"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (2003) More at IMDb Pro »TV series 2003-????

I have to shake my head when I read the comments of people that don't care for this show. It's obviously not about the nuts-and-bolts building of a house, and as far as Ty "never picking up a hammer" - for God's sake, they can't show the entire seven days of building the house, and if they did, who'd want to watch it?! Reality shows, by their nature, are cruel freak shows, highlighting the worst of human behavior, like disloyalty and back-stabbing motivated by greed (SURVIVOR comes to mind), gross-out stunts (FEAR FACTOR, anyone?), extolling the idea that physical beauty is the answer to all your problems (THE SWAN), or exploiting a near-psychotic desire to appear on TV no matter what the cost to yourself or your family (Jerry Springer and his ilk). Extreme Makeover Home Edition instead highlights the best in human behavior - compassion, a sincere desire to help someone in need, and the "pay it forward" idea that helping another human being will lead to that person helping another, and on and on. I don't enjoy being shown that people can be selfish, hateful morons that will eat a pig rectum or back-stab a friend for money or exposure, but I DO enjoy being reminded that there are people in the world willing to help others down their luck and do it in ways that change the recipient's lives.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition is a wonderful, entertaining, inspiring show, cast to perfection with funny, entertaining people who do their jobs with exquisite taste and imagination. May it run forever!