"I only put the show on, for a good cry" (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)

Member Name: darren55

Product:	Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Date:	08/11/09 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ty, the designers, crying, the house redesigns

Disadvantages: None

Extreme Makeover:Home Edition is an American make over show with a huge difference, fronted by the effervescent Ty Pennington they take a family down on their luck and rebuild their home.

This show really plays with the emotions, firstly we see the apply family when Ty introduces the family on the way to the family, the makeover team are sat and introduced to the family and why Ty thinks they are worthy of a home makeover.

Then the mobile home gets to the house and Ty gets his megaphone out and says "HELLO ..... family" and the show begins. The family are packed off to some nice resort for a week and the team destroy their house before totally rebuilding it from scratch.

2 points here -

1. Though we never see it, I've always assumed that the family must go around and say please keep that, bin that etc.

2. The houses with very few exceptions are wood so can be torn down in an amazingly short period of time, and the wod structure put up in an equally short period.

Then the fun begins, basically the real work is done by some kind of construction firm, they get loads of advertising and all the men have their T-shirts on. The design team are headed by Ty who will personally do one room of the house and there are two designers, a joiner, electrician, gardener etc. They pretty much spend the whole time arguing, debating and discussing the plans overview.

This show has plenty of opportunities for tweaking the heart strings of the viewer, the family always has a hard luck story and certain aspects of the rebuild always take that into account. Especially relevant are the episodes where one of the parents has died and the design crew use very personal items in the rebuild of the house, so if the dad loved painting some of the paintings will be incorporated into the new rooms etc.

This show is endlessly replayed on the UK style channels, once I came down and my wife put on an episode I like it but I was busy on the computer and looked up and she was in tears and came out with the classic comment "I only put it on for a good cry"

This show certainly gives you that, but its better than just a bit of sentimental fluff. The show tells stories about the families, fronted by the very likeable Ty, he's a bit of hot stuff according to my wife, the designers rarely get through an episode without crying, particullarly the slightly grizzled electrician Paul. There is usually a chance for the constructors to be generous, giving the house mortgage free or giving the kids university scholarships.

Then we come to the finish of the house, and the family returns in a limousine and pulls up behind the big mobile home giving Ty a chance to shout along with most of the neighbours and all the construction workers.

"Bus driver, move that bus" giving the family a chance to see their new house.

We are then presented with the house and the house is presented to the family, there are of course lots of shots of before and after and lots of crying from the family, friends, Ty and co and the workers.

There are plenty of chances for the designers to delight the house owners, lots of chance for celebrity pull ins, weird and wacky room designs especially for any rooms for the children and a chance for the family to be given a fresh chance of life.

I like this show and love the enjoy given by Ty and the families tend to be worthy of help.

A few points

1. Each house must cost a fortune
2. Theres loads of adventising for the construction firms, suppliers of the house etc
3. Ty will take his shirt off at some point in the show
4. The family are always sent to some kind of theme park type holiday

Summary: A emotional rollercoaster of a show