Hoarders TV Show

Hoarders collect items until the items take over their homes.

The Hoarders TV show is a documentary style reality show that airs on the A&E network. The program is often disturbing, but clearly illustrates just how difficult life is for those who hoard and their families.

About the Hoarders TV Show

Hoarding is a disorder that causes the afflicted to collect and store mass amounts of possessions, regardless of the functionality of the item or safety of the individual. These items can be anything at all, from furniture to food. The hoarders develop an emotional attachment to these physical possessions and have a great deal of difficulty parting with them, even when the clutter threatens to take over their homes and lives.

On the Hoarders TV show, professionals specializing in dealing with hoarders bring a clean-up crew to the home of the featured hoarder, and attempt to intervene and clean up the home. Most often, the hoarder is facing some sort of threat to his or her lifestyle, such as eviction, divorce, or even the removal of children from the home. Unlike the A&E show Intervention, the hoarders themselves are aware of the efforts being made on their behalf.

Each clean-up effort occurs over the course of several days, and includes the family and friends of the hoarder. The subject is interviewed several times, and expresses his or her feelings about what's going on as it happens. The friends and family also reveal how the hoarding behavior has affected them and how they have seen it evolve.

Episode Structure

Each episode of Hoarders features two different subjects, both suffering from an extreme form of hoarding behavior. Shows are 60 minutes in length and flip back and forth as they document the progress each person is making. Like many reality shows, the drama is a result of the subjects themselves.

Most of the time the homes can be cleaned up enough to allow the hoarders some extra time before they are evicted or face other consequences of their actions. The show is often disturbing and sad as viewers realize just how emotionally invested these people are in their possessions, even when the items have consumed their lives.

Story Examples

Some of the stories that are covered on Hoarders are heartbreaking, and viewers get a real glimpse of the suffering that occurs for these people. Here are some examples of what has been shown so far.

  • Chris - Chris' newborn son Aiden died three years ago, causing depression and deepening her hoarding. Now, she and her two young daughters are living in a beautiful house that is absolutely full of clutter. Chris can't sleep on her bed or find much of her furniture because it is buried in piles of belongings. The children eat from trays on the living room floor because there is no other space in the home. She must face her affliction and clean up the house or she will lose her daughters.
  • Steven - Steven lives in a subsidized apartment which is full of trash, feces, and empty food and drink containers. He sleeps on a thin mattress piled on top of the junk. He can't even stand to be in his own home, and spends his days outside. The clean up crew uses giant shovels to clear the apartment of the garbage.
  • Shirley - Shirley hoards cats as well as inanimate belongings. The real problem for Shirley is that she has lost track of how many cats are living in her home, and she can't keep up with their needs. With her home covered in cat feces and urine, the clean up crew faces other horrifying discoveries: dead cats hidden amongst the clutter.
  • Jill - Jill hoards possessions like the others, but she also has a huge collection of food contained in multiple refrigerators, freezers, and shelves. Perishables are rotting throughout the house. Food items that expired years ago are frozen, and Jill insists that many things are still fit to eat. She faces eviction if she can't get her home in order.

Learn More About the Hoarders TV Show

To learn more about Hoarders, visit the show's official website at AETV.com. You'll also be able to see deleted scenes, full episodes, and synopses of all the episodes so far, or join the forum to discuss the show.