Post by Mark T. Locker.

I am slowly recovering from our first-ever family airplane trip. One of the great features of the airline we took was the DirecTV on the back of every seat. We do not have cable at home, so any time I get to watch the Food Network or National Geographic or any other fancy channel it a major treat. Once my son was happily settled in with the requisite airplane ginger ale and watching Oz, I settled happily into a House Hunters/House Hunters International binge.

Perhaps you have seen the show; people are in the market for a new home or apartment. Often, they are utterly unbearable, complaining about wall colors as though there is no earthly way to change it. Or multi-millionaires looking for a vacation home in a third-world country and being surprised at the otherness of the foreign country. Also, it is completely staged. A friend of mine was on and there was a whole fake going-away party for her, despite her having been gone for months.

Normally, I cannot endure “reality” TV. However, I cannot get enough of this “realty” TV. I love seeing all the different kinds of houses, and the tastes that each house hunter seems drawn to. Just like there is a person for everyone, there is a home for all types. Add to that the far-flung corners of the globe you get to visit in the “International” version, and it’s downright educational. I’ll probably never see a family home in Oslo outside of this show. Great fun to watch and apparently it’s always on.