Instead of Watching the ABC Propaganda Movie...

[Previously posted on my Vox blog]

Have you seen HGTV's new show, Design Star? http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_star_2006

It's a competition, sort of based on Survivor (which I also love), but instead of a million dollars, the prize is your very own design program on HGTV. This is an incredible opportunity for a young designer.

Ten contestants have competed, and tonight is the finale - two design competitors are left, David from Flordia, and Alice from Texas. IMO, David is by far the better designer and will win the competition tonight. Alice is much better on camera, though, than David. I wouldn't mind seeing them both win, frankly, and being awarded a show together. They are both likeable people and they get along well.

Unlike the previous episodes, the judges for the finale are the viewers only. Online voting was closed at noon last Wednesday, but the results won't be revealed until tonight. Voters could cast one vote per day per computer or mobile phone.

The show itself could use some improvement. You know how at the end of each Survivor episode Jeff Probst snuffs out the torch of the loser? Well, on Design Star, instead of torches they have little TVs on poles, each with a contestant's picture on them, with the words "Design Star" superimposed. When the loser is announced, Clive intones, "Your show has been cancelled," and their screen goes blank. Hokey.

The final challenge for David and Alice was to design something within a glass enclosure in the middle of New York City.




David did an awesome Asian-inspired bedroom, and Alice did a children's room that was ... eh, really not her best work. You can see pictures here. These pics don't do the rooms justice, tho. I think they're going to rerun this episode tonight before the finale, so you could catch it then.