Holmes on Homes
Parents say
Based on 5 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the star of this series -- contractor Mike Holmes -- has a fair amount of attitude, especially toward shoddy construction work. He clearly expresses his disdain, with errant contractors and builders earning the lion's share fair of his ire. These people aren't named or shown, but some parents might take issue with Holmes pointing the finger of blame. That said, kids probably won't be too interested in the subject matter, so the point may be moot.
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What's the Story?
When you hire a contractor or builder who messes up, Canadian contractor Mike Holmes is the guy you want fixing it. In each episode of HOLMES ON HOMES, Holmes comes in and fixes the damage that other folks left behind -- often finding even more wrong than he originally thought.
Is It Any Good?
What makes Holmes entertaining to watch is that he's very opinionated and has no patience with shoddy workmanship. In fact, half the fun of the show is watching Holmes all but lose it when he discovers that a given problem is worse than he originally thought. For example, in an episode in which a builder messed up a flat roof so that water ran into the rest of the house, Holmes found that the exterior wall was installed so that it looked insulated but was actually only insulated at the top, where the building inspector would see it. He didn't quite break down and swear, but you know he wanted to.
The show's only downside is that it requires viewers to decipher the language of home construction. Unless you're already a contractor, when Holmes is talking about a specific task, it can be a little tricky to figure out what he's talking about.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the show is edited. How long do you think the featured construction jobs actually took to complete? Why would producers want to speed up viewers' sense of the time involved? Do any errors or mistakes get introduced as a result?
Also, what's the appeal of shows about home construction/decoration/sales? Why are there so many shows like this on the air?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 22, 2003
- Cast: Mike Holmes
- Network: HGTV
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-G
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
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