 | 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. |
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
- ABC, Syndicated
- Genre: Reality TV
Common Sense Media says
Interesting and dramatic ... for a reality show.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is an emotionally intense reality show featuring families with special needs whose lives are completely changed when the crew's bus rolls into town. The series' messages about community and helping others are strong enough that its occasional detours into the land of materialism can be forgiven.
What's the story?
After his successful stint on Trading Spaces, Ty Pennington, the enigmatic team leader of EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION, has become a virtual rock star of home redesign. His good looks, can-do attitude, and rather easygoing demeanor make him the perfect person to get the impossible job done -- and impossible it seems. Every week, thousands of families send tapes to the show's producers, pleading their case as to why their family needs a home remodel. The crew reviews the tapes, finding one that really touches them, and then they take action. When the crew's bus rolls into town, the entire neighborhood rallies around the project and a remodeling task is undertaken and completed in one week's time. The family is taken to a hotel for the time being, with no idea how their house will look when they return.
Is it any good?
To demolish, disinfect, uproot, restructure, and decorate a home is a task that usually takes months. The fact that this crew can do it in less than a week is unbelievable. What drives them to succeed, apparently, is the belief that they are doing something good for the people who need the remodel. And consequently the viewer often hears the reference to the good deed, which can be a little bit of a bore.
At best, this show raises awareness about people who truly struggle from day to day. (Many times these families have special needs -- like a child who is deathly allergic to molds living in a mold-infested house, for example.) But at worst, this series emphasizes the materialistic nature of our society -- that the glamour and gloss that big money can buy makes everything all right. Still, for a reality show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition makes for interesting, dramatic viewing.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the makeover process and compare life before and after the crew leaves.
Was the community coming together for the family in need before the
cameras began rolling? What kinds of changes will these people's lives
undergo when all is said and done?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
perfict for the whole family
It shows kids and adults of all ages that just helping out one person can change lives and it makes you feel great when you do it because there are a lot of people out there that give to others before they give to themselves and even they need a help out of the hole that they got themselves in
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Teaching Good Citizenship
Even though it's a bit commercial (Sears, ABC, Disney), the show helps people. It also makes for a family friendly show that opens up discussion about being a good citizen and helping those in need. It's a must-see on Sunday evenings.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Good TV
Finally, a show where the whole idea is doing for others. Yes, a little sappy at times, and probably boring for most kids, but I feel touched every week. What an opportunity for our kids to see families different from themselves, and in need, and to see things made better by a group of people helping them out. Love this show and what it demonstrates.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Cute, well-meaning show...
In a world where reality shows consist of people eating snake eyes and marrying eachother for money, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is the reality show with a heart. It picks out families that are either poor, have handicapped children, or are otherwise unfortunate, and gives their homes lavish, wonderful makeovers. The makeover is done in one week. This a show that your whole family can watch together, and enjoy. Why ABC rates it TV-PG I'll never understand, cause this is a G show if there ever was one.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Pretty Great
It wasn't until after I read Dana Reinhardt's "How to Build a House: A Novel", I hated Extreme Makeover. Once I started watching it though, you get sucked in, and you get after an episode that you need to do SOMETHING. Might be boring/awkward for younger viewers, because of all the crying.
Plus this show has Ty Pennington!
Fantastic.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Awesome show
My 4 yo and I watch each week and she loves watching the builders and seeing the final outcome. We talk about how they are helping a family build a new home because they really need it and can not do it themselves. I love it.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| TV rating: | TV-PG |
| Networks: | ABC, Syndicated |
| Cast: | Paul DiMeo, Tracy Hutson, Ty Pennington |
| 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
