It's still better than Trading Spaces.

For some time last year, Ben and I watched an inordinate amount of television. We had just ordered digital cable and not only had an assortment of pay channels but also BBC America.

Now, receiving BBC America had always been a television goal of ours.

Note: Having any sort of television "goal" other than "watch less" is probably the first indicator that someone needs to re-analyze priorities.

Back to BBC America. While in England in 1999 we had spent many a night watching the British programs that -- as I described them in my journal -- are "shows that I could never imagine existing (out of pointlessness) but now can not live without."

Prime example of this television genre: Channel 4's Watercolour Challenge.

Naturally, then, while watching BBC America, we fell under the Anglophilic spell of Changing Rooms -- the inspiration for the horrible American program, Trading Spaces.

We even went so far as actually discussing who our favorite Changing Room personalities were -- Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Graham Wynne won out, incidentally.

Despite our love for the show, we always doubted the actual quality of the work. Sure, many a time they have made the most dreary room look fantastic, but really, what how structurally sound is MDF? Come to think of it, what exactly is MDF? Is it particle board? Is it some sort of plastic/wood hybrid. Regardless, I don't think I'd want my new bed frame to be built out of it.

So then, yesterday, Tom posted this great link to Joshua Sofaer's story about his Changing Rooms experience.

Handy Andy as a primadonna? It can't be true!

An irritable Carol Smillie? Oh My!

It's a fascinating read for those who watch the program.

Comments

[shauny]

it was a fascinating article, i agree! and yes Graham and Laurence are the best.

you're lucky you haven't had the misfortune of seeing Handy Andy's single. He can't sing for shit! He should stick to the MDF, methinks!

[shauny]

my GOD i just checked out laurence's web site. dig that photo on the front page! mwahahahhaa!

that's what you and ben need at movabletype.org... big splash page with you both posing in silk suits on cushions! hehe ;)

[Lady Phoxxe]

Due to personal reasons I was actually just looking up MDF and found this reference:

MDF (medium density fibreboard) is a man-made board that has many practical advantages for furniture. It is very strong and dense, so it can be machined like solid timber but, unlike solid timber, it will not twist or warp in centrally heated houses. It is very flat and clean and, therefore, ideal for paint effects.

... just thought I'd pass it on:)

[lisel]

My television goals include the Game Show Network. When my boyfriend and I went to visit his mom in Thunder Bay last January, she had just gotten digital cable. She had the Game Show Network. I have since been experiencing Gene Rayburn withdrawl.

[lisel]

I'm sorry, Mena...I forgot to put a quotation mark and caused my post to get eaten. What I was trying to say was that I dream of one day having the Game Show Network. I love the old Match Game.

[renee]

oh man, i am in love with the gsn (especially match game! i love gene rayburn, heh). however, there is some conspiracy that keeps me from getting it. my mom lives 45min away from me and gets it with basic cable. i have digital cable and i don't get it at all! also, i found out that half of philadelphia does get gsn, just not my half! it's not fair! i also don't get hgtv, which is another station some people with my cable company get with basic cable. one of the reasons i actually pay for digital is to get bbcamerica. however, i like trading spaces more than changing rooms for some reason. i think changing rooms is a lot more about entertainment where i've actually picked up a few things from trading spaces. plus, a lot of the rooms on CR look simply disasterous. you can tell they rarely care about what the homeowners will think. also, what is up with that one woman and the 'fairy lights'? i thought the only people that have light strands in their homes are little girls and college kids. it seems like most of the designers on CR are more into becoming personalities (i guess that is pretty obvious with laurence's site. i'm not sure if i'd let someone who dressed like that decorate any room of mine). ground force is one of my favorites though, not that i have any idea why.

[slack]

Having worked in Television and Film for almost ten years I have only one piece of advice that I can add. Don't ever let us into your home.

It's not glamorous or interesting to watch, it's boring! There are more people with heavy equipment than have ever been in your house before. Things WILL get broken.

Think of it like your having a huge party full of people that are not your friends, that goes on for days and no one ever leaves. They will bang up your doorways, trample your grass and garden, ruin your floors and carpets and generally do the kind of damage that any large group of people that aren’t your friends would do given little sleep and poor pay.

Ask anyone who works in this field and they will tell you the same. Run, don't walk, if a producer asks to come into your home!

[Ed]

Thanks for the interesting link to the Soafer story.

First off, I'll second Slack's recommendation. I've worked film shoots. The ones I've involved with setting up in some way try to be as respectful of the location as possible. (I've made some places look pretty spotless after filming there.) But inevitably, despite an abundance of caution, something may break (though not as bad as that CR article). After all, C-stands and lights take up a lot of space. In most cases, any damage is remedied or paid for. But I've heard of Hollywood shoots that fail to offer this basic courtesy.

I've only seen one episode of the American version, Trading Spaces. But I must confess being simiultaneously captivated and horrified during that half hour. First off, what idiot would actually place their faith in an interior designer who obviously doesn't give a good goddam about the person's home? Second off, I've always wondered about what kind of rights the people who appeared on the show gave away if some made designer screwed up the entire place. The show seems to thrive off of other people's insecurities. But it goes despicably further in dealing with them by giving its audience exactly what it wants: namely, to see some poor couple in tears after some arrogant designer has deliberately fucked up a living room.

That to me is a horrible concept. It takes the innocuous Candid Camera approach to a degree so needlessly severe and so deliberately disparaging towards the person who simply wants to fix up their place that I can't imagine how anyone could find enjoyment in it. And yet the show is widely popular. Somehow, it bridged the gap between Survivor and HGTV. Society is none the better as a result of this.

[D]

Amazing, you guys are desperate to watch our old episodes of Changing Rooms and we would kill for the earlier seasons of This Old House with Steve and Norm or The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross.

Can't TV Execs see the loss of audiences going on here?

[redapple]

i know why ya hate Trading Spaces . . . i bet you always get stuck watching the Amy Wynne episodes! Ty the Hottie Carpenter and his free-lovin' jigsaw make everything better (even Frank's dippy country stencils). just tell me you won't slam Christopher Lowell next.

[Hannibal Lecture]

The description of MDF from Lady Phoxxe is rather flattering, if strictly accurate. It *is* pretty stable and flat, but it doesn't have nearly the rigidity of wood, and its homogenous texture -- the fiber is ground up and then cast into sheets -- robs the fiber of the potential to establish the relationship of interior stresses that makes wood so versatile. It is an acceptable flat surface and little else -- practically useless structurally except in very limited roles. And HEAVY, about a hundred pounds for a 4'x8'x3/4" sheet.

Particle board is even worse -- larger particles not as well bonded. An old boss of me calls it "cornbread."

And it's true, don't ever let anyone with film, video, or even very much still-photo gear near your house.

[Andy Levy-Stevenson]

I've been enjoying Changing Rooms for a year or so now, but I'll never be able to see it the same way again ...

[Jessie]

I read that article and was completely shocked.I love Changing Rooms and have been watching it for a long time but the whole show will seem different now. But, it's still better than Trading Spaces. Maybe that's just my opinion considering I'm American and love pointing out everything wrong with us.I wasn't to thrilled about the part about Handy Andy though since he's my second favorite thing about the show.And Graham is the best designer next to Laurence, of course.

[Kerry]

Wow! I've seen that episode of CR - in fact, they just showed it again recently, and I turned the sound off. The 2 girls who worked on Joshua's room were horrendous - and I seriously doubt they needed any prompting from anyone to be nasty.

And I will say that both sets seemed to have a very detailed idea of exactly what they wanted. That's not what the show's about. If that were the case - they should have just gotten contractors in - or done it themselves. If they've ever seen the show - they should have known they would not get things done to their specifications. Still - it's better than Trading Spaces. I can't even watch that show.

Will it change how I view the show? NO WAY! I love it - it's my favorite show. Graham and Laurence are my favorites too. Would I let them in my house......Graham - absolutely - Laurence.....maybe. They couldn't really make it much worse than it is now! LOL!

I've been to Laurence's website - pretty cool. Does anyone know where I can find out more about Graham? (other than what's listed at the BBC America site?)

Oh - and BTW - what do you think of Oliver? I wouldn't let him on my fromt porch! LOL!