Extreme Makeover

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Extreme Makeover
Genre Reality television
Created by Howard Schultz
Directed byPaul Miller, Shanda Sawyer
Presented by Sam Saboura
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes54 (52 aired, 2 unaired)
Production
Production companiesLighthearted Entertainment
Greengrass Productions
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseDecember 11, 2002 (2002-12-11) 
July 16, 2007 (2007-07-16)
Related

Extreme Makeover is an American reality television series that premiered on ABC on December 11, 2002. Created by Howard Schultz, the show depicts ordinary men and women undergoing "extreme makeovers" involving plastic surgery, exercise regimens, hairdressing, and wardrobing. Each episode ends with the participants' return to their families and friends, who have not been allowed to see the incremental changes during the participants' absence, and showing their reactions. The show was cancelled on July 16, 2007.

Contents

A spin-off series, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , debuted on February 15, 2004. Another spin-off, Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition , premiered on May 30, 2011, though on May 28, 2013 the show removed the Extreme Makeover branding and was renamed Extreme Weight Loss, later, the show was cancelled on September 8, 2015.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Season 1 6 December 11, 2002May 21, 2003
Season 2 23 September 18, 2003July 21, 2004
Season 319September 23, 2004July 14, 2005
Season 44October 20, 2006July 16, 2007

Season 1 (2002–2003)

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Stephanie & Luke"December 11, 2002 (2002-12-11)
2"Kine & Tammy"April 23, 2003 (2003-04-23)
3"David & Melissa"April 30, 2003 (2003-04-30)
4"Amy & John"May 7, 2003 (2003-05-07)
5"Karen & Sandra"May 14, 2003 (2003-05-14)
6"Evelyn & Sharon"May 21, 2003 (2003-05-21)

Season 2 (2003–2004)

No.TitleOriginal release date
7"Caroline & Catherine & Dan"September 18, 2003 (2003-09-18)
8"Jennifer & Peggy"September 25, 2003 (2003-09-25)
9"Lori & Peter"October 3, 2003 (2003-10-03)
10"Dana & Jackie"October 10, 2003 (2003-10-10)
11"Liane & Paula"October 16, 2003 (2003-10-16)
12"Kenna & Michelle"October 23, 2003 (2003-10-23)
13"Candace & John"October 31, 2003 (2003-10-31)
14"Sarah & Liz"November 6, 2003 (2003-11-06)
15"Deshante & Pam"November 13, 2003 (2003-11-13)
16"Autumn & Jeff"November 26, 2003 (2003-11-26)
17"Jeff & Tammy"December 11, 2003 (2003-12-11)
18"Angela & Cynthia"January 8, 2004 (2004-01-08)
19"Arthur & Kim"January 22, 2004 (2004-01-22)
20"Michael & Susan"February 5, 2004 (2004-02-05)
21"Nellie & Regina"February 16, 2004 (2004-02-16)
22"Battle of the Bulge - Part 1"February 19, 2004 (2004-02-19)
23"Battle of the Bulge - Part 2"March 26, 2004 (2004-03-26)
24"Amanda & Patrick"March 11, 2004 (2004-03-11)
25"Jerry & Manu"March 17, 2004 (2004-03-17)
26"James & Kacie"April 14, 2004 (2004-04-14)
27"Kristina & Mike"April 28, 2004 (2004-04-28)
28"Marilynda & Monika"May 6, 2004 (2004-05-06)
29"Frances & Jennie & Kathryn"July 21, 2004 (2004-07-21)

Nielsen ratings

SeasonEpisodesTimeslot (EDT)Season PremiereSeason FinaleTV SeasonRankViewers
(in millions)
16Wednesday 8:00December 11, 2002May 21, 2003 2002-2003 #41 [1] 10.80 [1]
223Thursday 9:00
Wednesday 10:00
September 18, 2003July 21, 2004 2003-2004 #133 [2]
#56 [3]
5.48 [2]
9.83 [3]
320Thursday 8:00
Thursday 9:00
September 23, 2004July 14, 2005 2004-2005 #109 [4]
#116 [5]
6.19 [6]
5.64 [5]
46 (2 unaired)Friday 8:00
Monday 9:00
October 20, 2006July 16, 2007 2006-2007 #175 [7] 4.85 [8]

Controversy

Extreme Makeover received criticism on the grounds it was reinforcing unachievable body image goals, valuing beauty over other attributes like behaviour, and implying that idealized beauty can only achieved by cosmetic surgeons. The show was considered to potentially contribute to eating disorders and exercise addiction among people who could not afford surgery to improve their appearance, [9] and to be part of a growing culture of normalizing cosmetic surgery and encouraging unrealistic surgery expectations. [10] In Canada, some cosmetic surgeons caused controversy and drew accusations of unethical marketing after using contests to attract clients, in a move that was considered to be fuelled partly by the popularity of Extreme Makeover. [11]

Deleese McGee lawsuit

Extreme Makeover faced controversy after contestant Deleese McGee's makeover was canceled. McGee applied as a contestant on the show and both she and her family were interviewed for an episode in January 2004. When asked questions about Deleese, her family initially responded only with positive comments, though producers repeatedly encouraged them to say negative things about her appearance; the intention was to compare the negative comments to their reaction after Deleese's surgery was complete. Deleese was in the next room listening; her shock at hearing the comments was filmed as part of the intended episode. The night before the surgery, however, Deleese was informed the procedures had been canceled on the grounds that her estimated recovery time did not fit with the filming schedule. After the surgery was canceled Deleese's sister Kellie suffered from guilt for making the negative comments; she died from an intentional drug overdose in May 2004. Deleese sued for emotional damages; the case was settled out of court. [12] [13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Rank And File". Entertainment Weekly. June 6, 2003. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "ABC Medianet". www.abcmedianet.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Season Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 25, 2004. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2004.
  4. "Season Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 24, 2005. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2005.
  5. 1 2 "ABC Medianet". Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2005.
  6. "Season Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. July 26, 2005. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2005.
  7. "Season Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 30, 2007. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2007.
  8. "Season Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. July 31, 2007. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
  9. Newman, Jacquetta A., and Linda Ann White. Women, Politics, and Public Policy : The Political Struggles of Canadian Women (2nd ed.). Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN   978-0-19-543249-7.
  10. Johnson, Alex (August 2, 2005). "Cosmetic surgery's bright, shiny new face". NBC News . Archived from the original on June 2, 2023.
  11. "Alberta cosmetic surgeons may face marketing rules" . The Globe and Mail . September 24, 2024.
  12. Tristem, Andy (June 3, 2007). "Too tawdry for TV". Daily Express . Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  13. Christensen, Kim (May 13, 2007). "'Makeover' left her emotionally scarred". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.