There aren’t too many regular shows on TV that I’d call good. Not good in the sense of quality of television, but good in a moral sense, the idea that the actions and messages on the show are good. Tonight I watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition where the folks from the ABC show came in and built new house for a family who had lost their home in a fire and were living in a (very) large storage shed. They took down what was left of the burned out house and built a huge new home for the family. I’ve watched this show several times and this was one of the larger homes that I’ve seen them build.
I was talking with a few people about this show at work and we all pretty much agreed that it didn’t matter how many of the TV moments in the show was staged more for the camera that what was actually happening, this show seems to be doing a good thing. I don’t even care if it actually takes them a month instead of the seven days portrayed on the show, helping out people who are in such desperate need is nice to see. I suppose this show falls under the “Reality Television” push, but at least this one isn’t about who is sleeping with who or how deceitful everyone can be.
This show makes me feel good, and yes sometimes I get a little teary eyed, and there just aren’t enough shows on TV that can evoke that kind of response from me.
13 replies on “Extreme Makeover Home Edition”
Yeah, I’ll confess to being a sucker for this show as well. I know a lot of it is staged, but the reaction of the family is worth it anyway. I’ve shed a tear or two myself. If ABC is trying to manipulate viewers emotionally, they’re doing a great job at it.
I think they do stick to the 7-day timeframe in real life. They blew it once — they had to stretch into an eighth day. There was no attempt to hide it — they just admitted they didn’t make it and that was that.
I watch it with my 10-year-old son. This show and “The Amazing Race” are two of the very few shows I feel have a positive message for kids his age.
I got to thinking about this a little more last night, and here’s my opinion of where “The Gap” is:
I think there’s a big time gap between the point where (1) they “surprise” the family (although that is surely scripted), and (2) when they send the family on vacation and start construction.
I’m willing to bet that there’s several weeks of planning at this point — the family has to arrange for the vacation (get time off work, etc.), ABC has to order the house from Semtex (Semtech? Semtek?), they have to line up a builder who has to clear his plate of other projects for a week, etc.
Abraham Lincoln once said that if he had six hours to cut down a tree, he’d spend the first four hours sharpening the axe. The same thing is at work here — there’s no way they get that house up in seven days without a massive logistical and planning phase.
This is the part you don’t see — they “hide” that in “The Gap.” I think everyone just wears the same clothes on either side of The Gap and it’s editing as if it were a continuous “moment.”
This doesn’t take anything away from the show — it’s still very cool — but the logistics behind it have suddenly fascinated me.
There are undoubtedly things that are staged, like you mentioned the surprise at the beginning is sure to be staged. Getting permits for all of that work would also take them some time. I’m sure they have skilled folks to make all of these things as streamlined as possible, but government rarely moves quickly in my experience.
The show seems to be doing well enough that I’m sure home builders are thrilled to be part of the show. No matter how much it might cost the builder to get the home done, it would be even more expensive to buy the kind of exposure they get on the show. I’m okay with that, the end result is still a great thing the families that are being helped.
It is nice to see large amounts of resources be brought in to make a difference in the lives of people who need it.
Don’t you think true philanthropy would help out a lot more people in need, rather than heap luxuries on one particularly TV-worthy group of lottery-winning-lucky people?
I agree that there are more effective ways to spend that kind of money. I suppose I looked at it more from the point of view that it is nice to see a TV show doing something good for people.
Actually, they are in Lincoln, Nebraska right now. Demo started yesterday. The news reports say that there are 5 or 6 “finalist” families. Those families all work with someone from ABC to figure out what things need to stay in the house, etc. There is prep work done ahead of time, but apparently the family doesn’t know until the design team shows up at their door that they actually won.
ABC undoubtably knows early enough to order the stuff or find a builder, which sounded like it was a selection process as well.
Everyone is tightlipped about when the show will air. So I am guessing there is a definate lag in actually building/taping, editing and ready for TV.
As for a more effective way to spend money, I am hoping communities use this as a jumping off point. Sometimes seeing that it can be done and how it can be done, might mean it can be done more often and by more people. The “extreme” part of this might be helpful in that way. Sometimes life gets too hard for everyone and too many times we give up before we start.
What do you think of the family tonight? Mrs Tate, who said to the people left in the plane who crashed into her house, “Sorry I can’t help you” and took her selfish self out of the house leaving the people and her animals in the house. She made NO attempt to save anyone or her animals but herself!!! And then she has the NERVE to ask for a new home because they failed to pay for their home insurance??????????
the show really does stick to their seven-day time line. The family is told that they’re all supposed to be home to meet with ABC casting reps, but in fact they are going to be surprised by ty and the design team. The producers work to arrange the time off for them in advance. Sure, there is a lot of advance planning, but they really do stick to their week and they really do surprise the family.
I loved all the comments I read here. I think that even though some might feel that the show’s end result might be overly lavish for a single family, I guess I would rather have the show in existence rather than not – that way, at least good people who are in genuine need after enduring extraordinary hardships (in most cases) have the opportunity to see life as “good” once again. Life is hard for most all of us, but then having to deal with some of the terrible things these families have gone through is something I don’t even want to imagine having to endure.
Given all that, I would like to alert as many good-hearted people as possible to an effort that is underway to change another family’s life through Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I’m not someone who typically gets involved in an effort like this simply because we are accustomed to seeing so many scams online or in our email. So I’m a little bit astonished that I am here trying to reach out on someone’s else’s behalf. The difference is, that I have taken the time to learn about this family, and I can say with 100% confidence that this case is purely a heartfelt effort by a bunch of people whose hearts have been touched by this family’s story. I haven’t seen every single episode of EMHE, but of those I have seen, this family’s experience goes well beyond the awful hardships the show has already brought to our attention.
Anyway, please take a look at the website located at http://www.homeforlila.com. Take the time, if you can spare a few minutes to really read about this woman and her family. And then, if you feel so inclined, there’s a link that leads to where you can leave a nomination, and as individuals who have found our own reasons for why we believe in the spirit of the show’s intent, please identify yourself as such because your voice counts…it absolutely counts.
If I remember right, durning the first year or two, they showed how they got the house done in one week and how they get everyone done, I think it was a house that was done up in Washington, the state. They (ABC reps and such) get with the family a head of time to see what they want and everything. When they take the house down the family has already told them what they want to keep and what they want to toss. They do try and use their own stuff as much as possible. And the one week thing is true. Working in construction, I just wonder how much problems are the results of a house being done in one week. Concrete, the house settleing, etc. Just wondering….
@Carol –
Good point about wondering how the quality goes when having to work so fast. I would imagine that they want to make sure that they have as few problems as possible. Can you imagine how much bad publicity they would get if they didn’t take care of any problems that might have come up?
Hi! I am currently in the ‘application process’ for EMHE. There was a small article in our local paper about them wanting to come to my town. I found your website while researching how they select families, what they do, etc. Two people who nominated us have received emails back from the casting department asking for additional information and photos, etc. We have sent in our application and video as well. This site was insiteful for us, thank you!
You can read my families plight at my blog: http://www.pink-n-sparkly.blogspot.com. You can also email me at raidergirl71@hotmail.com.
If you guys like Extreme Makeover Home Edition, you’ll love One Good Turn. It’s by the co-creator of EMHE and premieres this Saturday, Nov 1 on ABC Family channel. Here’s the AIM page…http://profiles.aim.com/ogt