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Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 11:43 AM   #1
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Big Doings in Podunk

Any of you familiar with the ABC show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”? It’s way too schmaltzy for my taste, but they do some good work for deserving people, and I find the 7 day destruction and construction of a house very interesting.

The show selected a family in a nearby small town and the making of the show dominated the news the past two weeks in the local paper...both issues (it’s a weekly ). The paper covered a lot of the background on how the family was selected and how they were able to complete the house in less than 5 days!

The family was nominated by the high school team where the dad is a coach (ABC says it receives 5,000 nominations per week for the show). The family has four children and two are disabled. The three year old is so severely impaired by a brain deformation that she cannot sit or stand, is legally blind and is fed through a tube. The old house was small and had no handicapped access making it very difficult for the family to care for the severely disabled daughter as she grows.

Although the selected family didn’t find out about their selection until the TV bus pulled up in front of the house, they had been told by ABC they were one of 6 finalists and that show staff would need access to the old house to determine what needed to be done. In reality the family had been selected for the makeover more than two months earlier, and ABC had met with the city council in secret and asked for cooperation in staging the construction of the house. A lot of coordination is required with local permitting agencies who had someone on-site 24/7 during construction so there were no delays while inspections were completed. Police, utility, and other agencies were brought into the planning process weeks prior to the event and all sworn to secrecy. They were able to keep the whole thing under wraps for almost two months, an amazing feat in a small town.

If you are familiar with the show, you know that idiot Ty Pennington is the “star”. ABC is producing a makeover series on the Gulf Coast, and Pennigton was busy with that production. So, ABC found a suitable substitute star to fill in for him...Kermit the Frog.

The paper covered lots of details about how they stage all the materials and work crews. For example, the concrete used for the slab is twice the strength of the concrete normally used and allowed framing to begin with 3 hours of finishing the pour. The destruction of the old house began on Tuesday and the new house was completed and furniture was being moved in on Saturday night, total elapsed time: 120 hours.

I thought about driving over to take a look at the work going on, but not being a big fan of crowds, decided to pass on the opportunity. We did drive over this weekend to take a look at the finished product. I was expecting something very showy, but it is just a very nice looking house, one that fits in with others in the neighborhood. The family cannot discuss with anyone what the interior of the house looks like until the show airs in early April. They did say the new house was a little over 3,000 sf, compared to 1,900 for the old one.

If I wasn’t retired I woudn’t have had the time to savor this exciting local event...
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 11:46 AM   #2
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

Are you refering to Uvalde TX?
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 11:49 AM   #3
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

Quote:
Originally Posted by mickeyd
Are you refering to Uvalde TX?
Hondo.

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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 12:20 PM   #4
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

I find the show is hokey but I like what the do for people that need the help. It's truely amazing what they can pull off in a short amount of time and be able to keep it secret for months.
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 12:39 PM   #5
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

Wow - that is fascinating! It is a schlocky show, but I have always been totally fascintated by how they could possibly accomplish what they do in a week.

Very interesting to hear about this inside info - getting the city in on the deal and all without the family finding out. I wonder if that's why they often do this in smaller towns rather than big cities? Better cooperation from the city administration...

Do you know what day the show will air? I'll take Kermit over Ty anytime!

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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 01:04 PM   #6
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

We were told the show is scheduled for April 9, but is subject to change.


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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 02:46 PM   #7
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo!
So, ABC found a suitable substitute star to fill in for him...Kermit the Frog.
Unless Kermit is using that @#$%ing megaphone too, then I'd say that Ty has a little job-security issue to start worrying about.

Someday I'll build my fantasy "Dream House". Permits will be handled by the guys from "Extreme Home Makeover". Landscaping will be started by the crew from "Groundbreakers" (they'll let me run the equipment), the yardwork will be finished by Suzy Cuelho's team, Tommy Silva & Richard Trethewy will do the construction, it'll be painted by Nancy Travis' group, Norm Abrams will make the cabinets & furniture, storage concepts will be organized by Gail O'Neill, and of course Candice Olson can do anything with the interior that her little heart desires.

Then we'll all go out in the front yard, where Pennington has appropriately spent the week "Tyed" to a tree shouting his head off, and stomp his megaphone into scrap metal. Paige Davis will probably pay extra to join the group.

The sale of the home will be handled by the psychotics from "Buy Me", aided by Suzanne Wang of "Househunters". I haven't figured out yet what Michelle Torres will be doing, but I'm working on it...
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 05:52 PM   #8
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

Don't forget to have Tanya "Mammary" from "Sell this House" help you stage it before your list it.

DH and I call her Tanya Mammary because we always used to watch it on the wide screen down stairs. She always wore tank tops and had a lot of cleavage -- a bit too much for such a TV show. One day, we actually watched it upstairs on the regular TV and were suprised that she had normal breasts when they weren't in wide screen mode.


Nords, we watch too much TV.
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 08:12 PM   #9
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

DH recently told me that out of all of the Home Improvements shows I watch, Tanya Memme is by far his favorite.
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 03-21-2006, 08:15 PM   #10
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

I apparently need to add a season pass to my tivo for this...

To be watched on the big screen.
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 04-07-2006, 03:18 PM   #11
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

For those of you who may be interested, this episode of "Exterme Makeover: Home Edition" is scheduled to air Sunday night at 7PM Central time according to the crack reporting staff at the Hondo Anvil Herald :.

Supposed to be an expanded two hour show including the nomination of the Craft family and other details of demolition and construction. (Look for me. I'm the old guy wearing the hard hat and waving a used dryer sheet. ).

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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 04-07-2006, 05:39 PM   #12
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

Quote:
(Look for me. I'm the old guy wearing the hard hat and waving a used dryer sheet. ).
...then you're not really a squirrel as your picture depicts?
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk
Old 04-07-2006, 05:52 PM   #13
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Re: Big Doings in Podunk

Quote:
Originally Posted by mickeyd
...then you're not really a squirrel as your picture depicts?
Oh....Uh....OK, look for the old squirrel wearing a hard hat and waving a used dryer sheet.

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