# Home desecration/Trading Places



## John Corn (Mar 21, 2002)

TLC's Trading Spaces is a breakout hit, at just $90,000 an episode

Home-improvement shows don't get a better "money shot" than this. Pam is led into her suburban Tacoma, Wash., living room, where two good friends and a designer have worked two days on a surprise redecoration. Pam and her husband have in turn been redecorating a room in the friends' house. Now it's time for "the reveal," when a TV host escorts Pam-her eyes tightly shut-into her house to see the makeover for the first time.

Her friends had repainted her living room walls chocolate brown. And the bricks around her fireplace-the fireplace she begged not be touched-were now concealed behind a white wood panel.

Pam began sobbing. Hard. "I have to leave the room," she choked out. Fortunately, she neglected to turn off her wireless mike, so fans got the audio of her crying from the next room. She is now forever known to fans as Crying Pam.

And there are many, many fans of TLC's breakout hit, Trading Spaces. Since its launch in September 2000 as a late-afternoon show, its ratings have steadily grown to the point where the show regularly scores a 2 or 3 Nielsen household rating in prime time, peaking one Saturday night in April at a 3.2 for a "celebrity" episode featuring but a single Dixie Chick. That was an all-time household record for TLC, which that night also beat all broadcast networks in adults 18-49.

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## toomuchtv (May 17, 2002)

We watch it on a regular basis. It is bad when the homeowners do not like the results; however, they did sign on knowing things would be changed. Also, if they have ever seen an episode, they should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. My family actually prefers the original concept from BBC, called Changing Rooms. Same thing - different accents.


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