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''While You Were Out'' is an American
reality series Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
that aired episodes on the cable channel
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
. The format of the show is similar to
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
's ''
Trading Spaces ''Trading Spaces'' is an hour-long American television reality program that originally aired from 2000 to 2008 on the cable channels TLC and Discovery Home. The format of the show was based on the BBC TV series ''Changing Rooms''. The first ...
'' (which, in turn, is based on the
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...
TV series '' Changing Rooms''). ''While You Were Out'' adds a suspenseful gimmick by keeping the entire redecoration a secret from the homeowner. The series was revived in 2019, as a collaboration between TLC and new sister network HGTV.


Premise of show

The series began with the following premise: An individual sets up a friend or family member with a surprise room redecoration. A typical example of an episode would be a wife who wants to surprise her husband by having the living room redone. The person being set up is sent out of the house for two days on a phony premise, such as a vacation. While the person is out, the friend or family member with the help of a designer redecorates one room in the house, though gardens have also been made over. The initial budget for the makeover was U.S. $1000, later raised to $1500, and then $2000. The designers must work with the homeowner to come up with a design, shop for supplies and redecorate the selected area within a 32-hour time frame, though during the beginning of the show's run, the designers designed a room, and it was a surprise to the helping homeowner/friend when the host and designer showed up on the first day. While the redecoration is in progress, a "secret shooter" trails the person who has been sent out of the house and tapes an interview with the unsuspecting person. The footage is then used for the purpose of quizzing the spouse, friend or relative at home. If the person who sets up the individual answers the questions correctly, they will win a prize that further enhances the room's
décor Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordin ...
. At the end of the show, the person being surprised returns home to the redecoration, and their reaction is recorded. The surprised person is then quizzed for the opportunity to win a further prize. One of the aspects that made both ''Trading Spaces'' and ''While You Were Out'' stand apart from previous home renovation shows was that they openly depicted conflict between the cast, crew and homeowners. These conflicts were usually fairly friendly, but sometimes devolved into rather bitter arguments. ''While You Were Out'', in particular, revealed many personality quirks of both the cast and guests. On some occasions, the individual to be surprised disliked the redesign of the home.
Teresa Strasser Teresa Lynn Strasser (born June 8, 1970) is an American writer and television personality known for hosting the first season of the home makeover show ''While You Were Out'' on TLC. She also co-hosted '' The Adam Carolla Show''. Personal life ...
's final episode has become infamous for just this reason. The homeowner returned to find that his deck had a large hole in it, and subsequently launched into a lengthy tirade while his wife wept. The premise of the show evolved somewhat as the series progressed (see below for details).


History

During season 1 there were four quizzes. The individual who was arranging the surprise (referred to as the "homeowner") for their loved one had to answer three of the quizzes. For each quiz there was a "booby prize" in case the homeowner failed the quiz. Normally the "
booby prize A booby prize is a joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or last-place finish. A person who finishes last, for example, may receive a booby prize such as a worthless coin. Booby prizes are sometimes jokingly coveted a ...
" was a fun, toy version of the real thing (for example, a globe pencil sharpener instead of a real globe). The show was first hosted by
Anna Bocci Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
, who swiftly departed and was replaced by actress and writer Teresa Strasser, who remained for the rest of the first season. Strasser never considered herself terribly handy but compensated with her empathy for the homeowners—their travails drove her to tears on several occasions—and a sometimes dark sense of humor. During the Strasser era, the humorously "sneaky" aspect of the show was stressed, and many episodes began with Strasser and the designer hiding in a van or a neighbor's house early in the morning and observing the departure of the unsuspecting makeover subject. At the beginning of season 2,
Evan Farmer Evan Ragland Farmer, Jr. (born July 28, 1972) is an American business owner, television host, radio host, actor, musician, designer/customizer, and author. He is best known for his lead role as Jerry O'Keefe in the MTV Film and follow up televis ...
came aboard as host. An actor, singer and former boyband member, Farmer was much more high-energy than Strasser and was a skilled carpenter in his own right. While Strasser's humor had been verbal, Farmer tended more toward physical comedy. Farmer also enjoyed a teasing relationship with the show's designers and carpenters: where Strasser tended to lead with a nervous, mother-hen approach, Farmer was likely to chide the crew for wasting time or for their personal quirks such as Jason Cameron's sideline as a bodybuilder. New music and some new graphics were introduced, the quizzes were reduced to three, and booby prizes were eliminated. The homeowner only had to answer two quizzes, and the unsuspecting person would answer the third quiz. The third quiz question was always the same: Why did the homeowner want to do the room makeover for their loved one? Only once did an unsuspecting person get the answer wrong and lose the prize. Both Strasser and Farmer had considerable difficulty letting guests lose prizes; on more than one occasion, they would offer "hints" so obvious that they essentially gave the prize away. In the beginning of season 3, the budget was raised to $2,000 and quizzes kept the same. Toward the end of season 3, the quizzes and secret shooter were eliminated entirely. The homeowners also became more involved in the designing of the room. Originally during the first season, once the rooms were finished, the carpenters drove away with the show's work truck, leaving only Strasser and the designer to greet the subjects and get their reactions. During one episode, however, the build ran so long that the carpenters were not able to leave (although the truck was hidden to avoid ruining the surprise), and they participated in the final reveal. Since then, the format changed so that once everything was finished, the truck was driven away and the carpenters were present at the reveals, allowing them to see the reactions and accept the subjects' thanks themselves. Season 4 was the show's final season, with the concluding episode airing on August 5, 2006. The final episode was beset with problems, including illnesses on set and Farmer's flight not arriving until the final day of the shoot. The episode ended without an obvious acknowledgment that it was the series finale, although Farmer did passingly refer to the final scene as "the end of the era" and designer John Bruce addressed the camera in close up to say, "Thank You, ''While You Were Out''." Due to the success of the show in Latin America, ''Mientras No Estabas'' was created for the Discovery En Español channel. The show's name is a literal translation of ''While You Were Out'' and is hosted by Arturo. In October 2018, building upon its successful revival of sister series ''
Trading Spaces ''Trading Spaces'' is an hour-long American television reality program that originally aired from 2000 to 2008 on the cable channels TLC and Discovery Home. The format of the show was based on the BBC TV series ''Changing Rooms''. The first ...
'', as well as Discovery's recent acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, it was announced that TLC and HGTV had jointly ordered a revived, fifth season of ''While You Were Out''. The new season, which premiered March 16, 2019, featured teams representing personalities associated with TLC, and personalities associated with HGTV and
DIY Network Magnolia Network is an American basic cable network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related to topics such as home construction, renovation, and cuisine. The channe ...
. New episodes aired simultaneously on both channels, with TLC airing a cut of the episode focusing on the participants and their personal lives (as with the original series), and HGTV airing a cut of the episode that featured a larger focus on the renovation process.


Other variations

Over the series, the producers have created different formats of the show including: *Bringing in designers or carpenters from ''Trading Spaces'' (and vice versa—the carpenters from ''While You Were Out'' have made several appearances on ''Trading Spaces'') *Having "on the fly" designs in which the designer does not see the room until the day before the makeover begins, although the carpenters and host are sometimes allowed to see it early. Late in the series run, they started filming the carpenters and designers shopping for supplies on what is called day 0 (the day before general taping). *Remaking a room with a celebrity guest. These guests have included
Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured ...
(for his partner, Teller),
Shannon Elizabeth Shannon Elizabeth Fadal (born September 7, 1973) is an American actress, conservationist, animal activist, model and poker player. A popular sex symbol and teen idol of the 1990s and 2000s, Elizabeth is best known for her roles in the films '' A ...
(for her then-husband),
Miss Alabama The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition. Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone (the first deaf w ...
2003
Catherine Crosby The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition. Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone (the first deaf ...
(for her then-boyfriend), and football player
LaVar Arrington LaVar RaShad Arrington (born June 30, 1978) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Penn State and was drafted second overall by the Washington R ...
, for his brother. * In 2004, the series aired a crossover with another TLC series, '' What Not to Wear'', billed as ''Double Crossed'', in which the surprisee secretly received a makeover from the show while the home was being worked on. *''Royal Renovation'': An entire home was redecorated; the episode featured 3 designers: Nadia Gellar, John Bruce and Chayse Dacoda, celebrity guest Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson and a budget of $10,000. * For one episode shot near Atlantic City NJ. the home owner allowed Farmer, designer Chase Dacoda and the day's carpenters to gamble with $500 of the budget money the day before investing any winnings into the makeover, the crew raised another $300 making the budget for that makeover $1,800. * Some members of the on camera cast have swapped their typical roles, Farmer himself served as designer in one episode (designer John Bruce served as host in the interim), carpenter/seamstress Leslie Segrete and carpenter Andrew Dan-Jumbo have also taken turns as designer on different episodes (designer Mark Montano filled in as seamstress for Leslie, while designer John Bruce filled in as carpenter for Dan-Jumbo).


Cast

A list of the crew is as follows:


Original run (2002–2006)


Hosts

*
Evan Farmer Evan Ragland Farmer, Jr. (born July 28, 1972) is an American business owner, television host, radio host, actor, musician, designer/customizer, and author. He is best known for his lead role as Jerry O'Keefe in the MTV Film and follow up televis ...
(season 2 - 4) *
Teresa Strasser Teresa Lynn Strasser (born June 8, 1970) is an American writer and television personality known for hosting the first season of the home makeover show ''While You Were Out'' on TLC. She also co-hosted '' The Adam Carolla Show''. Personal life ...
(season 1, episodes 11-60) *Anna Bocci (season 1, episodes 1-10)


Designers

*
John Bruce (decorator) John Bruce is an interior designer best known for his many appearances on the Learning Channel home renovation TV series ''While You Were Out''. Bruce appeared in the first season and stayed with the show until the very end - he was the featured ...
(season 1 - 4) *Chayse Dacoda (season 1 - 4) *
Nadia Geller Nadia Geller is an American interior designer, artist and television personality from Schaumburg, Illinois, near Chicago. She is best known for her roles as a host and designer on The Learning Channel ''While You Were Out'', ''Home Made Simple'' and ...
(season 2 - 4) *
Lauren Lake Lauren Laniece Lake (Born July 12, 1969) is an American family lawyer, television judge, and talk show presenter. Lake has performed in guest hosting and news anchoring positions for various talk shows and reality legal programs. In much of h ...
(season 1) *
Mark Montano Mark Montano is an American interior designer, artist, writer, and TV personality. Television Mark Montano is perhaps best known for three series on the Style Network and The Learning Channel: 10 Years Younger, which he hosted, While You Wer ...
(season 2 - 4) *Christy Schlesinger (season 1) *Stephen Saint-Onge (seasons 1 - 2)


Landscape designers

*Peter BonSey (season 1) *Mayita Dinos (season 1)


Carpenters

*Ali Barone (season 2 - 3) *
Jason Cameron Jason Cameron (born April 19, 1969) is an American television presenter and actor most notable for his role on the TLC reality show, '' While You Were Out'' and is currently hosting ''Man Caves'' and ''Desperate Landscapes'' for the DIY Netwo ...
(season 2 - 4) *
Andrew Dan-Jumbo Andrew Dan-Jumbo (born 25 June 1965) is a builder and co-host on the home improvement reality television series Operation Build. He previously co-starred as a carpenter on the TV home makeover show '' While You Were Out'', and is the current ho ...
(season 1 - 4) *Troy Dunn (season 1) *Jennifer Ann Halpern (season 1) *Adrienne Haitz (season 1) *Jaqui Jameson (season 1) *
Leslie Segrete Leslie Segrete ( ; born February 28, 1975) is an American designer, seamstress, carpenter, and television personality. She is best known for her work on the TLC show ''While You Were Out'', which concluded a four-year run in 2006. She also appeare ...
(season 1 - 4)


Revival (2019)


Host

*
Ananda Lewis Ananda Lewis (born March 21, 1973) is an American television host, carpenter, former model, and social activist. She was an MTV veejay from the late 1990s until 2001, when she left the network to host her own broadcast syndicated television tal ...


Designers

For the revival, designers from
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
's ''
Trading Spaces ''Trading Spaces'' is an hour-long American television reality program that originally aired from 2000 to 2008 on the cable channels TLC and Discovery Home. The format of the show was based on the BBC TV series ''Changing Rooms''. The first ...
'' and various HGTV and
DIY Network Magnolia Network is an American basic cable network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related to topics such as home construction, renovation, and cuisine. The channe ...
shows will work as teams of two. The teams are as follows:


=TLC

= *
Carter Oosterhouse Carter Nicholas Oosterhouse (born September 19, 1976) is an American television personality and former model, who was born in Traverse City, Michigan. Oosterhouse first gained national fame as a carpenter on the TLC series ''Trading Spaces'' and ...
and Sabrina Soto * Doug Wilson and
Kahi Lee Kahi Lee (born 30 December 1979) is an interior designer and television host. She was born in Washington, DC to Koreans, Korean parents and raised in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Kahi has appeared as an interior design expert antelevision ho ...
*
Frank Bielec Frank Bielec (September 24, 1947 in Sealy – May 15, 2020 in Houston) was an American interior designer and artist from Katy, Texas, best known for his work on TLC's ''Trading Spaces'', '' Trading Spaces: Family'', '' Trading Spaces: Home Free'', ...
and
Vern Yip Vern Yip (born June 27, 1968, in Hong Kong) is an American interior designer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He periodically appeared on TLC's ''Trading Spaces'' through its fourth season, and was known for frequently including silk, candles and flo ...
*Hildi Santo-Tomas and
Ty Pennington Tygert Burton "Ty" Pennington (born Gary Tygert Burton) is an American television host, artist, carpenter, author, and former model and actor. His rise to prominence began with his role as carpenter on the TLC home improvement reality show ' ...


=HGTV/DIY Network

= *
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
and Aubrey Marunde ('' Flip or Flop Vegas'') *
David Visentin David Visentin (born June 28, 1965) is a Canadian actor, realtor and commentator. He is best known for his role as a co-host of W Network's and HGTV's ''Love It or List It'', with co-host Hilary Farr. Married to Krista Visentin since 2006. C ...
and
Hilary Farr Hilary Elizabeth Farr ( née Labow) is a British-Canadian designer, businesswoman, television host and former actress. She is known as the co-host of the HGTV and W Network television series ''Love It or List It'' with David Visentin. Born in ...
(''
Love It or List It ''Love It or List It'' is a home design TV show on HGTV, W Network, and OWN Canada. It is also the original show in the ''Love it or List It'' franchise. The show has run for 18 seasons to date having premiered on September 8, 2008. The 18th ...
'') *Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak ('' Good Bones'') *Nicole Curtis ('' Rehab Addict'') and Rob “Vanilla Ice” Van Winkle ('' The Vanilla Ice Project'')


Carpenters

*Eric Griffin * Jordan Thompson


References


External links


Official TLC website: While You Were Out
* {{Former TLC Programming 2002 American television series debuts 2006 American television series endings 2000s American reality television series English-language television shows Home renovation television series TLC (TV network) original programming 2019 American television series debuts 2019 American television series endings American television series revived after cancellation