 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Over Designed
- TLC
- Genre: Reality TV
Common Sense Media says
Decor expert helps people learn that less is more.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this interior decorating-themed show doesn't have much age-inappropriate content (but, but the same token, its subject matter may not interest kids). The folks featured on the show often end up getting teased regarding their decorating obsessions, but it's not direct, and friends and family members are generally more interested in helping them than embarrassing them. The terms "intervention" and "enabling" are used frequently, which people who've been affected by addiction might find trivializing.
What's the story?
What happens when someone takes a design metaphor and goes overboard with it? OVER DESIGNED helps folks who've done just that -- whether it's plastering palm trees all over everything, embracing an African theme that's run amok, or a home that's overrun with too many penguins. In each episode, host Kenneth Brown gathers the featured person's friends and family members; together they stage an "intervention" and send the person off to a hotel while Brown and co. redo the problem room.
Is it any good?
The show works for three reasons. First, the intervention is done with a great deal of kindness and love. Second, the issue usually isn't so much the person's passion as it is that someone else needs to share the space (and needs some room for their own style). And third, Brown manages to create spaces that take the reasons behind the person's passion into consideration. The woman who had a thing for palm trees, for example, associated the trees with vacations and resorts -- so she got a resort-themed room that honored her love without all of the palms.
And, of course, there are some good design hints for the viewing audience -- like using horizontal stripes on the wall of a small room to make it look bigger.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether shows like this are meant to inform, entertain, or both. What can people watching at home take away? Do shows like this make it easier to help friends make changes in their own lifestyle? Is this a nice way to help someone? Is it fair to question someone's individual taste if you don't share it?
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
| TV rating: | TV-G |
| Network: | TLC |
| Genre: | Reality TV |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
