Escape to the Country

I do find a couple of the presenters a bit saccharine but today's presenter, Briony May Williams was really annoying with her rather strident and 'jokey' delivery in a rather grating voice made me turn the sound off and just look at the houses. Sorry!

This series is easily my favourite of all the home/ house series shows and watch it when ever possible.bi automatically dream of having the opportunity to be in a position to buy in areas in a house they show on each show, such beautiful country sides. Highly recommended to anyone loving the English country side...

It's amusing to see how the Brits live. 99% of all showers are curved units vs what we have in the US and almost no alcove tub/shower combos. 99% of tiles in the kitchens are 4x4. Toilets are usually old fashioned and 99%of bathrooms also don't have vanities/cupboards! Not many built in closets, even in houses built in the 21st century!

The gardens are why i watch as the houses are mostly not for me. Oh the gardens...how wonderfully lucky Brits are to have rain and old walls and a national passion for growing. Where I live, few ppl garden, lawns r about it.

I love this show. It makes me want to move there. But sometimes the clients have ridiculous expectations. I don't know what they consider a large kitchen, but they seem to think all the kitchens are too small. Also, they want a "character" or "period" property that they should know by now tends to have low ceilings and beams. Then don't like them when they see it. I give great credit to all the hosts. They are all so good natured and patient. The mystery houses are usually awesome! I watch this show to help me relax and dream I am the one who is house hunting.

Out here in Oz, Escape to the Country is our favourite end of week show, screening @ 8.30pm. My favourite host is Catherine Gee. Once you adjust to a very small percentage of the people on the show actually buying anything it's fine. Generally I watch and tape this as for some strange reason it doesn't look like DVDs are available. Generally have a British atlas next to the TV so pinpoint where they are looking.

Some episodes are better than others. It all comes down mainly to the type of houses and areas the people are looking to move to. That's about 80% of the appeal, 20% the contestants themselves. Whether or not it's because most of the people are yet to sell, the buy rate feels like about 5%.

I can't believe some of the properties these people pass over.

After Escape there's another guilty pleasure, another English show "60 minute makeover" Hosted by Claire Sweeney whose very easy on the eye, warm and charming the challenge is to redecorate a number of rooms in a house in 60 minutes. Generally a team of about 30 contractors descend onto a house under the guidance of a weekly designer, many of whom reappear throughout the series.

Quite like some of the designers and some of the outcomes (done in two thirty minute bursts with a tea break in between) are stunning.