Extreme Makeover:  Home Edition on ABC

By Ally Matteodo

The Best TV Show of the Week was ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Sunday, January 4^th, 8:00 p.m. ET).  This week, Ty Pennington and his design team traveled to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to renovate the home of the Slaughter family.  Frank Slaughter, a correctional officer, has dedicated his life to giving people second chances. Frank’s house suffered many structural problems, including flooding in the basement and the roof caving in.  All five children shared one room, and the only boy of the family was separated from his sisters by a curtain.  Ty and his team built a new home for the Slaughters, recycling any materials that were not used by donating them to Habitat for Humanity.  Ty’s team used the interests of the children to design their rooms, which in turn allowed their talents to flourish.  The oldest girl, Tayana, loves photography, so designer Paige Hemmis fills her room with cameras.  Messiyah enjoys playing the piano, so her bed reflects the shape of a piano with a keyboard on the end of it.  As the original house was demolished a gospel choir sang the spirited song, “Let These Walls Come Tumbling Down.” 

While Ty and his team worked on the house, Frank Slaughter watched several video testimonials from former and current inmates.  Frank, who served time in the same correctional facility at which he is now employed, is living proof that one can turn one’s life around; and the inmates’ gratitude to Frank speaks volumes about the inspiration he provides them.  One man describes what a huge difference Frank made in his life, simply by treating him like a human being.  Another man states that Frank helped him become the best version of himself, and yet another describes how he felt like a lost cause before Frank came along.  The loving tone of the show is encapsulated in this quote from Frank: “Cherish your second chance.  Don’t let no one tell you that you can’t do it.  If you don’t know how to do it, look, for someone to show you how. Be a good steward and show someone else how to do it, and maybe we might change the world.”