You might think of a television producer as someone who is most comfortable on a zoom call, in a boardroom, or reclining on a beach. Nick Wilson is quite the opposite; he wants to be in the middle of the action, out in the field, and he is not afraid of getting his hands dirty, both figuratively and literally. Painfully considerate and a voraciously hard-worker, Wilson has made a name for himself as one of the most talented and bravest producers of his generation. That template includes preferring being immersed in uncomfortable, even dangerous scenarios where violent criminals are the norm rather than the exception. While his most recent tenure as producer on A&E’s Hoarders doesn’t place him and his team around illegal activity, it’s anything but a sterile and relaxed environment. Still, you’ll hear Nick speak more often about the positive influence that he and his team can make in capturing an honest story than you’ll hear him grumble about the surroundings. Hoarders enters its fifteenth season this year with the first ever filming outside of the United States. To ensure the premier standard of quality of the show, Nick Wilson was placed in the role of producer for more than half of the new season. As expected, what is presented this year on Hoarders is some of the most unsettling and touching episodes the series has offered in its long history.
To produce Hoarders, one must have a mastery of personal skills that far exceeds those of normal professionals. Organizing and scheduling of a production team are important but these mean nothing without establishing a communication bond with the people featured in each story. Nick relates, “As a Canadian, I can say that Canadians are perhaps slightly more shy than Americans, or in other words, less confident/garrulous than Americans, by nature. At the very beginning, it was actually quite difficult to find willing hoarders in Canada to participate in the show but we eventually got there. Once we get into their dwellings, it’s important to be very respectful. It’s also helpful to put rational thinking aside. You must remember that to them, none of this is trash; it’s all belongings that have some meaning. They’re living in unsanitary conditions, often with respiratory issues, the walls of their house and mounds of trash literally closing in on them but this is not the most obvious or meaningful thing to them.” While exposing these unsettling aspects, Nick is sensitive to the humanity of each person and balances the perspective of the audience with that of each person that is featured in the show. It’s rare in the industry to see someone like Mr. Wilson who implements such grand and equal parts professional skill and compassion in the role of producer.
The yin and yang of Hoarders is the shock of seeing these living conditions in modern, developed cities while sensing the benevolent aim of helping these hoarders abandon their tendencies. We can see our loved ones, or even ourselves, in those like Rosella, an octogenarian widow in Winnipeg who navigates through the self-made “goat paths” and tunnels of her home. Therein contains decades long expired food in her kitchen cabinets and freezer, with black mold and dead insects. After three days, the show’s therapists and organizer convinced Rosella to allow the clean up of her residence, leaving her family in joyous tears. From the self-admitted laziness of David who hasn’t cleaned his house in thirty years, to the more eccentric Darlene of Vancouver who refuses to throw out anything due to her belief that each item possesses spiritual meaning and performance, Hoarders depicts the eclectic personalities of others while reminding us that these people are someone’s child, sibling, or parent and thereby expands our initial reaction to allow us to see someone of human value and potential.
There is always conflict at the core of any drama and Hoarders is a perfect real-world depiction of this. The health risks are sometimes mortal. The subjects always feel justified in their actions even though this is what separates them from a “normal” life. Real life drama such as this is rare on television. Even so, it takes masterful skill to sculpt these stories in a manner that places the viewer within the lives of these people and incites emotional investment. The most impressive thing about the Hoarders series is that it has a comprehensive effect. Nick Wilson shares, “The most rewarding experience on Hoarders is always “the reveal” — of the completely cleaned-up house. On the last night of production (which is usually about the seventh day of the clean up) we organize it so the participant (“hoarding individual”) sleeps over at a friend or family’s house. Then begins a 24-hour deep clean of the entire house — a race to the finish line. We often repair furniture, replace broken appliances, and organize their most cherished collections and possessions to be displayed where they can enjoy them, rather than being buried in boxes at the back of a room underneath a pile of other stuff. When the individual walks into the main room of the house and see the transformation that has taken place — they always burst into tears. It’s always so moving, every time. Sometimes the TV crew and the cleaners all start crying too. Everyone in the family hugs and sobs. It’s pretty cathartic. It never gets old. Maybe that’s why people love the show so much. It’s deeply deeply disturbing…but then, there’s always a happy ending. No matter the challenges.”
Writer : Basil Thomson
Punit