Mmm...the therapeutic effects of re-use stores! I feel ya'. Perhaps this is a bit OT, but thanks for the opportunity to join your rant, CEFreeman!

When we bought our house six years ago and moved out of a temporary rental, we unsubscribed from the cable company. (Mainly we were mad about how they kept jacking up prices, and we'd started getting most of our entertainment online or on Netflix anyway.) At first I missed HGTV and the Food Channel so much! But then, when we'd stay at a hotel and I'd gorge on the programs I loved, I realized how similar each show is, and like you described, how very annoying. Just this year as we started re-siding the house, we acknowledged that our decision to go totally wireless six years ago was permanent, so we literally cut the cord and removed the previous owner's Dish, the landline phone cords, and we called the cable company to remove their box from the house. (There's that little warning on the box that says it's the company's property and ILLEGAL for consumers to remove it.) It took three phone calls and two managers for them to figure out how to make the work order for removal because there is no "job code" for removing their property from our property. "We've never done this before." They actually tried to charge me for coming out to take the box away. Nu-uh. We're not their customers, so they don't get to charge us.

Now, instead of HGTV, I get my TKO fix here on GW! Thanks for keeping my addition alive, folks. And for keeping the advice real. And the kitchens real.

LOL...so true, CF.

And without fail....the first three words uttered after a reveal. Oh - My - God! (with hand over mouth gesture).

'You lived in a moldy, 1970s closet with no windows, peeling, flocked wallpaper, gold & brown linoleum floors and pink tile. Maybe a few bugs.
WHAT EXPECTATIONS? '

I'm with ya there! BUT, I had no idea you'd been here... you should have told me who you really were and that we were on the same forum! not sure what you mistook for flocked wallpaper or pink tile tho. are you color blind? lol! try cheap paneling and avocado...

those rude youngsters buying their first home? talk about entitlement.

when I first saw my 'to be new home' I even said 'it's a palace compared to what I'm living in'. That was after it had sat empty for 4 yrs w/windows broken out and desert sand blowing in (and staying). Almost no flooring (only old icky stuff in baths/kitchen), a number of holes in walls, doors and cabinets doors and stuff littered thru out left behind by prev owner (dirt and crud everywhere).

they did take a number of outlet/light switch/security system covers tho!

Yep, Christine, I feel the same!! Honestly, Martha Stewart is more tolerable....maybe. I rarely watch anything live, i DVR it, and then I can choose fast forward!

Nancy

Yeah, Kompy and I'm trying to teach my soon to be 10 yr old sons that OMG is taking the lord's name in vain! Instead they should say OMGosh. Then they hear it from these obnoxious people on HGTV. Yeah, I know they are saying worse behind my back.

Nothing on tv during the day. I would get rid of dish, but then I would miss True Blood and Revenge ;-)

I totally get you Christine. I wouldn't mind having Holmes visit my house either ;-)

just ditch the tv!
i sleep like a normal person since I got rid of mine - except when I can't get off this forum :)

I watch HGTV now to make fun of it, especially Property Brothers. DIY network kills me too - the brief little "quick tip" things they show are SO cheap and awful! There was one for painting cabinets to refresh a kitchen... Good idea, but they didn't even sand between coats or remove the hardware & hinges!! Seriously?? Another one showed them covering a bathroom vanity with what looked like a big faux-stainless-steel vinyl sticker and calling it a day. I come to GW for advice, I watch DIY & HGTV for comedy. The only show I enjoy anymore is Renovation Realities.

Well, you could always watch Lifetime! I'm no prude, but it always drove me crazy--especially on Trading Spaces--when the male homeowner at the reveal would say Holy S**T....and it would get bleeped out...come on, you know you are on TV and you have to say that? Ignorant! Here's what else drives me crazy with these shows...like House Hunters....they don't put the toilet seat down before filming. I've seen it where they show the bathroom with the seat up, then 15 seconds later they show it again and the seat is down. Go through the house and make adjustments before filming! And don't even get me started on the 22 year olds who thumb their noses at any house that doesnt have a jet tub/double vanities in the bathroom or granite and stainless in the kitchen!

Since having kids, I pretty much only watch Sesame Street, Handy Manny, and Oso. We DVR world news and a couple other shows just in case we ever have a childless moment. Thanks for reminding me that I'm not really missing out on anything!

Property Brothers drives me nuts! They show some unsuspecting couple a house that's 3x their top price and then promise to get them the same look by reno'ing some dump. They never mention that chances are that house they've bought has asbestos, electrical, plumbing, and structural problems that's going to chew up $$$ and a good portion of their reno budget. But the brothers know it before they ever start. That's what burns me--they never warn the couple and work with them to have more realistic expectations. They promise the moon and they know it isn't going to turn out that way.

And don't get me started on the young people Joanie mentioned. Makes me so mad. Unappreciative brats! And they wouldn't know a truly good (i.e. GW) kitchen if it bit them on their hiney--they're just looking for granite and stainless--layout doesn't mean anything to them.

I like Holmes (trust his advice) and Rehab Addict (although I've seen her do some pretty questionable things).

I have several years of hanging out on GW to thank to opening my eyes to the shabby stuff that is portrayed on most of the shows. Previously I would have taken their words of advice as gospel (after all they're in the business so they must know).

Christine, funny you should post this now as I was just ranting to my son about the RB program the other night. Good luck at Community Forklift today!

Most of the shows bug me too. I like that one where they spruce up how the outside of houses look and do something nice for the neighborhood too though, don't remember what its called. The entitlement does bug though, I wish they would show some people on the lower end of the scale, buying small houses and offering advice on how to organize/ decorate etc.
There was one I was watching, the guy kept telling them to buy above the top of their price range. I was like, what a jerk!! (stay or sell? Is that it?)

Joanie, I was about to 'get started' on the 20-somethings who want those stainless steel and granite kitchens and spa baths for their teensy budgets! Someone else called it...entitlement. I don't know why I watch because I am sick of hearing the same words at the reveals too. Thanks for the opportunity to rant. I'll just keep watching re-runs of NCIS and wait for another season of The Amazing Race....the only reality show I watch for it's funny cast of characters.

My stepdaughter watches House Hunters for goodness knows what reason. My sense is always that I must be a complete alien from some other planet, because I cannot comprehend what is so important to some of these people.

On the other hand, there are a couple of times I have watched when I say, "What vision!" There was one that I'm hazy on the details, but the way I remember it is that a woman wanted basically a cave to turn into her own place. Maybe in Central or South America? So they went to three caves and of course she chose one, and when they later showed what she did with it, it was utterly charming!

Still, I don't miss that show when my stepdaughter is not around!

bean

try the food channel. Ina's voice is so soothing... it's a great napping show. In fact... I'm off to test my theory!

Change the channel! LOL There's nothing good on HGTV anymore...unless Sarah Richardson buys another farmhouse. I'm not really into paisley, but I did like some of her ideas :)

I cancelled my cable too and don't miss it at all. Just step away!

(I wouldn't want to piss off Mike Holmes either, and it's not the guns, it's those eyes. Robert Irvine has those arms too but I think I could take him down!)

Love love love Sarah Richardson, though her "budgets" were way beyond what most us can afford. Even if I didn't like the particular style of a room, they were always beautifully put together. Always incredible how she can mix 10 or 12 fabrics in a room and it looks stunning. I'm lucky if I can get 2 fabrics to look right.

I actually think international househunters is a great chance to see houses and neighborhoods in other countries, not just famous architecture or tourist stops. Many times the buyers know that they are going to have to adapt to a new culture and are genuinely making an effort to learn the new norms. My kids love it. They loved seeing all the different kinds of toilets in Japan, as just one example!

I feel sad more than annoyed when someone fresh out of college can't just appreciate a nice clean home with no cockroaches or termites, no mold, a clear home inspection, and an easy commute to work. Those were our goals and it worked out pretty well.

We watch House Hunters International just to see the world. We never knew we wanted to go to Slovenia, but it's gorgeous!

We love Holmes on Homes at our house. My husband and I watch it together, but if he's not home, I'll call him and say I'm home in bed with Mike. :)

Once again, I'll be the first brave one to tell you I find Sara Richardson to be insipid. Her rooms are lovely if you're into pastels. Only pastels.

I dislike her sing-song narrative.
I dislike her hair.
I dislike her disregard of our budgets.
I dislike her mentioning budgets.
I dislike her whiny assistant.

That said, ironically I can put 30 fabrics together to look great. I can't pick paint. I think it's because where paint changes colors, fabric does not.

So, maybe we can trade, us here. You pick your favorite fabric, I'll pick its complements. I tell you my colors, you pick my paint.

What'cha think?

I think the shows producers (e.g. Property brothers or Love it or List it) tell the 20 somethings to be obnoxious and unrealistic. It often seems very forced.

I can't stand Property Virgins, especially the host with the whiny voice! She seems like the worst RE agent ever...she always seems to have her clients pay at or above list...even in this market!

'Then they hear it from these obnoxious people on HGTV. Yeah, I know they are saying worse behind my back.'

I'm with you on this. even if your/our kids do say those words - not allowing it around us embeds in their minds that it isn't good to talk like that.

I like HH Int'l also - that's my 'travel time' - lol! I love seeing countries around the world and a bit about how the people live differently than here. Almost like a geography class. yep, there are some beautiful places out there around the world. I loved one this past yr on Trinidad since I know 2 guys from there. They came here to school in the late 60's. I know 1 returned back, married and had 4 kids (last contact w/him;he's gpa now!). I do have to check on the other guy tho. I keep telling myself that anyway. It was interesting to see what it is like where they grew up and returned to live after bz school here. The first Christmas we knew them they each hand made a decoration for our tree (we had all friends coming over do that). I still have those and will be hanging them in my new place - hopefully Christmas of 2012. No tree anymore but will have a way to hang a few things up.

I also think those people are coached to say some of the things they do. So many say the exact same things. I have seen 1 or 2 shows where the budget was very low (for those shows) - like 80,000 - 120,000. And the people were real normal and realistic.

CEF - don't forget to post what you saw/found today.

oooh I want, I need, I must have a man cave, and the house must be move-in ready. I don't want to even paint because I have a job ( a 9-5 job) huh? 9-5, who works 9 to five anyway? Move-in ready ? Throw up, you spoiled, lazy, no goodnick. Entitled?

oh, I have been living in my wife's parents' house and saving money(all of $15k) and we now have a down payment on a $500, 000, and, nothing less. It has been sooooo difficult living in their house, therefore I deserve to have a half million dollar house because we have suffered and saved all of $15k. My mil cooks, and I really don't like what she cooks(shops for, pays for, washes dishes, etc.)And the new house must be near, or walking distance to a lot of restaurants(huh?) because we like to try all the new restaurants. They are interesting! Besides, when we come home after a long 9-5 day, we are too tired to shop and cook and want to eat something interesting, because we are so adventurous. We are especially adventurous when it comes to dining at all the new ethnic places. But we are not adventurous when it comes down to preparing our own ethnic food as we don't have time, after work. And we want to reeeeelaaaax on the weekends. And have together time. And see our friends. And all our children from our first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh relationships, and of course, we need some alone time.

Uh, I get tired of kosher hot dogs once a month. There is also the boredom factor of shrimp more than every couple of weeks. And just how interesting can life be when you have to eat chuck meat something? I Mean, how interesting, when you have lived in your mil's place (and saved a bundle).

Dummie, dont you realize that your mil makes the original ethnic food and with a good generous heart. Oh you missed that part., too bad.

LOL on the bratty first time home owners. We were 23 and 25 and newly pregnant when we bought our first (and only) house. Unlike the ones on HGTV we had a very practical set of requirements. We didn't want to be on the street, meaning we preferred being along an easement road, so the baby on the way and her later brothers wouldn't be in the street. At the time we were looking, houses tended to have monster master BRs and dinky kids' bedrooms. We wanted the kids to have rooms bigger than closets. We wanted a good size back yard. We wanted a garage to put the cars in. That was it, everything else we could make work, and we did. As things worked out financially we never moved - CA Prop 13 and a teacher's salary. Our 1500 sq. ft. 3 BR, 2 BA house was smallish for a while when the kids got to be teenagers, but we live in a great climate and they had lots of outdoor space to expand into. Now it's just us and we have the money to do stuff like remodel the kitchen. I just don't get the wrinkled up noses at paint color or counter tops - easy fixes, guys!

People MUST be watching this stuffffff...when I show the before/ after pics to people, several have wanted to know how in the WORLD did we see past what was there to what it looks like now!! ALL we did were floors and paint?!?!

OK, and tore out the kitchen and added a bathroom, but still.......we did not change much.

Nancy

I'd love to see a single person in one of these Gotta-have couples say, "Don't worry. I can fix that." or "I can make that xxxx".

It's as though they also have no idea of the value of someone who can do things.

Deluded brats. Lazy, too. Ohmygosh. I used to watch this stuff and as a residential appraiser ridiculously find myself yelling at the TV, forget the stupid carpet, what rooms get sunshine and when?! Stop whining about the kitchen counters! When your income doubles, THEN you can invest $40K in other people's elbow grease+profit margin! Every other program at least. Who's dumber here? :)

Yes, ohmygawd, ohmyGAWD, OHMYGAWD, repeat x5. Wince and smile. I imagine the screening process tends to select for good screamers.

But the big turn-off, literally, for me for a number of shows was the disgusting behavior toward others. For me this even tops hanging an old shutter sideways as an edgy new bedroom "window treatment" and the rest of THAT genre. Some of the shows actually designed abusing owners in as part of the entertainment, and of course prior owners are always game. Ugh! When the network devolved from simple remodeling and decorating to that trash is when I stopped surfing by HGTV to see what was on. Literally too many bad experiences.

Okay Christine, this thread made me laugh. I don't watch HGTV regularly, if at all (however, I do log on to this and other forums frequently). But at the gym where I work out on my off-running days, the TV is ALWAYS on the channel. And, seeing is that I'm going about the same time during the day, I get to see the same stupid show. The one with first time homebuyers. IT DRIVES ME CRAZY! Every buyer comes across as spoiled and superficial. Never looking past cosmetics to see a home's potential. You never hear, "this layout is great" or "that's an easy fix" or "what a great area/yard." If I had demanded granite for my counters and a huge master bath and master closet, I never would have been able to live in the area I do. And now, I AM getting the granite and the closet. It's just 13 years later.

I agree!!!!!!

That Gawd-awful Renovation Realities, the woman is always a stupid, whiny btch, or a mean snot-nosed btch.

At least that DIY show with (DIY Disaster?) with that patient Brian guy has nit-wit men on it. And giving equal time, nit-wit women, too.

They're as bad as stereotypical sitcoms. If they're black, the men are stupid and the woman wise, patient and a btch. If they're white, the man's an idiot with a GIANT ego, but the woman is a bigger idiot.

Ok, here's another thing. We've talked about this before, but what's with this 20 minutes spent on demo? I'd find some other recreation, because this is a one shot deal. After that, what are you going to beat on other than your partner, pet, or child? Huh?

And why ruin everything? As one who is rebuilding with reuse centers, I can't believe they're trashing lots of perfectly good materials, then the owners whine about being "green". Well, color me stupid ....

Ok. I'm watching horror movies before I go to work today. I'm watering my new dirt and siding is going on the back of my house.

No (or little) HGTV 2Day!

I can't even watch HH International anymore. The houses are just too weird.

I like HH International just to see what housing is like elsewhere and to take a quick trip to different parts of the world. How else would I know that in some places, people take their kitchens with them when they move! (How does that work out, anyway? It all magically fits, I guess?) But the last few I've seen had Americans all wacked-out about how they wouldn't have as much room as they are used to and their furniture wouldn't fit and freaking out about washer/dryers being located in either kitchens or bathrooms. Because what 100 year old in-city apartment would dare not come with a laundry room?!

But on the positive side, it has helped me look at and question my own knee-jerk responses and ask what is essential and what isn't!

LOL! I'm glad I'm not the only one! Like Rosie, I stopped watching a few years ago when the network devolved into what it is today! Even the DIY network isn't what it used to be.

Burnsie2...we did exactly the same thing!

I used to almost exclusively watch SciFi/HGTV/DIY...now I never watch HGTV & DIY and rarely watch SciFi/SyFy anymore b/c of their devolution over the years. Even SciFi (now SyFy...huh?) has started the cheap reality shows and non-SF shows (wrestling on a science fiction channel...???? Ghost Hunters & Ghost Hunters International - sound familiar?!)

Oh, well, at least we still have Kitchens! (If only I had more time to spend here these days...)

And the "budgets" some of these young couples have....they HAVE to be getting major bucks from mom and dad....one couple on HH some years back were newly married, couldn't have been more than 25 or 26 and were looking for their 1st home for $1 million!

I often thought they HAVE to be doing something illegal to have enough money for those homes. I don't know any young people who could afford them. Heck....I don't know any older people who could afford them.

I just saw Property Virgins for the first time the other day, and westsider40 could have been narrating the episode. It was a trainwreck that I could not stop watching. What's with these budgets? They have $15K for a down payment but are approved up in the $500K zone. How is this even happening anymore? Have they been under a rock for the past 5 years?

Buehl- I agree, SciFi/Fy channel has been a huge disappointment! Since Stargate (the original) ended...there hasn't been much to watch. Now the previews of the new shows, just look weird.

I only have a few network shows and a few cable shows that I really like. I've tried a few new ones...but they just don't seem more interesting that going out and weeding the garden. What does that say? LOL

I like House Hunters International. It's interesting to see what homes cost in other parts of the world and how their homes are different than ours.

Last night insomnia struck so I was up watching TV late and saw an interesting show about unique places people had turned into their homes. I came in at the middle of the show and they showed a public library in Sterling, CO, that a woman bought for $75K and turned into her home. She did a beautiful job of keeping some of the original details--bookshelves, paneling, handrails and stairs, etc. Another couple bought an amphitheatre in OK and renovated it. One of them was a landscape architect and really did a nice job of installing gardens. Another one took a tailor shop in an urban area (missed the name of the city, maybe NYC or Chicago?) and did an incredible job of transforming it. Took down all the plaster to expose the brick, really cool. She did a great job of honoring the history of the building. The woman is a blacksmith and made an amazing wrought iron staircase (not the stairs but the decorative sides and handrails). Really intersting show, unfortunately, I can't remember the name of it (maybe Home Strange Home or You Live in What). :(

It's true that you learn all sorts of peripheral things about houses in different parts of the country. I was totally amazed how little houses in the Atlanta area cost compared to S. CA. I'd never seen those long, skinny, shared wall houses they seem to have a lot of in Canada. I was totally unprepared for how much people like having exposed brick walls in their homes, and converted industrial spaces featuring exposed overhead ducts and pipes. Interesting, but not for me. I've learned a lot about basements and issues with drainage (thanks, Mike) and sloped roof attics. Houses in my neck of the woods don't run to either basements or attics. I didn't know that stucco exteriors weren't common in the rest of the country. So, gruesome house hunters aside, there is something to recommend the various shows.

Oh, yeah - I also learned that folks in greater Atlanta really like having a front porch you can sit on and chat up the neighbors. Who'd-a-thunk?

There was actually a realtor I know on HH a year or 2 ago. She showed houses in our city to a professional couple moving here from California with a $1M+ budget. It wasn't your typical show, needless to say. She, the realtor, is also a friend of my daughters and did a good job on the show. And the couple wasn't your typical 'OMG' entitlement-minded newbies either. But it was interesting to see what folks from out of town were expecting to see in housing in our part of the country.

I guess I'm in the minority because I get a kick out of House Hunters. For me, it's like reading a magazine for 30 minutes-learn a few things about another city/part of the country, see some relationship drama, and it's all tidily wrapped up at the end without a huge time commitment.

My husband is always astounded at the housing prices in some areas. I think the HH episodes that are most fascinating are the ones where people relocate and get a huge reality check that what they had back home is not what they are going to get in their new location.

I wish that show had been around 25 yrs ago when we bought our first house...maybe we would have noticed the mildew in the corners and realized there were no storm windows before winter came!

I do like HH because I see other parts of the country, but only when they are spending big bucks. Same with International. OMG and aaammazing are not allowed in my life. The one I dislike the most, is Bang for Your Buck, where stupid people have to justify how they spent their hard earned money, while some twit says "buyers won't like that." I saw one where the kitchen had the most fabulous (amazing)granite and the realtor said nasty things about it.

I love HH International because of the chance to see other parts of the world and how they live. The regular HH can drive me crazy.

From what I've read, these shows are even more heavily produced than we know. The way it works on HH is that the show recruits people who are either close to closing or have recently closed on a house. That's how they know the buyers are going to buy even if they've looked at lots of other houses. So when they start filming, the buyer already know which house they've chosen and the producers help figure out what to say about the other two houses as well as the one they chose. Now that I know that, the show sometimes makes more sense. People are being shown houses way above their budget or a long way from where they want to be because they need to make sure there are three houses to show even though the buyers have already made their choice.

The show I can't watch anymore is "Love It or List It." It's so obvious they want to create drama and tell the homeowners to make really snotty comments.

I used to be an avid viewer (started watching This Old House 30 years ago, when you actually had to watch a show when it aired), but now I rarely watch much DIY/HGTV. It seems the shows have just become entertainment and not shows for folks who are really going to DIY. I've got a lot of gripes about many of these shows.

- Who decided that home improvement shows need drama? What's wrong with a show just being informative?

- They make things look too easy by not showing (or even mentioning) all the steps required to do something properly.

- How do they get all that done in such a short time.... doesn't paint need to dry on TV?

- I do find humor in their budgets...either extreme spending ($100,000 rec room) or implausibly good buys..... Line item for paint - $35. What? They must have gotten all that paint at the Restore.

- Oh and lets not forget how the hosts (especially the women) of some of these shows are decked out for a day on the town as they wield their paint brushes or climb a ladder.

- And the line that bugs me the most, heard almost every HH, international or US, no matter the size of the closet.... "Well maybe I can fit my clothes and shoes in here, but where are you going to keep yours honey? hahaha"

I'll admit to watching HH International for all the same reasons mentioned by others, but I wish they'd stop recapping and repeating after each advert break and spend a bit more time on the information about the locale.

Oh and one more thing while I'm at it... when I have found a show that I like, it either disappears or gets changed up. For instance Real Estate Intervention with Mike Aubrey, used to be more about the real estate market and showing sellers the reality of the market in their area, with the new season the show seems to be just another decorating show. We stopped watching.

I guess that covers most of my HGTV rants....for now.

This is TV and everything is done for ratings. Maybe I'm in the minority but I actually like HH and HHI so I can see what other house markets are like. These "entitlement" brats are no different than you or I when we bought out homes. I'm sure we all had a vision of what we wanted to buy with our hard earned money and what most consider wants versus needs it's different from person to person. I for one had a school district in mind and bought my house pretty much based on that. I had wished that I would've noticed the things that were wrong with the house before signing on the dotted line but I didn't just as these young couples don't see past the stainless and granite.

ITA with so much in this thread.

Love Mike Holmes - he seems to go overboard sometimes with the "tear it all down" mentality but I learned a lot about the RIGHT way to build a shower and our 2 new bathrooms will be better off for it. I mean, we didn't do it, but we knew what to ask for from the contractors.

Loved the concept of Love It or List It, but hate the execution on the show. In fact, execution would be a good idea for the show - it should be killed off.

Property Brothers - aka Let's Take a Dump with No Curb Appeal & Renovate Half of It. The dream house they show is always SO pretty from the outside and on the inside, but these guys never touch the outside of the houses they are working on. So the new owners still have beat-up vinyl siding, flaking brick, and crumbling steps to come home to. Oooh - fun ;)

Sarah Richardson - I actually loved her shows. Her budgets were bigger than mine, but she did buy used furniture sometimes and then had it professionally rejuvenated - I like that. Anyone can slop a coat of gloppy white paint on something & it will look sort of okay as the camera pans across it, but to take the time to actually prep & spray a piece so it looks GOOD and holds up is a much better way. I'm glad someone does this on TV.

-EChic

I wish HGTV or DIY actually paid attention to boards like these.
But like iVillage, they only thing they care about is their ad money. Sadly, the same six ads for 6 months get old and no one watches those anymore, so how effective can they call them?

Yes, I hate the recapping. (I have more than a 3 minute retention span, as someone once noted.)
The pandering to gender-specific BS (closets, what the little lady wants, peace in the house, blah blah)
Demo joy = wasted materials, does NOT = "green"

If there were a producer who cared about their viewers' loyalty? Maybe the quality would improve to 1/2 it used to be.

Maybe someone is listening to the complaints about smashing up and tossing stuff that can be reused. Last weekend on Meg's Great Rooms, she had them carefully remove the oak cabinets from a kitchen because they were going to be donated/sold. Finally! (Did you see the island they made? That was interesting.)

I also love Mike Holmes. This is one we watch together - and cry at all the new drywall that ends up in the dumpster because of the fire and structural issues underneath. There's no way to save it, but it is a dreadful waste. Mike's been very educational on all sorts of issues, and we pay attention. Of course, we, who live in the land of 10-12" of rain annually and 2 nights of 30 degree weather a year, now know a lot about weeping tiles and ice dams, neither of which we'd ever heard of before. I comfort myself with the episode where Mike came to LA and had to cope with earthquake requirements. He was a bit out to sea there and we were all, "Well, of course!" Turnabout, you know.

mulemom: - And the line that bugs me the most, heard almost every HH, international or US, no matter the size of the closet.... "Well maybe I can fit my clothes and shoes in here, but where are you going to keep yours honey? hahaha"
So agree with you!! I know there are people who actually think this sort of thing is cute. Maybe the same people who reel off: "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" I think that is actually a regionalism, but it grates every time I hear it, even in its more grammatically correct form.

What's funny is that we are the perfect audience for these kinds of shows, and yet our enthusiasm is severely limited by their presentation. What holds us off?

1. When drama over shadows info (made up anxieties, tantrums, enthusiasms or as rosie summed it up: I imagine the screening process tends to select for good screamers.)
2. Demeaning sexist comments and attitudes
3. Jobs done so they give the appearance of being well done, but we know they skipped the necessary prep steps (mulemom: ...doesn't paint need to dry on TV?)
4. "Guests" who are brats and/or entitled gas bags, or as joaniepoanie said, And don't even get me started on the 22 year olds who thumb their noses at any house that doesnt have a jet tub/double vanities in the bathroom or granite and stainless in the kitchen! Or westsider40: ...who works 9 to five anyway? Move-in ready ? Throw up, you spoiled, lazy, no goodnick....
5. Vapid reactions: from CEFreeman: That's auh-maaaay-zing and from kompy: Oh - My - God! (with hand over mouth gesture).
6. When you know the job shown was poorly done: from lara: ...the brief little "quick tip" things they show are SO cheap and awful!
7. The ugly (and embarrassing) American: from lori inthenw: I've seen Americans all wacked-out about how they wouldn't have as much room as they are used to and their furniture wouldn't fit and freaking out about washer/dryers being located in either kitchens or bathrooms. Because what 100 year old in-city apartment would dare not come with a laundry room?!

I used to have these channels on all day long. Despite reruns.

For about a month now I've had on Supernatural, Leverage, a bunch of history stuff, and occasionally a paranormal thing. I don't necessarily sit and watch them (or I'd probably die of potato-ism), but I go in and out as I'm working on something else.

I can still catch up almost immediately if I miss something integral to the show, but at least there's less predictability and people are supposed to be dramatic.

I'm looking forward to Grimm, a Good Man, Lost Girl, a Person of Interest, and a couple more to become reruns. Working at night severely cuts into any good TV time. [LOL]

Never, in my life, did I expect to hear myself say that.

And didn't you love Trading Spaces when they used to throw 1 coat of stain on an unfinshed piece of furniture...no sanding and another coat, no poly...it was blotchy and dull looking, even on TV! And the homeowners would swoon! Also can't stand the couples on HH who only complain about the paint color in every room...forget about layout, etc...every room "look at this color--- we would have to repaint." Who DOESN'T end up repainting every room eventually when they move into a new house...if only to freshen it up for themselves? Bleh!