Never before have I written a review about a TV show... but I simply must speak my mind on this one.
This show is great in concept. And despite its flaws, I watch it and get some inspiration from it. As a picker and furniture restyler, this is right up my alley. However! It is completely unrealistic. In what universe does an upcycler have a team of master contractors with unlimited tools to help them? And the extra $100 they get to embellish the projects aren't even factored in to the overall cost. I would be much more impressed if the contestants had to do ALL of the work themselves, and had to pick out ALL of their materials at the flea market. (Speaking of the master contractors, the less camera time on them, the better!) But the worst part is probably the host, Lara Spencer. She is annoying! She rudely interrupts people and butts in where she shouldn't. She's condescending to the contestants, many of whom have flipped hundreds of pieces and really don't need her advice. Not only does she interfere with the design process, she interferes when the contestants are shopping for their pieces, and during the selling phase. I just saw an episode where she is actually negotiating the selling price with a prospective buyer! What?! And what's with the ridiculous short-shorts? You're on a TV show, not at the beach. Have some respect for your audience. She makes jokes that aren't funny and she just isn't interesting or entertaining. Her personality is flat.
Love the concept, but lose the contractors, replace the host, and make it a REAL competition! Maybe have a panel of judges (like on Project Runway)critique their flips instead of basing it on who makes the most profit.
