That's the fireplace I want.

Fairly new to the Discovery channel, Monster House takes the Monster Garage approach (bigger, louder and even bigger) and applies it to home construction and decorating. Steve and his monster wrecking crew take over a house and remake it in a thematic way. When you hear the word 'thematic', think 'theme park' as in: they're basically redesigning these houses to look like something that you'd see standing in line at a Disneyland ride. Sounds perfect to a guy like me.

The themes aren't for the squeamish to be sure. When a family tells the crew they'd like as western theme, they get it. They knock out a ceiling to create an Old West saloon complete with balcony, stage and wagon wheel poker table. Add in a hand pump and an iron bathtub and you've got one heck of a redecoration.

For good reason, this show grabs me even more than Monster Garage. Maybe it's the scope. Monster Garage has a team remaking a car in a week, Monster House has them remaking a whole friggin' house! That's just damn cool.

Western House

The show itself isn't without drama. Along with the rather short timeline, usual yelling and creative differences, you'll see stuff that will really make you yell at the TV in frustration. In the aforementioned Western episode, an 'electrician' downright lied about his qualifications. I watched in jaw-dropped amazement at his bumbling, Boomhauer-esque excuses about why he couldn't move a light socket. Turns out, he wasn't even an electrician and he had basically lied his way onto the show. I think they got the hint when he spent THREE DAYS trying to move a light switch. I'm an idiot and I could tell that he wasn't doing things correctly.

If you like breaking things and marvel at theme park ride design, you'll love Monster House. It'll make you long for a home sweet home that looks like a racetrack.

TV Grade: A

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