Candice Tells All

The first few episodes of this series were geared toward teaching about aspects of interior design, helpful things like focus, balance, and color. I felt I was learning something. Then it turned into a basic before and after design show, with these elements: clients (always a hetero couple as far as I've watched) hire Candice to fix up a room. We never learn what their budget is. In the rehab/redecorating process, there's a problem to solve-usually an unforeseen, costly one, like replacing an entire fireplace with the flooring and the chimney to boot (admittedly, this is educational). Candice visits suppliers and stores and gets her stuff while her (largely attractive) crew discovers the problems in the house. Candice does have good taste, so at least the results are quite lovely.

The problem? As the series wears on, Candice's personality and personal life take over. She's got a sense of humor and is a little wacky, but a little bit goes a long way, and sometimes several minutes of this 22-minute show are devoted to her eating at cafes, getting lost in the countryside, planning her child's birthday party, etc. I don't care, Candice. I came here to learn about design, not about your love of high-heeled shoes and how many parking tickets you and your crew rack up. (It's also a little cringey when this married woman with children flirts with her crew-kinda harrassing, you know.)

I'm not crazy about how tied Candice seems to be to gender roles either: If a couple is making decisions, it's always assumed that the woman likes "girly" stuff and the man likes moose heads on the wall. Is that because it's a Canadian based show?

The title is "Candice Tells All." I didn't realize that "All" includes the boring details of her personal life. Blech.