Everybody “needs” a vacation, but a new travel series about to be shot in Vancouver is scouting for 15 truly deserving people whose friends and family want to whisk them away by complete surprise to their dream destination.

Operation: Vacation is the brainchild of director and series producer Nicky Forsman, who was inspired to send special people on spectacular trips by the lack of stamps in her own mother’s passport.

The show’s only requirements are that nominees be adult Canadian citizens — and completely in the dark when camera crews show up at their front door.

“We have no idea what kind of people we’re going to get, so we’re willing to look at anything as an option, and for me that person’s story is more important than where they want to end up,” explained Forsman, who is producing the series mainly in Vancouver and possibly Toronto for Convergent Entertainment.

“I’m hoping to find some genuinely good human beings that are very selfless and put everybody before them, or just based on their circumstances don’t have a chance to do this type of thing for themselves very often.”

Each episode will start with two travel experts meeting the nominee’s friends and family. Together they’ll make a list of the unsuspecting person’s ultimate travel fantasies, and sort out all the logistics.

After the big moment of surprise, the lucky recipient will embark immediately upon the adventure of their lifetime.

Operation: Vacation starts shooting in July, and the first episodes are expected to air in early 2013 on U.S. and Canadian cable networks.

Applicants should send a 250-word letter introducing themselves, the nominee, and the nominee’s dream destination(s) to contestants@convergententertainment.tv.