Wall to wall

On the weekends, when I'm not working, which most of the time isn't very often, the television routinely finds itself on either HGTV, DIY or some similar home improvement channel. My Beloved loves these shows of remodeling, renovation and all the trials and tribulations that come along with all of it.

Now, I  understand that many of the scenes are staged and the homeowners walk in and are joyfully surprised by the overwhelming transformation, but why is the script always the same? Just for once, why can't the perfect-looking homeowners walk in and cringe at what they see? Wouldn't that be hilarious? You did what?, she screams. That's the most hideous kitchen I've ever seen!

When was the last renovation show that had a contractor that didn't look like they walked out of a magazine shoot? Now, I'm not against very nice looking people on television. But couldn't you have someone on there that looks rather ordinary but knows where a load-bearing wall is located? How many renovation shows begin with pipe-dreams of perfect homes and still maintain the budget? Answer: all of them. How many shows find out that twenty minutes into them there is a load-bearing wall they can't move? Answer: all of them. I suppose that makes for the drama of it all, if you want to call it drama.

How can so many contractors miss the same thing every show? Also, how many 'contestants' know what a budget is for and how to stick to it? Oh, here's our budget, although we won't stick to it because we don't know why we have a budget anyway.

I wish I was a contractor for these shows, I could make the same mistakes over and over again. Just like the real world, I guess. Then again, these shows usually do give me my next project.