Thay did the same thing next door to me a year or so ago. Before filming, they let the lawn die, let the pool go green, and threw old toys and junk in the overgrown weeds to make the place look shabby prior to filming. Of course, the family then had to look surprised that they were chosen! I told my co-workers that my neighborhood is really pretty nice - not like they made it look for the show!

That's a shame that it's staged for TV. And that someone got it who didn't need it. Bummer. :(

I've always thought that show was so bogus I couldn't watch. But the show is aptly named; it is extreme. All not-so-thinly-veiled advertising for sponsors.

What I'd really love to see is a re-visit a year or two later, with honest current pictures and feedback from the recipients. Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen. Sandy

I actually love watching the show even though I've long suspected it was at least partially staged and perhaps not always the most deserving recipient. When it comes to any reality show on TV I have three words for ya "Think professional wrestling". :o)

We had one of the shows done in our area last year. (It was last season's finale show) The local builders and suppliers who volunteered are still using it to tout their expertise. Overall it was very staged. Apparently, the owners weren't even there when they said "move that bus" In addition, the owner of the home had some issues with her own neighbors before she even had this done. Of course, they had to hold their tongues about her background history so as not to seem jealous. She was quite a rebel rouser in her town according to the local gossip. I never paid much attention to the activities nor did I watch the show or drive by her new home. Of course, her kids were deserving, but many stories were floating around about her not being that deserving. Could be jealousy on their part, but who knows for sure.

I love the show. It's great entertainment. However, my wife and I were talking just last night about how it is staged and setup. Nevermind the volunteer help comes out of the woodwork. They are great.

Besides the 'drama' they setup... if they didn't do extensive research and planning ahead of time, how else would you account for:

* Materials being on site, on time
* Inspections happening
* Building plans, blueprints, and design details
* excavation equipment on site
* city utilities hooked up

Is it staged? Absolutely some portions are staged/pre-planned. Do I mind? No, not really. It is still good TV as far as I'm concerned.

And I recently picked up a great tip on a recent re-run where I say a drywall installer rapidly put up metal cornerbead w/ a pneumatic gun. Oh, what a timesaver that turned out to be for me. Pounding in nails takes forever - and you have to be so careful not to hit the corner.

They've got nothing on the "Flip This House" frauds.

I like the show when I catch it, which isn't often. 8:00 on a Sunday night is bedtime for 4 kids and making lunches and organizeing clothes for the next morning....boring!! I have always assumed that portions of the program are staged, some "extremely" staged:-) But hey, it's entertainment, and Sears makes out by looking great and advertisers pay big bucks and hopefully reap the rewards because that is how the system works. Real day to day life in most cases does not warrant a tv show, at least my life doesn't and we never have a dull moment!

I wouldn't want to presuppose whether or not someone was deserving. I don't know all of the details of their lives nor do I want to. I wouldn't want someone judging me on a variety of issues for a myriad of reasons.

Building this house has stretched us to the brink in many ways. My 4 year old entered his first year of school last month, pre-k. I get him to school nearly every day late (although I'm not late to pick him up, thank goodness!) because I'm usually meeting with a) the electrician b) the flooring guy c) the gc d) the landscaper....I could go on...or I'm working around my current house (with the hope that someone will come in and fall in love with it and perhaps start a bidding war on the front lawn) and I'm always covered in paint from painting this or that, or dirt from working in the yard, or dirt from the crawl space where I'm trying to organize and pack.......

In any event, the impression I have made with my son's preschool must certainly be unfavorable. I hope they will extend me some grace, because all is not as it appears. That's all I'm saying.

Amy

Please excuse the type-o's, I do know how to spell organizing. Who is the one who always says "reason 8001 why we need an editing function on this site"!! I agree!

Well said amyks! I enjoy the show also, when I get a chance, and I would not want to pass judgment on whether someone was deserving or not.
The show usually makes me cry because of the good will that is given and the recipients are so grateful. Not very many of those kind of shows on TV. Did you say "grace" amyks? I love that word and what it means!

So this morning they actually filmed the bus scene. It was a day late due to weather and final work. They still have quite a few small things to do but nothing major. A friend of mine worked Tuesday night from 9pm until 10am Wednesday morning. He spent almost all of the time laying concrete pavers for the driveway.

They have had to go so fast with the build that they must get a pretty good company to handle warranty work. It reminded me of the show Ty was on when he began where you and your neighbor switch and remodel a room. Not everyone is a professional so the work isn't always perfect.

I didn't realize they relied so heavily on volunteers. With the heavy rains almost every day people they expected failed to show up which put them behind.

Quite a few kids from school took the day off to watch and be part of the crowd. They moved the bus at 10am and spent all day filming the insterior and exterior scenes.

I also didn't realize they have two of these going at once. Apparently Ty flew back and forth between this house and one in Colorado.

twotogo, yes, grace!! It is what I pray for every day. That I extend it, and that I receive it from others, especially the Lord above ;-)

Amy

I know that it's been filmed twice in my area over the last two years. What I want to know is how in the heck do those homes get inspected for everything? In my city, we had to have the inspector out for so many different things during the first half of the construction. Luckily we passed everything on the first go around but...I can't imagine since they move at such a fast pace, how this works out. Or maybe we have stricter codes/requirements? I'd love to know this.

Also, how is the quality of these homes built in just a week's time?

me too, Amy! His grace is the best :)

I've always been curiuos as to the quality of the work done as well.....

I would have to think the quality is still ok if they get a good sub to do it for them. The quality of work will be as good as the sub that week and any job there after. I only say that b/c our good friend is in the heat & air buisness and was the one to do the makeover in these parts. They are the one doing our build as well. They do great quality work, I wouldn't expect them to intentionally do less than par. They just had a bunch more guys and worked longer (and different) hours than normal.

Look, if any of you have ever doubted that EHM is primarily about marketing and sponsorship and secondarily about helping "those that we are told that need," you really need to watch the show more with a discerning eye!

You also need to watch the movie "Wild Hogs" with Travolta, William H. Macy and Tim Allen. Ty 'moves that bus' in the closing credits for the Del Fuegos... a tragically challenged "family." It's just about the friggin' funniest thing you could ever see for anyone who understands EHM, marketing and TV.

Oh jeannekay, I didn't mean I thought the people would purposely do sub par work for economic benefit. I just meant I wondered if they wouldn't cut corners timewise therefore making the work less than stellar.:o)

The one thing my DH and I can't figure out is how they pour the foundation and start building on it the next day. What kind of foundation do they use that allows you to build on it 12 hours later?

Plus, the added drama doesn't surprise me. I know people who have been on these shows back in California and they stage so much of the whole thing. Not Extreme Home Makeover, but other makeover TV shows. My friend participated in one show that will start airing next year on HGTV and she was busy working, so they had her son's former teacher stand-in as her husband's wife - isn't that crazy? the show didn't care. The "new" wife was 25 years old and very pretty so the producers loved it. She made for a great photo op.

I've had that show contact me about doing some work on one of their shows. It's all about the money. They get big bucks from the contractors to be on the show. They call it "production" cost. Very little in return for the contractor imo so I declined.

Al

There are two homes that I know something about each of them -

the participants do not know who is choosen until they open the door. They are told there are two other families that are in the selection process - you don't know until that morning - they knock and you find out if you are in or out. Meanwhile they are already packed to go.

Staged - sure. While they may not tell the "winner" they have already done all the background work. Most of the home comes in preassambled. Along with an army to put it all in place. Including the inspectors being on site 24/7 - it makes the community just as eager to give the family a hand up.

My question is the same a someone prior - what do they look like today?? The one closest to me is open for "tours" at $10 a head as they cannot pay for the additional utilities and taxes. I have heard that there was one in california where the older brother took in his five sibs - after the show he tossed them out. Makes me wonder... and how do you maintain some of the over the top themed bedrooms for the kids? YIKES

columbus gardener- I remember that show with the brother who was taking care of his siblings. That is so sad that he threw them all out afterwards. That would break my heart if I was one of the volenteers or contractors who worked so hard to build that home.

It is also interesting to hear about the family offering tours. I always would wonder how these poor families were going to be able to maintain these homes and pay the taxes.

Has anyone sold their home yet? Are they able to sell their home? Or, do they have to sign some sort of contract that does not allow them to sell within a certain amount of time?