Losers as winners
Home Free” hosts Tim Tebow (left) and Mike Holmes
There are so many home improvement shows on TV these days that we have a hard time getting a clear, preferential fix on what’s up for grabs.
But, contrary to initial impression, “Home Free” on Diva does manage to stand out, due to an unexpectedly dramatic twist at the end of the telecast we viewed last Friday.
This particular home improvement tilt tasks a number of couple-contestants to drastically renovate a house, which will then be awarded to a family in dire need of habitation.
It’s a worthy cause, so the contestants, who may have financial problems themselves, focus instead on the beneficiary family’s needs and come up with impressively made-over homes.
As expected, the awardee family is ecstatic to get such a great gift from virtual strangers, and the winning team of renovators gets a pretty wonderful boost, as well, moving on and up to the next round.
But, what really made our viewing day was the discovery that, aside from the winning team, the second-best couple was left with something to smile about, as well.
Yes, they had to leave the competition—but they also ended up owning the house they had just worked so hard to turn into a home!
It was so stunningly unexpected that the “losing winners” were emotionally overwhelmed and broke down in happy tears and sobs. Viewers were empathetically emotional, as well, so the show ended in one big and winningly wet group hug!
Aside from its unexpectedly felt denouement, “Home Free” (Season 1) is a should-see for amateur home decorators, because it teaches them how, with minimal expenses, creativity and elbow grease to the max, they too could transform a hovel into a home in only a few days.
The contestants may get on each other’s nerves from time to time as the deadline nears, but when their hard work and sleepless nights pan out, it’s well worth the welt and bruises, both physical and emotional.
Another interesting aspect of the competition is the fact that the tyros are supervised by a team of veteran renovators at the construction site, each with a specialization to demonstrate and share.
Thus, when a team wasted many minutes pulling nails out of a board that it planned to repurpose, an expert carpenter showed how the task could be done in a jiffy by the innovative use of a power tool intended for something other than nail extraction.
An added “textural” touch is the inclusion of contestants from different ethnic backgrounds, which makes their design and decor contributions more culturally diverse.
They’re all Americans, but their completed renovations feature richly and colorfully eclectic details that inspire viewers to be culturally sensitive and creative, as well.
Who knew that a TV tilt for amateur home decorators and renovators could be so unexpectedly “resonant” and dramatic?
This is much more involving than the usual renovation shows on TV that feature sleek and sharp professionals and experts who are all killer instinct—and no heart.
