I notice in a lot of film music (which has become more than a passing interest to me the last couple years) that it is much about effects and a particliar sound. Stereo mixes to large surround mixes. I don't know exactly how that would work with T.V.
A hot mix makes me think of something like the music on the Fox T.V. series 24. I have heard that people with even a basic home setup nowadays can do some spectaculiar things with sound similiar to that.
I have been recording individual tracks in stereo and then record back to mono on the final mix just because there seems to be more seperation and clarity in the sound doing the individual tracks in stereo. And I make the final mix mono because I still want the sound to stay more in one place.
But it does'nt seem to take all kinds of technology to have a "hot mix" nowadays.
And there also seems to be a trend toward a pre-automated sound, but not that big yet.
Someone would have to have that certain uniqueness to set the apart in any event.

And congragulations Jody!

Matt