Has anybody been watching the home makeover show on ABC on Sundays?

Holy cow, I was bawling by the end of last night's emotional 2-hour show. It was a family of two deaf parents with a young (I think 10 years old) blind autistic son, and an amazing 14-year-old son who basically takes care of the communication and safety needs of the whole family. The blind son is a genius savant who reads braille voraciously. The amazing thing was to see the deaf parents talk to the blind son by doing rapid-fire sign language into his hand. The 14-year-old is intelligent, compassionate, and mature way beyond his years. Hell, way beyond my own 40-year self. In the end, he was awarded a $50,000 college scholarship.

On several of the recent shows they've actually torn down the house and built a new one in 7 days. On this episode they got back to their roots of doing a major makeover of the existing house and yard, which I think is more interesting than a new house. It's always amazing how they seem to come up with the perfect solutions for the special needs of the family, whether it's a medical condition, or whatever. Last night they included lots of sensory experiences in the house for the young son, and high-tech touches for the deaf parents to keep tabs on him.

Last night was the first time I watched this show. Great television. Hard to complaing about reality tv with a show like this.

There must have been pollen or something else floating around in the air last night, my eyes kept getting watery and I do not cry at television!

I like to watch the show, but my partner hates it. I've seen a couple of shows that have reduced me to tears. One was of a family with 8 or 9 kids, and the dad had died. They totally renovated the home, and at the end put all the pictures of the family, includeding the dad, on the wall, lit by candles, and called it the wall of memories (I think). Well, at that point I was a mess, but even all of the contracters were as well, so I didn't feel so bad.
If a big butch construction foreman can cry at that point, so can I.

And I'm not the emotional one in the relationship. His lordship is a lot worse than me. That's why I always have to do the emotional stuff. But that show, for some reasons, pushes all my buttons.

But I'd KILL for a 6 burner stove like they normally put in.

I wish I could blame it on Pollen, Up here in the frozen north, we cot 5cm of SNOW last night.

:mad:

My current roommates are considering applying their home for a makeover. It really needs it. There's a noticable lack of indoor lighting (we need lamps!), the hardwood floors need insulation, the landscaping could use improvement, and the back porch is in dire need of remodeling. And they're stuck with a second house that can't be sold because of oil leakage under it. Help, ABC!

Total sucker for this show, yeah.

And last night's episode was great. You can tell some of the stuff is set up, but it still tugs your heart-strings.

Case in point, Ty seemingly puts Marlee Maitlin (looking fabulous, by the way) on the spot by asking her if she knows anyone can help send the older son to college. The older son takes care of his blind and autistic brother and who also interprets for his deaf parents.

At the end of the episode, Ms. Maitlin shows up with a jumbo check for $50,000, and the kid was already crying just because she was there with a gift for him (he didn't know what it was). Plus, to see his mom's face light up when she saw Marlee walk thru their gate. Awwww...

I blather on and on. Anyway, yeah, it's a good show. I've started shopping Sears just because of the show, actually.

The only potential "down side" is that the property taxes also increase tremendously. ABC has apparently tried to address this problem by "renting" the houses from the families and paying them a sizeable chunk of $$$ to reduce that tax load.

More here:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/ne...-makeover_x.htm

I avoided this show mostly because of the obnoxiousness of Ty Pennington. And I felt like ABC was such a whore to peddle the show on the Emmys and say that it was one of television history's most popular show. Oh really?

But I watched last night's episode because I read about it in the New York Times. It was very enjoyable and the Times article says that if you don't cry, you must be a robot, so I had to watch to test myself, and yes, I was bawling. I especially like the 14-year-old, he seemed older for his age, and seemed like the sweetest kid.

I wonder, though, how sturdy a house can be built so quickly. I mean, sure, it looks pretty on TV, but will it survive a rain storm?

Love the show, and I always end up sobbing by the end....I missed this past Sunday's show, tho...A friend of mine worked on the communication system they put into the house...

First off....TY IS A HOTTIE! LOL And he's not generally the type I would go for, but he's funny and sincere so that adds to it.

Last night I saw the rerun of the deaf mother and father, the autistic son, and the other son who takes care of everyone. It was the second show I have seen, and the second show that had made my eyes all wet! I am sooo not an emotional person, I don't cry...... I balled at my Dad's funeral 5 yrs ago, and before that I can't even remember when I had....but this show is awesome.!!!!!

Extreme Makeover is doing a house in KC as we speak. It's for a single-father firefighter who took in two children in addition to his own three, and works two additional jobs to support them all. Last year he saved the life of a paramedic who had been shot, while in the line of fire by a a crazy man who was barricaded inside a house.

The local ABC affiliate has been covering the home makeover. They tore down the old house on Friday, poured foundations on Saturday, and had the new house all framed up by Sunday afternoon. The family returns home on Wednesday. The company I work for is involved in the production, providing dinner every evening for the construction workers, but they were overwhelmed with volunteers and I didn't get in on it soon enough to get a "VIP" pass. When the episode airs in May, I don't know if we're going to be a sponsor of the program, or if we get any publicity out of this, or what... but watch for a national food-related company based here on the KC home makeover, and you'll know where I work!

Coincidentally, TLC did a "While You Were Out" a couple miles from my house on Thursday and Friday last week. We had a huge event going on at our office, and I didn't have time to go sneak a peek at Evan or Andrew.

Casting for the next season of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has begun. And if you want Ty Pennington to come make your house into a brand new home, then there better be something seriously wrong with you or a member of your family. The Smoking Gun website somehow managed to obtain an e-mail that an ABC executive sent to the network's affiliates, asking them for help in locating serious hard luck cases to feature on the show. And the guy even offered a list of tragic circumstances they're looking for!!! For instance, ABC would like to help out a family with a child who suffers from anhidrosis, a disease that prevents children from feeling any physical pain. The e-mail says, "There are 17 known cases in the U.S. Let us know if one is in your town!" They're also looking for kids with Progeria a.k.a. "little old man's disease". That's the condition that causes children to age rapidly. Has your family been affected by a hate crime? Have you had a child killed by a drunk driver? Do you have more than one child, adopted or biological with Down Syndrome? Well, then it looks like ABC wants you!

Here's the link.

I love this show. And one of the things I love about it is that they really do a great job of finding deserving families to assist. Their methods may seem odd - advertising for hard luck cases - but if it means that the same type of families who have been helped in the past will continue to receive help, then I see no disgrace in their methods.

And Ed the bald carpenter ... hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.

I agree Gaga and I'm Ed the bald appraiser!

Ed is very hot and wears a tool belt nicely- the show always makes me cry at the end- but they do seem to help people who deserve it.

[ March 28, 2006, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: jaragonus ]

I love his accent too

He's a doll. I want to enter that contest to win a home makeover by Paige, Ed, or Paul ... but only if I can choose Ed.

Did I mention I don't actually have a home? He'll have to find some other way to make me over!

My Mom called me last night to say that Ty and the rest of the gang are in my hometown building a home for someone. My Mom wasn't sure who, but I'll keep you informed on who it may be and what they are doing to the house.

Well, I don't know the family, but they do seem like they deserve it.

We'll all be on pins and needles. Oh wait wrong show.

I'll stop by your bar and we can watch it together when it airs.

I hope you can wait that long being on pins and needles.

[ September 08, 2006, 07:27 AM: Message edited by: Allen ]

Oh drats we're going to be closed for renovations that week.

Oh whatever.

It's cool that I'll see the area I grew up on national TV.

I was flipping between The Simpsons and this last night. It was great to see some familiar faces in the crowd during this home makeover.

I was touched last night and it did make me a little home sick.