These shows are sort of addictive…if you have never seen them, two couples switch homes for two days and re-do a room in the other’s house for under $1000.
Think about letting your neighbors re-decorate your living room - yeah, it can get really ugly.
I have noticed that the US version (an hour long on TLC) is a bit better in that they show more HOW to do things, whereas the UK version (30 minutes on BBC America) is more of a slam/bam look at what we did.
While I appreciate the visuals and courage with color, I think the UK version is a little cheesier with decoration. Some of their changes are so cheaply done (I have seen theater sets done better) that most of their work wouldn’t hold up longer than a few days under most family’s wear and tear.
Another quibble is the $1000 budget. I am aware they are trying to show people it doesn’t cost a fortune to spruce up the old homestead, but some of these people have expensive homes and they are using old fuzzy bathmats to re-upolster furniture!
The highpoint of each show is seeing the reactions as the neighbors go back into their homes and see the results! Again, think of YOUR neighbors re-designing a room in your house.
I haven’t yet caught any of the Changing Rooms shows, but Trading Places is one of my favorites. I like when they cry.
Did you see the one where they were down in Florida and one family was getting their 10 year old kid’s room redone? They did it up in Texas cowboy style with longhorns on the wall, roped piping around the ceiling and thrushes on the headboard… It almost made me cry watching it, but the kid acted like he liked it. Most surreal hour of TV I’ve seen in months. Every new development was like “They’re gonna do WHAT now??? Can this get any worse?” And it always did.
Oh and by the way, my favorite episode was Seattle: 137th Street. The woman left specific instructions not to touch the fireplace. Of course, good ole’ Doug just couldn’t take it and completely transformed the fireplace. The room looked awesome! During the viewing the wife had to walk off camera she was so upset, you could hear her sobbing in the other room. Hell lady, what did you expect? They are designers and you invited them into your home. Go have a bon bon and you’ll feel better. Besides, you can’t tell a scorpio what he can and can not do.
I don’t know about the US but I think I’d be right in saying that in the UK there are (or have been) several of these shows. Presumably – as they ain’t completely stupid – each seems to target a slightly different audience. There was one I actually enjoyed – an hour long, ½ garden, ½ a room in the house and quite a lot of context (visits to whatever had provided the visual inspiration)…might have been called ‘Home Front’ – not quite sure. Had Lawrence L-B doing the interior and an Irish guy called Dermot in the garden. Interesting, a little risky and innovative.
I’d hazard ‘Changing Rooms’ is the bottom rung – in terms of broadcast time, production budget and target audience. Sounds like the US version might be targeting a slightly different (or combo) of markets ?
The Australian version is pretty crappy too. I forgot what it’s called. Lots of airtime taken up with egocentric wankers slamming doors, and going out into the backyard and sulking, etc, because they didn’t get their way.
BBC America shows: Changing Rooms, Ground Force (Alan and co. redo your garden in two days as a surpise to someone in the household), House Invaders (two of the designers from CR switch duties as hostesses here. They go to a house and help spiff up a couple rooms ONLY using stuff that’s already available in the house), and I think Home Front (I’ve heard it mentioned on commercials, but haven’t seen it on the guide).
I personally like all of them, and I like Changing Rooms better than Trading Spaces.
And I’m sorry, but I’ll be forced to kidnap Laurence and bring him to be my slave. mmmmm…
I think CHANGING ROOMS started the whole thing. . . and TRADING SPACES is the borrowed American version. I like them both, but I wonder why the British paint seems so thick and yummy. HOME FRONT IN THE GARDEN is pretty scarey. Lots of big cubes to live in outdoors. Yikes! GROUND FORCE is a lot of fun. I could kick myself for missing GROUND FORCE IN NEW YORK. Fortunately, being as it’s BBC America, it will be on again next week about 16 times!
And, since I am an older person, I’ll snatch Frank for myself!
