egg" worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to help them start their new lives together.

ABC television's website indicates that the show — hosted by comedian Pat Bullard — is all about relationships, the differences between men and women, and the universal issues that every couple must face.

The couples competing for the purse are billed as a "diverse, sexy and competitive" bunch that, includes high school sweethearts, couples who fell in love at first sight, an arranged marriage, an interracial couple and two divorcees who are hoping "the fourth time is the charm".

The six-episode series requires couples to faces a variety of mental and physical challenges which seek to "test the love and passion they have for one another as well as their competitive spirit"

The show's website indicates that at the end of each episode, the field will be narrowed as the couples vote to send one home and the stakes get higher as the potential prize money grows.

One couple ultimately wins the grand prize and Schulman said the total is already over $300,000.

Schulman said her daughter and son-in-law are longtime sweethearts who have been dating since they were 14 years old.

"They never dated anyone else," said Shulman.

The couple's daughter and son-in-law grew up in Framingham, MA, but now live in New York City.

A recent episode required Steve Krashin to drive a car blindfolded while Dana directed him through a course.

Another challenge saw all the husbands being blindfolded and kissed by all seven of the wives in an attempt to challenge them to determine which was their husband. All but one got the kiss right and Steve Krashin knew, which kisser was Dana.

"He got it right ... it was cute," said Schulman.

Each week friends of the Schulmans have been gathering at the Inn on Newfound Lake to watch the show at the Pasquaney Restaurant.

DANA AND STEVE Krashin were chosen as contestants on an ABC-TV reality series. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Inn on Newfound Lake owner Larry DeLangis is friends with the Schulmans and said the experience has been fun.

"They have been on for two weeks and haven't been voted off. It's a typical reality show, but because you know somebody in it, it's interesting," said DeLangis.

Each week DeLangis is offering special deals for customers coming in to watch the show and some of the money raised is being donated to combat Alzheimer's disease.

Schulman said her daughter got involved with the show when she saw something posted on the Internet and decided to audition.

The mother said she enjoyed a recent episode where the couples got the chance to "roast" one another.

Schulman said her daughter is a good sport.

"She is very bubbly, sweet and funny," said Schulman of Dana.

When asked if she or her husband would ever want to go on a reality television show Schulman responded with a laugh: "certainly not!"

The innkeepers of The Inn On Newfound Lake are inviting interested resident to join them and cheer on the couple on March 16th with dinner and a viewing of the show at 10 p.m.

Those who order their dinner at the Pasquaney Restaurant by 9 p.m. get a free dessert in the Wild Hare Tavern while viewing the show. The inn is located at 1030 Mayhew Turnpike in Bridgewater and can be reached at 744-9111.