Extreme Makeover Home Edition (the 2025 reboot):
The original series was one of my favorites. I even had the honor of working on one of the houses built in Wisconsin. So, for nostalgic reasons, I had to tune in to the new version. And to be fair, I gave it 3 episodes (actually, I couldn't make it through the latest episode and began writing this review.)
Quick take- not a fan.
I actually feel like they deliberately removed everything likable from the original. The hosts are insufferable. They spent the majority of the time talking over everyone and each other. And they have no construction experience or knowledge. Their "specialty" is home organization. It's painfully obvious that a ton of extra clutter has been dumped into the house prior to filming. I've worked in homes occupied by hoarders and the ones on the show are super exaggerated as to justify the home organizers presence. The actual carpenter and designer really don't add much to the experience and are pretty bland. There are still the sad stories that the featured family shares but I just wasn't able to connect. The old show usually made me cry at least once each episode. I know I haven't become more cynical, I still sometimes weep during coffee commercials 🤣
I just can't put my finger on what the disconnect is with this version.
The one thing I do like about the reboot is the fact that, ironically: it's not that extreme. Ty and the rest of the old gang did a lot of things in the houses that were too over the top and far too excessive. I don't remember the exact numbers, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 75% of the receiving families ended up losing their new homes because they couldn't afford to keep them after renovation.
