Extreme Makeover: Home Edition blog, August 20, 2008
William Wallace, meet Rocky Balboa.
So went Day 3 at the EMHE site in Geneva, where show biz reigned again over actual home building. E! Entertainment Television was even on the scene, capturing the sights and sounds. You could see some angst brewing among build team members as the waiting game continued and TV magic was being made. They knew all too well that the 106-hour construction clock would start clicking soon.
Still, it was an exciting day—dubbed Braveheart Day for all EMHE shoots—as an army of blue-shirted volunteers cheered and marched behind build team leader Tim Mahoney and wife Ingrid on their way to the current structure at 148 William St. With a little encouragement from production assistant Rachel, my fellow C&Sers and I were invited to join in on the third and final take. In the downtime, we were treated to some truly bad—not dirty, just plain bad—jokes by a crew member who admittedly faced a tough challenge in placating and herding the throng of 150 or more volunteers through repeated delays. In a truly heartwarming moment, we met Vicki, the neighbor and friend who nominated the Hill family for the show. She clearly told a compelling story, and it was nice to see her get the recognition she deserved.
Once back on the front lawn, the metaphor of a Scottish army battle (did I mention the six-piece bagpipe and drum corps on hand to get everyone in the spirit?) soon morphed back into that of a heavyweight boxing contest. A microphone was lowered from the sky (more tv magic), and Ty played the role of ring announcer: “Are you ready for the Feva in Geneva? A mission of demolition?” With that, he pointed to the opponents—the Raging Bull Dozer vs. the Devastator Excavator. The large machinery was moved into place, sporting large plywood boxing gloves on their extensions, with their operators once again donning satin boxing robes and trunks.
Across the street, ABC/ESPN personalities John Saunders and Brian Kenny were on set to provide a demolition play-by-play and analysis for home viewers. Celebrity designer and former model Didiayer Snyder dutifully played the role of ring-card girl, holding up the round cards and striking a ringside bell.
At 1 pm, the old house finally came tumbling down—quite a sight —and workers cleared the debris. Just a few hours behind schedule, the build team members were ready to take center stage.
