Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is an Emmy Award-winnig ABC reality television series that began broadcasting on December 3, 2003 as a special and as a regular television series since February 15, 2004, in which a family's house, including all rooms, exterior and landscaping, is made over by a team of builders and designers in seven days while the family goes off on vacation. It is a spinoff of Extreme Makeover. The series is a production of Endemol USA (the people behind Big Brother, Fear Factor, Deal or No Deal, and other reality shows) in association with Disney/Buena Vista's Greengrass Productions.
| Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Ty Pennington
Paul DiMeo, Paige Hemmis, Tracy Hutson, Daniel Kucan, Tanya McQueen, Michael Moloney, Constance Ramos, Ed Sanders, Preston Sharp (late in first season), Eduardo Xol |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 69 (to date, including After the Storm episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes per episode |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | December 3, 2003 (television special); February 15, 2004 (regular series) – present |
The show is one of ABC's top-rated series and has become more popular than the original Extreme Makeover.
The show is hosted by Ty Pennington, formerly a carpenter on the show Trading Spaces. It is sponsored by Sears (and their properties, Craftsman and Kenmore), for which Pennington serves as a spokesman and which are prominently featured in the episodes. The series is devoted to rebuilding families' homes when the family is in need of new hope. Some scenes were staged, including the Muppets as guest-stars.
The band that sings the theme song on the show's opening credits is Of a Revolution.
The show also had a series of specials that later became a regular series during the 2004-2005 television season entitled Extreme Makeover Home Edition: How’d They Do That? During the 2005-2006 season they went to areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.
Format
The majority of episodes are one hour; however, in some instances (mainly if complications are involved) the episode will be a two-parter and will start at 7PM Eastern Time (one hour ahead of its normal 8PM Eastern Time slot).
Each show begins with a shot of Ty in the team's bus saying "I'm Ty Pennington, and the renovation starts right now." Then, the chosen family is briefly profiled; their nomination video is shown to the team (and to the television audience). Ty then brings the team together in a huddle and leads them in a chant of "let's DO IT!" Next, Ty and the design team visit the family's home and proceed to give the family a "wake-up call" (courtesy of Ty's bullhorn) by shouting "Good Morning {family's name}!" The team will then go throughout the house, finding out about the family's interests as design inspiration.
The family will then be sent off on a one-week vacation (where applicable, airfare is provided by Southwest Airlines, whose involvement is noted at the end of the show) while the house is renovated or demolished, depending on its condition and the family's needs. (One episode in season three did not include a vacation because the family's daughter was in isolation at a local hospital). Beginning with Season 3 the demolitions have become quite creative; the team has used falling trees, tanks, and even monster trucks to accomplish the task where needed.
A local home builder (sometimes two builders) and community volunteers begin basic work (electrical, plumbing, roofing, and if the house is demolished framing a new one) while the design team begins designing the creative aspects of the house. Once the basic work is completed, the design team then will add the finishing touches. Shows often feature design team members making a trip to a local Sears store as well as special guest appearances.
At the end of the week, the family returns to their home, to see cheering crowds and the view of their home blocked by a bus (for larger projects, two buses block the home). When Ty and the family give the order "bus driver, move that bus!" (or "those buses"), the family sees the end result of the team's efforts. Ty's "secret room" is usually the last item featured on the show. Often a child's bedroom or the parent's master bedroom, the room receives Ty's special attention. Some episodes feature special gifts given to the family by outside parties.
Cast
- Ty Pennington (host/design team leader/carpentry)
- Paul DiMeo (carpentry)
- Paige Hemmis (carpentry)
- Tracy Hutson (shopping/style)
- Daniel Kucan (interior design)
- Tanya McQueen (interior design)
- Michael Moloney (interior design)
- Constance Ramos (building/planning)
- Ed Sanders (carpentry)
- Preston Sharp (exteriors/big ideas)
- Eduardo Xol (landscaping)