With a scarf around my nose, I scanned the crowd for Ty Pennington, not because I was one of the many swooning females in the crowd, but because I wanted some film for The Collegian̢۪s video of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

I saw him in a pile of debris pulling on a white asbestos suit. (That is, a suit made to protect the wearer during the removal of asbestos from a house, not a suit made of asbestos.) As he bent over, I learned what sort of underwear he wears.

That’s the sort of moment they never show you in so-called “realityâ€Â television.

To begin with, the premise of the show is unrealistic, which is what makes it good television. Even the choice of family seemed made for TV. Though deserving, indeed, the Riojas family seemed unusually well-off to receive such charity. The few times I̢۪ve watched the show, it has featured families in truly dire circumstances. I know there are families like that in Fresno.

I couldn̢۪t help but wonder if the show̢۪s crew picked the Riojas family because Mary Ann̢۪s extremely visual disabilities and heartstring-tugging story made good television. I wondered about the other four families that didn̢۪t awaken that first morning to Ty yelling on his bullhorn.

But the filming was the real moment of untruth. The “Braveheart Marchâ€Â involved hundreds of volunteers cheering as they walk up the street to the house. Twice. I wasn’t jealous of the guy who had to back the earthmover two blocks down the street after the first take.

Even the press conference the family held was done twice.

While standing for hours in the cold waiting for all this to go down, I asked photo editor Bryan Cole how many times he thought the crew would have to demolish the house in order to get a good shot.

The best multiple-take moment, for me, was one caught on film by Joel Ede, the Collegian Online’s assistant multimedia editor. On the infamous “Move That Busâ€Â day, the family’s limousine rolled up the street amidst thunderous applause. Ty Pennington flung the car door open and shouted enthusiastically, “Welcome home, Riojas family!â€Â – only to slam the car door shut again in their faces.

The limo backed down the street to approach for another take.

Though I̢۪m not a fan of the show, I can̢۪t wait to see it on March 8. I know it will introduce me to a whole new reality than the one I experienced firsthand from a curb in Fig Garden.