Extreme Makeover Home Edition
For 199 episodes, Ty Pennington and his design team have led a television phenomenon that has helped deserving families in all 50 states. This Friday, January 13, at 8/7c, the 200th episode and series finale of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airs on ABC. To all who have ever cried or laughed watching an episode of this series over the last nine years, I hope you will set aside the two hours to watch what I believe is the most impressive feat of non-fiction television in a long while. From my experience, no factual television series has attempted to accomplish so much, by so many, for such a good cause, in one single episode.
read more
Dolvett Quince
Week two was rough but necessary! Contestants learned the person with the highest percentage of weight loss from the winning team could give immunity to one person on the losing team. There was definitely excitement about that incentive because players were eager to save their former partners.
Kim and Kimmy from the Red Team along with Joe and Emily from Black Team volunteered themselves for an unknown task. Alison revealed a high risk poker challenge involving a 5 lb advantage as the prize. Kim and Kimmy bet an astounding 3.8 % (94 lbs)! The other team folded and therefore put all the pressure on my Red Team. Their teammates weren't too happy with their team leaders' chancy bet and when they told me I was shocked as well. Kim and Kimmy...love you ladies but you should stay away from casinos. Lol.
read more
Dolvett Quince
Hello again ladies and gents...I"m back! I trust everyone enjoyed the holidays and maintained a well balanced diet and fitness regimen? If not, I hope this first episode of The Biggest Loser (TBL) Season 13 helped to motivate and get you on track!
This time teams of partners were to compete. Couples, brothers and sisters, parent and child, and even strangers paired up to ultimately become healthy and win the grand prize. Since we all know that excuses are notorious and prevalent in the health and fitness industry this season was labeled "No Excuses." Coincidently this happens to be a phrase I have always used and is also the name of my first workout DVD. I want you to embrace this saying and make it a part of your day-to-day life.
read more
The Closer
For most of our last season, the questions we've been asking about love deal with its passionate side. In the five winter episodes, we have veered slowly towards the costs of that passion. As I have noted before, the only real promise you ever get with love is that it must end; that we go on loving, in the face of certain loss, is one of the nobler traits of humanity; in fact, it may be our saving grace as a species.
Devotion and adoration are not restricted to things that are good for us...
read more
Winner John Rhode, Dolvett Quince
I concluded my first season on The Biggest Loser!! What an experience this has all been for me.
When I started on the ranch I was so excited and anxious to meet everyone and begin changing lives one rep at a time. However, I had no idea how much of an effect the contestants would have on me.
Meeting the contestants during Week 1 on campus is still fresh in my mind. Seeing all their faces, their emotions, and hearing their stories stuck with me throughout my time with them. I connected with many of them and built solid, lasting friendships too!
read more
Kyra Sedgwick, Frances Sternhagen, Barry Corbin
One of the greatest side benefits of my work on The Closer has been the time I get to spend thinking about our themes. This last season, which revolves around love, has provided me countless hours of reflection, examining the best of all human emotions and, to my mind, the most powerful. When you have a choice, and love is one of the options, the decision usually becomes obvious.
For me, life is broken down into a series of families...
read more
Jessica Limperet, Dolvett Quince
Week 12 had the final four returning home! It was exciting to see everyone reuniting with all of their family, friends, students, coworkers, etc and I'm sure it must have been a surreal experience for the contestants to be back after their drastic weight loss.
While home, the contestants received a DVD with comments from their trainers, but more importantly, a message from themselves prior to starting at campus. It was quite the reality check for the final four as you could witness their genuine shock, anger, and disappointment. They have come so far that it was difficult for them to remember and watch where they once started. Vinny confronted his past by speaking with his mother about the childhood abuse he experienced from his stepfather. It was very wise and healthy of him to open that dialogue with her. Now he can slowly lift that wall between their relationship and his future goals.
read more
Kyra Sedgwick, Frances Sternhagen and Barry Corbin
In our season-long examination of love, The Closer would be remiss if it didn't pause to consider the fuzziest of all human passions: a fondness for our own golden past.
Hardly anything tickles warm, childhood memories like the holidays. Gifts, decorations, friendly gatherings, family feasting and favorite songs blend to paint a glowing patina over our best memories. Unfortunately, the American brand of nostalgia borders on amnesia, and holding on to our youthful attachments oftentimes requires overlooking a host of problematic truths, or so our intrepid civilian tech, Buzz Watson, discovers when dragging his younger sister, Casey, on their annual trip to a local Christmas fair...
read more
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
This week we're headed to Springfield, Mass. to meet a very special family, the Walkers. This is a huge week for us. Typically we're building a house so that somebody can get around in a wheelchair or so somebody can become more independent and we can rehabilitate them, but this week we're dealing with a loss. On April 6, 2009, Carl Walker, at the age of 11, sadly took his own life. This tragedy has really affected the family and the community.
read more
Dolvett Quince
Week 11 marked the final week on campus for the contestants and trainers! My first season on campus takes my breath away, my journey is a story all to itself, but we won't go there as of yet. Instead I'd love to take this opportunity to talk about each and every contestant on the show: The struggles of Antone, dealing with being a former athlete, and trying to find that guy again. The doubts overcome by Patrick and Courtney trying to find their inner strength while gaining outer strength. John, tackling food addiction and inner demons. Vinny facing his childhood, Bonnie making it 9 weeks, and how about Ramon, being diagnosed with diabetes and beating that, and each and every competitor wanting and fighting to be the Biggest Loser, while at the same time fighting to save their lives. This show helps people rediscover the person they have lost, and in some ways the person they have always wanted to be. I couldn't be more honored than to be a part of each of their transformations, as they have transformed me.
read more